Electives

Up to this point, Mark has been with Seminar 10 for classes most every day.  The way classes are done are in blocks.  Some classes took many weeks, others just a week or so.  Some were very interesting, some rather dull.  If you would like to see the classes he took, click here.  It looks like that is the AY 2011, but the only thing that has changed is there is not a SDME exercise that you see a bit right of center.  He has appreciated the students in his seminar so much, and I have loved getting to know the wives.  In previous years the seminars have switched up half way though the year and I'm so thankful that this did not happen this year.  There are friendship I have made with in the seminar that will be life long friendships.  Saying goodbye will not be easy.

There is a switch up that is coming though.  Electives are starting.  I looked over the list of electives, some titles themselves could make me yawn, but there are quite a few that I'd love to take myself.  In fact the wives are encouraged to audit classes that they have openings in.  Electives are not supposed to be not quite as much reading and a little less intense, but time with tell.  All students have a Regional Study, Mark was given Africa.  It was not his first or second choice, but seems positive about it, saying that he doesn't know much about Africa and is interested in learning about it.  This study spans over the entire Electives Block.  The Electives Block is divided in half, and Mark will have 2 electives each half, as well as his regional study.  The classes for his first block are Cyber Warfare and International Hot Spots and for his second block the classes are Negotiations and Strategy to Win and Joint Staff Issues and Processes.   I had to chuckle about him taking the Negotiations class, being the Commander of the Maine State Police Crisis Negotiations Team.  He loves being a part of that team, so I wasn't surprised when he was interested in negotiations from a military perspective. I was studying his schedule and it looks as if there morning and afternoon classes and depending on the day he may have no class, one class or both classes. 

Coming up later in the spring is a field trip to Washington, DC.  When he comes back from that, maybe I can talk him into blogging that entry.  :)