Academy for Learning in Retirement Zoom presentations begin next week

The New Mexico State University Academy for Learning in Retirement (ALR) will begin its fall 2020 Zoom presentations next week, led by current or retired NMSU faculty and staff members. 

The first presenter is Lt. Colonel Wes Childs, a retired professor of Military Science at NMSU. His topic will be “The Evolution of U.S. Military Operations, Past and Present.” Childs will explore how United States Army operations evolved, changes in planning and technology and the ways in which the Army’s studies about past military operations have affected its modern development.

Childs’ Zoom sessions will begin at 10:30 a.m. Audience members may log in via Zoom at 10 a.m.

Here are the topics of each presentation:

• Tuesday, Sept. 15: Using DOTMLPF (Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel and Facilities), the Blueprint of the U.S. Military, to Study Military History
• Thursday, Sept. 17: Becoming a Modern Military
• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Military Operations in a Modern Age
• Thursday, Sept. 24: Contemporary Military Operations and Wrap-Up

Childs served in the Army 1994-2020. Beginning as an enlisted soldier, he graduated from West Point in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in general management and a minor in nuclear engineering. Childs earned his master’s degree of military art and science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College’s School of Advanced Military Studies in 2014.

Prior to arriving at NMSU, Childs served in Mosul, Iraq, with the 1st Cavalry Division (later reflagged to 1st Armored Division). He was a campaign and transition planner with the International Security Assistance (ISAF) Force Joint Command at both the ISAF and Resolute Support Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Childs served as NMSU professor of military science and ROTC post commandant from August 2018 until his July 31, 2020, retirement.

Childs focused much of his career on solving complex logistics problems, and he studied novel approaches to preventing stress-related injuries and increasing individual performances. He wrote a monograph in 2014 suggesting that applying a traditional martial-arts training methodology to the Modern Army Combatives Program could increase individual resilience within U.S. Army soldiers.

Childs is married to Dr. Megan Childs. They have three sons.

In addition to Childs’ presentations, ALR will hold two special Zoom sessions at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 8, and Tuesday, Sept. 14, to discuss all ALR fall programs and to answer questions about Zoom. 

To register for ALR programs, visit www.dacc.nmsu.edu/ALR.

Audience members can enroll for individual sessions at $5 per session. If they pay a $3 fall membership fee, the price for the individual sessions would drop 20 percent to $4 per session. If they hit the fall 2020 registration button and enroll for the entire set of 16 fall sessions, the cost is $50 (about $3 per session.)

There is no charge to join the Sept. 8 and 14 informational Zoom sessions.

ALR will send Zoom links for Childs’ presentations one day before each session to registrants who have paid the fees and provided an email address. Links for the free orientations will be included.

ALR is a nonprofit started in 1992 by former NMSU President Gerald Thomas, along with retired deans Thomas Gale, Virginia Higbie, Flavia McCormick and others, including former professor and teacher Clarence Fielder.