NEW CASTLE, Del. - The Delaware Leadership Academy welcomed its 6th graduating class to the ranks of alumni on Thursday.
The class of 2015 consists of seven Soldiers and four Airmen who completed the year-long distance learning program and earned 18 credits toward a Master of Science Degree in Homeland Security, or in Management, with a concentration in military leadership.
Implemented in 2009, the Delaware Leadership Academy is a partnership between the Delaware National Guard and Wilmington University that provides a strategic view of how individuals fit into the big picture. It is the first such partnership and program of its kind.
"In Delaware, it has always been my directive that we operate jointly," said Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, who has served as the adjutant general for the Delaware National Guard since 1999. This program was designed to teach about the joint environment and show our Soldiers and Airmen how the other services operate, he explained. "When we provide that education and interaction in the early stages of our student's careers, it will influence the way they think and operate as they progress through the ranks."
Since its inception, the program has produced 87 graduates. Twenty of those graduates have already completed their Masters Degree and another 38 are working toward their graduate degree.
The program consists of six modules and covers topics such as the role of the National Guard, joint operations, strategic leadership and decision making in a crisis situation. Each module lasts seven weeks and is a combination of distance learning and classroom instruction. The first six weeks are conducted online and the culminating exercise in week seven is a classroom activity where students meet and learn face-to-face. "It's a pretty aggressive schedule to complete all six modules within a year," said Maj. Andrew Werner, education officer for the Delaware National Guard, "but the program is a graduate-level endeavor and we expect a lot from our students."
The Delaware Leadership Academy was the idea of Lt. Col. (retired) Andrew Hartnett, who served in the Delaware National Guard, but also had a civilian career as an educator. Under Vavala's direction, Hartnett and Maj. Gen. (retired) Hugh Broomall, (Delaware's former assistant adjutant general, Air), helped bring the idea to fruition by partnering with Wilmington University to incorporate the Delaware Leadership Academy credits into a graduate program.
"In addition to ensuring the next generation of leaders in the Delaware National Guard know, understand, and operate jointly, it also enables them to further their civilian education by getting them half way to a master's degree," Vavala said.