Cadets Gain Overseas Experience

Posted: August 8, 2022 by Larry Morton

Mia Libosada at the Nicolae Bălcescu Land Forces Academy in Sibiu, Romania

UNG cadets and leaders traveled abroad this summer for a wide range of professional development opportunities and events. This included multiple visits to international military academy partners, as well as conferences and leadership courses.

PSIA cadets who gained experience abroad this summer included:

Juniors Jacob Lyons (SSST), Ryan McGlaun (SSST), Colin McBride Parker (SSST), Hyunbean Park (IA), and sophomore Andrew Moreshead (SSST) interned at the Republic of Georgia's National Defense Academy. While in Georgia they taught English and took part in a variety of activities, including attending a leadership course in Poland.

International Affairs senior Steven Bullock and SSST junior Yakir Mufson completed internships at the National University of Public Service in Budapest, Hungary.

Mia Libosada, IA Class of '24 attended a conference at Nicolae Bălcescu Land Forces Academy in Sibiu, Romania, with other cadets from around Europe.

Some of the cadet travel was paid for by the U.S. Department of Defense funding for UNG's Institute for Cyber Operations, while the Olmsted Foundation funded the Switzerland trip. The Olmsted Foundation gave a $26,000 grant to UNG for 2022 and has provided more than $140,500 in six years for international experiences for cadets from UNG, Atlanta-area historically black colleges and universities, and Georgia State University. These trips, typically one to three weeks in length, take place in non-English-speaking countries for cadets who display outstanding leadership and plan to commission into a combat arms branch in the active-duty Army.

"UNG's partnerships with international military academies and the financial support we receive provide valuable overseas experience for cadets in multiple countries," retired Sgt. Maj. Terry Baumann, UNG assistant director of global military programs, said. "We are grateful to provide these unforgettable leadership lessons and global perspectives for our cadets."

[Note: This article is a modified version of an article from the UNG Newsroom that originally appeared on 18 Jul 2022. https://ung.edu/news/articles/2022/07/cadets-gain-overseas-experience-in-summer.php]