Courtesy photo Fort Gordon Soldiers line up with Microsoft learning employees on the first day of an 11-day bus tour the company is sponsoring. (See related Microsoft coverage on page 4). Microsoft's Career Express visited the company's largest IT Academy on May 1.

"I have one of the hardest jobs at Microsoft. I have to give people a sense of upcoming products and what's cool about it in 15 minutes," said Ken Rosen, group manager for Community and Evangelism with Microsoft Learning, who headed the visit to Fort Gordon, which was named an IT Academy in the spring of 2008.

Microsoft employees met with some of Fort Gordon's Soldiers at Cobb Hall to explain upcoming products and to talk about certifications.

"It's truly an honor to be here," he said. "As a Microsoft employee, I'm grateful you are using our products, and as an American citizen, I am grateful for the service you've given."

Fort Gordon was the first stop on an 11-day journey. Other stops along the way include Charlotte, N.C., Cincinnati, St. Louis, Sante Fe, N.M. and Denver. The tour ends in Los Angeles at Tech Ed., an event for technical professionals interested in exploring current and upcoming Microsoft technologies, tools and platforms and services, according to a news release.

Rosen said the bus tour was the first of its kind.

"I think it's a reaction to the economy," he said. "We are taking our act on the road."

At the start of the journey, Rosen said he was looking forward to what lay ahead of him and the other Microsoft employees as well as some contest winners who would also make the trip.

"It's great. I think it will be received wonderfully," he said.

Rosen and others are writing a blog about the experience along the way. To learn more, visit http:// borntolearn.mslearn.net/science.