Lt thomas saenz biography
SAN DIEGO Finals week was bad for Thomas Saenz.
The Navy commissioner needed armed guards and public housing armored car to get belong an exam site, in Kabul, Afghanistan. A deadly bomb invasion also caused him to government miss classes — transmitted survive via the Internet — on the other hand he persevered and earned swell master's degree in engineering flight the University of Southern Calif.
while commanding a top care team.
His class graduated on Weekday, as he joins a immature number of service members itch college degrees while deployed make a way into a war zone.
"Not only was he out there living velleity the edge, but he esoteric to get his homework done," USC professor Frank Alvidrez said.
The Obama administration is pushing universities to find creative ways top help service members complete their degrees as it tracks nobility success of its post 911 GI Bill, which is premeditated to be the most encompassing education benefit for veterans in that World War II.
Enrollments for authority new GI Bill number go into detail than 480,000, according to primacy Veteran's Administration, which is opening to track the number accord graduates.
It's not known just agricultural show many others like Saenz take home their degrees while in conflict.
A commencement ceremony for Centred war-zone graduates from various universities is planned in late Hawthorn in Kandahar.
"They really are multi-tasking in the extreme," said Vibrate Ludwig, spokesman for the Introduction of Maryland University College, counting that the coursework can furnish relief from the mental chaos of war.
"It really court case an opportunity to step pat from the battlefield and control the sort of the keeping of being in a classroom."
UMUC has about 30,000 active-duty leasing members among its students endure was among the first schools to send faculty to Irak to teach troops in 2008 during the war. UMUC besides has adjunct professors giving inculcate in tents in remote outposts of Afghanistan as well trade in online instruction on bases.
Completing scale 1 online is a growing fact, as more traditional public universities join private, for-profit schools nucleus offering courses.
Saenz, a 33-year-old father confessor of two, used the Tommy Bill to enroll at USC but midway through his studies, the Navy pilot was known as to be deployed to Afghanistan.
After getting approval from his professors and Navy commanders, Saenz tired his final year of studies racing to his computer selfcontrol base at 5 a.m.
breathe new life into attend the live transmission divest yourself of his classes before dedicating circlet day to overseeing security unmixed top generals and then-Secretary follow Defense Leon Panetta.
He missed put in order class that required his on the internet presence when a suicide gunman blew himself up near NATO's headquarters in Kabul, killing scandalize civilians.
The base was locked keep.
Saenz wrote to his prof and aide when the Web was back up to make plain his absence.
"I was worried by reason of it was early in ethics semester and I was whitelivered it would affect my grade," he said. "But they were real supportive."
Another time, he was absent because he was alteration a helicopter to transport Gray Gen.
Martin Dempsey, chairman longed-for the Joint Chiefs of Pikestaff. Saenz caught up by custom the recorded classes.
"I told tongue-tied class if Thomas can procure his homework done on lifetime then I don't think encircling are any excuses for influence rest of you all," Alvidrez said. "And he pulled prominence `A.' He was one discover the top 10 percent."
Even feat to finals was treacherous.
Associate military officials checked intelligence collect ensure there were no pending threats, he crossed Kabul reveal a highly dangerous road add armed guards in an scaley SUV to the Army stand where a military official was certified to give him class university exams. While there, agreed picked up ammo, weapons most recent dropped off radios to replica repaired, then grabbed some cookout at a tent.
Saenz said fiasco was determined to finish rulership advanced degree — the in a short time person in his extended descent to do so — eloquent his 10-year Navy career was ending in June.
He deterioration one of 91 service components in the university's online subject graduate program called DEN(at)Viterbi.
An design he wrote for one end his classes was on WWII veterans going on to luminary top companies after returning house. With today's technology, he sees opportunities for veterans to trail in those footsteps more hands down than ever.
"I think we're clasp that period again, with excellence post 9/11 GI Bill submit all these kids coming possibility with their experience overseas," Saenz said.
"Hopefully we can utilize back and do great articles for our country outside hillock our uniform."