Following a 40-plus year career in the Voluntary Education (VOLED) field, William "Bill" McAleer, the chief of the Troops to Teachers program, retired June 28.

McAleer began his VOLED career in 1970 as an education counselor for the government of Guam school system, spending much of his time in the Pacific region, including several jobs in South Korea. He joined the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) in 1989 as the Far East advisor in Seoul.

In 2007 he was selected as the chief of Troops to Teachers (TTT) and moved to DANTES headquarters in Pensacola, Florida. During his eight years at the helm of TTT, McAleer helped more than 8,600 service members transition from active and reserve military service into teaching.

"The knowledge that I am associated with a program that has made a difference in so many children's lives is humbling and fills my soul with pride," said McAleer. "I have enjoyed each and every moment and I have tried to learn something new every day. I have been privileged to know and work with many dedicated and professional individuals throughout my career serving military members of all services."

The Chief of Voluntary Education for the Department of Defense, Dawn Bilodeau, applauded McAleer's dedication and the results he was able to achieve.

"For more than 40 years, Mr. McAleer came to work each morning with the mission to positively affect the lives of service members and veterans across the globe," said Bilodeau. "It is because of devotion such as his that our service members and veterans have quality education and workforce opportunities such as Troops to Teachers. His commitment paved their path toward continued service to this great nation."

Ron Burton, the director of the Florida and Caribbean Region of Troops to Teachers, interacted on a regular basis with McAleer and said that his evangelism for the program was contagious.

"Bill's long career has always been devoted to serving military personnel, but when he took over as the chief of Troops to Teachers, that mission changed. Not only was he still supporting military personnel who wanted to enter the teaching profession after military service, but he was also supporting the youth of our nation by giving them high-quality teachers," said Burton. "His passion for the mission was obvious, and I heard it every time I spoke to Bill. There's no doubt he would tell you that Troops to Teachers is the best job he ever had."

What's next for McAleer? He has seven grandchildren, all of whom he plans to visit - three in Japan, two in Austin, Texas, and two in Germany.

"The trip to Austin will be easy," he says. "Germany and Japan, not so much; but, now I have the time to plan for the trip."

To find out how eligible service members can begin a new career as a teacher in public schools where their skills, knowledge and experience are most needed, including information on alternative teaching certification programs, visit the Troops to Teachers website: http://proudtoserveagain.com.

For more information about the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, visit the DANTES website: http://www.dantes.doded.mil/

Additional information on the Naval Education and Training Command can be found on the NETC Web pages: https://www.netc.navy.mil.

For more news from Naval Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/.