Military Officer - August 2007 - (Page 62)

have zero conﬁdence and self-esteem,” says Col. Eddie Toler, ANGRet., director of North Carolina’s Tarheel Challenge Academy. “Many of them don’t trust adults, and we’re not going to earn that trust in the two weeks they’re in pre-challenge. But we can make some headway in that period of time.” At the Tarheel academy, Toler and Deputy Director Dale Autry meet with applicants and their families a month or so before the program begins. “Autry and I spend a couple of hours with everyone, explaining the program and the strict guidelines and standards of conduct we have,” says Toler. “We show them the dining facilities, the residential area, and the rest of the campus. We show them the washers and dryers, because Mama’s not going to be washing your underwear — you are.” Pre-challenge is the most intense part of the program, a type of basic training designed to show cadets they’re capable of much more than they might think. At the Tarheel academy, which is housed in a 1950s-era former high school, recruits are packed into buses and transported to nearby Fort Bragg, where for two weeks they climb and rappel down walls and leap from 34-foot airborne jump towers during parachute training under the watchful eyes of base instructors. “It’s to get them to overcome some of their fears, build up their conﬁdence levels, and to show them that, hey, they can do it,” says Toler. Hitting the books After pre-challenge comes academic evaluation, where cadets are given adult basic education tests and separated into classes based on the results, ensuring that each group can learn at its own pace. At Tarheel, cadets also are separated by gender. “Not all programs do that, but we’ve found that it works for us,” Toler says. For many cadets, the most difﬁcult part of the program is being dragged out of bed at 5:30 a.m., when the academy’s day begins. “They get up, have a ﬂag ceremony, and then do physical ﬁtness,” says Toler. “Then they get ready for classes, which begin at 8:45 a.m. and last for six hours. Lights out at 9:30 p.m.” Cadets concentrate on the basic GED study requirements, which include math, science, social studies, English, and reading, but they’re also taught essential life skills — something traditional schools Whether in the classroom or participating in mock drills, students take their time at the program seriously. For these students, (facing page) working together proves invaluable. 62 MILITARY OFFICER AUGUST 2007 PHOTOS: COURTESY NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH CHALLENGE PROGRAM

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Military Officer - August 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: No Longer in Reserve A Different Path Weird Science Charge? Pages of History Faces of MOAA Member Books Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Calendar MOAA Scholarship Donors Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - August 2007

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