First at five, May 13, 2008

FORT GORDON, Ga.---Fort Gordon partnered with Microsoft to launch an IT Academy. It's the first military installation to do so, and it will be one of the largest in the world.

In a world where technology changes every second, it helps to stay caught up. That's why Army Captain Michael Winn enjoys taking IT classes at Fort Gordon.

"Up until now it's been a a hobby so now it's a profession," said the Army officer.

And now, this type of training is expanding on the post. Fort Gordon signed on to launch the first Microsoft IT Academy in the military.

"Today was a huge day for the Signal Center and Microsoft and our Army," said Brigadier General Jeff Foley.

It's so important because soldiers will get special training on the latest technologies, which will help when it counts.

"No one deploys with them. They can't pick up a phone and call Microsoft. They're there in theater by themselves," said General Manager Brian Roach, of the Microsoft Department of Defense District.

And what they learn won't just be useful in the military. They'll be getting accredited skills that will be useful in the civilian world as well.

"[The skills are] recognized not just by the Army but any corporation or organization," said Winn.

The program will be one of the largest out of 3,600 around the world.

So how did Fort Gordon get picked to be the first in the military? General Foley says Army-wide, the fort already does the most IT training, so the choice was clear.

"We believe this is so significant. It'll be part of Signal Corps history. It already is," said Gen. Foley.

For Fort Gordon, it's a way of showing they're really on the cutting edge. And for soldiers like Winn it's a good way to learn some new tricks of the trade.

More than 2,500 soldiers a year will be part of the Microsoft IT Academy. It will be part of the post's School of Information Technology, which General Foley says is one of the largest IT training facilities in the world. They train about 17,000 soldiers every year.

Through the courses, soldiers will be able to earn academic credit toward degrees or certificates.