Dougherty County School Superintendent Kenneth Dyer has been selected to participate in a very prestigious Department of Defense Program hosted by the Secretary of Defense.

Dyer is among a select group chosen to engage with senior military officials and private sector business and community executives for the Secretary of Defense’s 2018 Joint Civilian Orientation Conference (JCOC 88). The JCOC program is the oldest and most prestigious public liaison program in the Department of Defense.

As a JCOC participant, Dyer will spend several intense days from June 10-16, 2018 at military installations, engaging with senior military officials and U.S. service members.  In addition to participating in tactical training exercises, he will gain a better understanding of the roles and mission of the U.S. armed forces; their skills, capabilities and equipment employed in defense of our nation.

The JCOC program is directly linked to the Department of Defense’s new initiative, This Is Your Military.  The goal of this initiative is to educate and accurately inform the American public on the military’s relevance, innovativeness and how it is a force for good.  It also seeks to introduce the American public to those who currently serve, and dispel common misperceptions about the military.

“I’m honored and humbled to be chosen for this opportunity,” Dyer said. “Building support for our military families is something that Colonel (James C.) Carroll and I both believe very strongly in. Having this chance to interact and build relationships with uniformed personnel across the country will provide a unique opportunity to further learn about the needs of military families and students so that we can better meet the academic and extracurricular needs of our Marine families who sacrifice so much to secure our freedoms.”

The objective of the JCOC public liaison program is to help bridge the growing military-civilian divide by:

• Educating and informing participants about the strength and readiness of the U.S. armed forces through personal observation of Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard operations

• Providing a better understanding of the rewards of military service

• Providing the American public opportunities to obtain a better understanding of national defense policies and programs through the eyes of opinion leaders who have spent time with their military

Commanding Officer James C. Carroll, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, said there were many noteworthy local leaders who were deserving of this opportunity, and several applications were sent up for consideration.

“On behalf of MCLB Albany, we salute Mr. Ken Dyer on his selection for the upcoming JCOC.   The quality of the all the nominations considered reaffirms that business and academia continues to produce and promote leaders of the highest caliber.  The relatively small number of opportunities available and the large number of eligible leaders combine to make JCOC selection an exceptionally competitive process.” 

Some past participants include Jim Wilcox, general manager, WALB-TV; Dr. Anthony Parker, president, Albany Technical College; Dr. Sally Whatley, former superintendent, Dougherty County School System; Dr. Larry Walters, former superintendent, Lee County School System; and Dr. Everette Freeman, former president, Albany State University, just to name a few.