The Pigeon gets Busier!

I start another Masters degree on Monday! 

As part of my promotion to Major I must complete the next level of Professional Military Education, or PME for short (also called IDE, or Intermediate Developmental Education). 

Each rank comes with it's own PME course, and in this case I must complete Air Command and Staff College (or ACSC for short (Gotta love the A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. soup).

Only a handful of promotees are selected for school in-residence, where they actually move to Maxwell AFB, Alabama to take ACSC.  Alas, I wasn't selected for in-residence:  which is fine by me, since I'd rather stick a fork in my eye than live in AL for a year.  Plus, I'm already applying for a PhD, so ACSC in-residence would muck with my plans.

The advantages for taking ACSC in residence is you get a Masters as well as PME credit, and you have a higher chance of promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.

Thus the rest of us schmucks take ACSC by correspondence, which involves reading some books, taking some tests at the local education center, and then BAM!  PME credit.  But up until this year, you did not get a Masters through the correspondence course.

Until now--nothing like being in the right place at the right time!

The AF just started a pilot program where us correspondence schmucks can enroll in a dual PME/Masters program.  At minimum it'll take 22 months to complete, but at the end I'll have PME credit and a Master of Science in Military Operations, just like the in-residence folks (and hopefully a leg up at my Lt Col board).

The bad news?  My work load just got kicked up a notch, to quote a fat Italian chef.  And, if I get selected for a USAFA-sponsored PhD, I'll simultaneously be starting the PhD while completing the MS--talk about being a glutton for educational punishment!

(MOGS might be in the same situation:  if he enrolls in the course he could be eyeballs deep in two Masters programs!  But I think he feels the same way:  a free MS is a no-brainer).

The Hummingbird thinks I'm a nut, but as I told her I'd be a fool to turn down free education.  Plus, if I complete this MS and get the PhD that means the military will have paid for all but ~$1,000 of my education.   

What does this mean for the Diary of the Mad Pigeon?  I don't know yet... worst case it'll cut into my writing time (and I've already cut back as it is); but on the the bright side, as I've done with my USAFA work I could very well use my PME course work to spark posting ideas (and vice versa).

Regardless, just think of me as the personification of your DoD education tax dollars at work!