DLA Services and National Guard get computers to students
 
  By Jeff Landenberger
  New Hampshire Army National Guard elements recently turned over 100 excess computers to a local school through DOD’s Computers for Learning, administrated by Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services. **From left, Sgt. 1st Class Scott Jones, Staff Sgt. Matthew Wheaton and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Glen Hurlburt of the NHARNG unload 100 computers at Mountain View Middle School in Goffstown on Feb. 16. The Guard donated the computers through a federal program run by the Defense Logistics Agency called Computers for Learning.




Soldiers in uniforms unload boxes from a truck with computers in them.
        Unloading computers
            From left, Sgt. 1st Class Scott Jones, Staff Sgt. Matthew Wheaton and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Glen Hurlburt of the NHARNG unload 100 computers at Mountain View Middle School in Goffstown on Feb. 16. The Guard donated the computers through a federal program run by the Defense Logistics Agency called Computers for Learning.

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                    Photo By: Staff Sgt. Charles Johnston
                    
                    VIRIN: 210219-Z-HA185-100**“Through CFL, military units can transfer their excess computer equipment to schools,” explained José Agüero, DLA Disposition Services’ manager for the program. “While the equipment that is turned in may be used it is usually newer than what the school districts want to replace,” Agüero said.  “In some cases it allows them to expand their computer labs. Either way, we are helping get more computers in front of students and saving taxpayers’ dollars.” When the New Hampshire Army National Guard was issued new computers, they had an excess of desktop computers and started searching for a positive solution. One of their soldiers discovered CFL during that search, according to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Glen Hurlburt. “We went down the avenue of finding a school district that wanted to partake to make this happen,” Hurlburt said. Stephen Bourget, director of technology for New Hampshire’s Goffstown School District, agreed to work with Hurlburt and his soldiers to get the excess Guard computers in front of students. In a joint effort, the Guard, DLA Disposition Services, and Goffstown School District completed the necessary steps and the Guard was able to deliver the computers to the school. “The computers are going to the middle school, grades five through eight, approximately 1000 students,” Bourget said. “They are replacing four computer labs, where the equipment is roughly 2010 vintage Apple Mac Minis.” Bourget explained that most of the computers are going into general use computer labs that are shared and some are going to the school’s technical knowledge lab. He explained that the tech knowledge lab supports a little bit of everything, from traditional woodworking to basic computer programing, hydroponics and robotics. Bourget added that this was the first time his school district received anything from the military and that they appreciate the Guard getting this equipment into the hands of their students. Military units can help their local schools take advantage of the program like the Army National Guard did in New Hampshire. Interested units can learn more about the CFL program here.