The Army's Big Push in Distance Education

The Army announced in July that it would spend $600-million over the next six years to enable any interested soldier to take distance-education courses on the Internet, at little or no cost. The Army will be working with colleges and other entities to provide the education, and many experts think the Army's role in distance education is about to become extremely significant. If the program is expanded to include family members of soldiers, as some officials hope, the market could exceed a million students. Louis Caldera has been secretary of the Army since 1998. A 1978 graduate of West Point, he served as an Army officer for five years and then went to Harvard University, where he earned an M.B.A. and a J.D. Prior to becoming secretary of the Army, he worked as a lawyer, as a member of the California State Assembly, and as chief operating officer of the Corporation for National Service. He will respond to comments and questions about the Army's new distance-education effort on Tuesday, August 29 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. Questions submitted in advance are welcome, and concise questions are encouraged.

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