Essay On Service Academies

United States service academies are historic institutions that aim to educate Midshipmen and Cadets with a diverse curriculum and professional military knowledge. Military academies place extended emphasis on three core areas: moral decision making, mental development and increased physical capacity. By focusing on these vital areas, our leadership institutions produce fine ladies and gentlemen who are devoted to their country and ameliorate our nation’s security. With a combination of validated civilian and military instructors, students are provided a top tier education that rivals Ivy League universities. Especially of late, with a drawdown of engaged forces overseas and military cutbacks in spending, service academies have come under fire. In this paper, it is my intention to display how United States service academies still serve a great purpose to our nation. Unlike ROTC, Seamen to Admiral, OCS and other commissioning sources, military academies take a holistic approach in preparing students to lead during armed conflict. James Forest (2003) expanded on this and made the argument that “Although the admirable …show more content…
Naval Academy is not an elite college; it is first and foremost a branch of the U.S. military-it taxes parents, siblings, and participants if they do not understand what they were signing up for” (Lepla, 2007, p.2). However, this cannot be further from the truth. The Naval Academy’s Superintendent has made it clear that he puts education at the forefront of Midshipmen development, while understanding that each individual will lead during a time of conflict and preparation. As a student, you are setup for success with endless resources at your disposal, and teachers are mandated to be available for “extra instruction”