Col. Scott Lofreddo, who has been the commander of the 593rd Sustainment Brigade for just over a year, cannot stop talking about what his Soldiers are up to and how his brigade is using better education and training to help them adapt on the battlefield.

"The Sustainers University was designed to enhance the skills which sustainment Soldiers need to improvise mission support on the battlefield; skills which they don't necessarily receive at AIT," Lofreddo explained. "Additionally, these skills have direct applications in the civilian employment sectors, which benefits them in the future."

Curriculum will range from advanced welding techniques and commercial drivers licensing to advanced mechanics certification and fuel or water production with other than military equipment. Presently, they have seven colleges, or areas of specific expertise, and in October a new syllabus will be released with an additional three colleges.

Each college has a dean, one of the 593rd's Warrant Officers, who will provide case-by-case management over the classes and training being offered by accredited civilian institutions. When appropriate, the Soldier will be licensed and retain the credentials they've earned even outside their time in the military.

For CW4 Glen Schmeck, who serves as the University President along with his regular job responsibilities, this is about doing more for the Soldiers and he is happy to be a part of it.

"Warrant Officers have been asking on and off for this, but Col. LoFreddo personified this and made it happen," Schmeck said.  "We always want to give them more opportunities and this is a totally new level of training that will set our Brigade apart."

In order to participate in the University, Soldiers of all ranks must be deployable and have a clear record. While enrollment in the University does not exclude Soldiers from deployments, the training is to be conducted during normal duty hours in order to bolster interest.

The program, which was only an idea in March, has already begun for some Soldiers and the goal is that things be in full swing by January, though admittedly, it is still a work in progress according to Schmeck and Lofreddo.

Looking forward, Schmeck mentioned that they might open the university to Soldiers from other units as well, in order to fill spaces in their courses and also benefit others JBLM Servicemembers.

"I hope this initiative can work to train our Soldiers for the uncertainty found in today's conflicts while also offering a way to bridge the gap between Army strong and a strong civilian workforce," Lofreddo said.