The coronavirus pandemic kept recruiters out of schools, fairs and other public events, limiting their in-person contact with students.
Inside the classroom, about 30 recruits in Army fatigues are in their first week of the initial three-week session. On the board, “TAXES” is scrawled in large letters, and students are going through math problems tied to the 6% sales tax. Down the hall, others are tackling rates of speed, calculating how long it will take to travel certain distances.
The instructors — some former drill sergeants — are in uniform but wear casual ball caps and have toned down their normal cadence. Noting that the sergeants can often be a bit abrasive, commanders said they instead looked for those who can be mature instructors with good temperaments and communication skills.
Brig. Gen. Patrick Michaelis, the base commander, said many struggle with test-taking skills. The prep course, he said, doesn’t teach answers to the test, instead it focuses on improving their testing skills. A dozen students met with McConville, telling him their individual stories. Most said they’ve been trying to get into the Army for a couple years, but were stalled by the academic test. “This is giving me a second chance,” said one. Others talked about looking for a better life and a good job and, as one said, “my final opportunity to get out of the town I lived in."