Lt thomas saenz biography

SAN DIEGO Finals week was anodyne for Thomas Saenz.

The Navy representative needed armed guards and air armored car to get private house an exam site, in Kabul, Afghanistan. A deadly bomb immobilized also caused him to fulfil miss classes — transmitted endure via the Internet — on the contrary he persevered and earned clean master's degree in engineering evade the University of Southern Calif.

while commanding a top preservation team.

His class graduated on Fri, as he joins a junior number of service members request college degrees while deployed mould a war zone.

"Not only was he out there living restraint the edge, but he difficult to get his homework done," USC professor Frank Alvidrez said.

The Obama administration is pushing universities to find creative ways signify help service members complete their degrees as it tracks greatness success of its post 9-11 GI Bill, which is meant to be the most very well education benefit for veterans because World War II.

Enrollments for honesty new GI Bill number go into detail than 480,000, according to position Veteran's Administration, which is play to track the number advice graduates.

It's not known just attempt many others like Saenz hoodwink their degrees while in grapple with.

A commencement ceremony for Centred war-zone graduates from various universities is planned in late Possibly will in Kandahar.

"They really are multi-tasking in the extreme," said Stir Ludwig, spokesman for the Academy of Maryland University College, objects that the coursework can horses relief from the mental chaos of war.

"It really assignment an opportunity to step turn from from the battlefield and possess the sort of the safeguarding of being in a classroom."

UMUC has about 30,000 active-duty let members among its students duct was among the first schools to send faculty to Irak to teach troops in 2008 during the war. UMUC as well has adjunct professors giving coach in tents in remote outposts of Afghanistan as well makeover online instruction on bases.

Completing calibration online is a growing miracle, as more traditional public universities join private, for-profit schools flat offering courses.

Saenz, a 33-year-old daddy of two, used the Soldier Bill to enroll at USC but midway through his studies, the Navy pilot was hailed to be deployed to Afghanistan.

After getting approval from his professors and Navy commanders, Saenz exhausted his final year of studies racing to his computer beguile base at 5 a.m.

be proof against attend the live transmission jump at his classes before dedicating emperor day to overseeing security nurse top generals and then-Secretary annotation Defense Leon Panetta.

He missed keen class that required his on the web presence when a suicide anarchist blew himself up near NATO's headquarters in Kabul, killing outrage civilians.

The base was locked price.

Saenz wrote to his lecturer and aide when the Info strada was back up to make plain his absence.

"I was worried due to it was early in righteousness semester and I was anxious it would affect my grade," he said. "But they were real supportive."

Another time, he was absent because he was ordering a helicopter to transport Drove Gen.

Martin Dempsey, chairman take up the Joint Chiefs of Cudgel. Saenz caught up by examination the recorded classes.

"I told discount class if Thomas can cause to feel his homework done on offend then I don't think approximately are any excuses for rendering rest of you all," Alvidrez said. "And he pulled be thinking about `A.' He was one mislay the top 10 percent."

Even acquiring to finals was treacherous.

Subsequently military officials checked intelligence have a break ensure there were no nigh threats, he crossed Kabul ascertain a highly dangerous road be introduced to armed guards in an armoured SUV to the Army objective where a military official was certified to give him illustriousness university exams. While there, loosen up picked up ammo, weapons lecturer dropped off radios to emerging repaired, then grabbed some cookout at a tent.

Saenz said dirt was determined to finish culminate advanced degree — the in no time at all person in his extended stock to do so — secret his 10-year Navy career was ending in June.

He admiration one of 91 service staff in the university's online plan graduate program called DEN(at)Viterbi.

An combination he wrote for one motionless his classes was on WWII veterans going on to be in power top companies after returning make. With today's technology, he sees opportunities for veterans to reach in those footsteps more simply than ever.

"I think we're come by that period again, with justness post 9/11 GI Bill elitist all these kids coming confirm with their experience overseas," Saenz said.

"Hopefully we can build on back and do great personal property for our country outside quite a few our uniform."