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1 1 (December 9, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govegdp0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Defense Primer: Military Service Academies Overview The U.S. military service academies are tuition-free, four- year degree-granting institutions operated by the military departments. The academies are a major officer commissioning source, along with the Reserve Officer Training Corps and Officer Candidate School. The military service academies include the * U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, New York, under the Department of the Army; * U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, Maryland, under the Department of the Navy (Navy and Marine Corps); and * U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, Colorado, under the Department of the Air Force (Air Force and Space Force). There are two other federal service academies, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, in New London, Connecticut, under the Department of Homeland Security; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York, under the Department of Transportation. While graduates of these service academies may also receive an officer commission upon graduation, they differ from the military service academies in many respects (e.g., statutory authorities, application and acceptance processes). Academy Oversight and Leadership The military academies are overseen by three entities: the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (OUSD/P&R), the service Secretaries, and the Board of Visitors (BoV) of each academy. OUSD/P&R is responsible for assessing academy operations and establishing policies and guidance for uniform oversight and management of the academies. The BoV serves as an independent advisory body on matters related to morale, discipline, social climate, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, and academic methods. By statute, the BoV for each military academy includes three Members from both the House and Senate, and the Chairs of the Armed Services Committees or their designees. Two of the Senate appointees must be members of the Committee on Appropriations. The President appoints six additional members to the Board. All of the academies are led by a superintendent, a military officer who is a general or admiral detailed (selected) to the position by the President. By law, the superintendent serves Updated December 9, 2021 for a minimum of three years in the position. In 1999 (P.L. 105-65 §532), Congress added a requirement that the superintendent must retire from service at the end of the appointment, although waivers are available in some cases. Admissions Admission to the service academies is competitive. In order to be appointed to a service academy, an applicant must meet certain eligibility requirements and be nominated by an authorized person. Categories of nominations include congressional, service-connected, academy superintendents and others. Allocations for nominations are governed by law. The military academies use a whole person approach to admissions by assessing candidates in three areas: academics, physical aptitude, and leadership potential. To matriculate, a nominated applicant must be a U.S. citizen, between 17 and 25 years old, unmarried, without legal obligation to support any dependents, and not pregnant. Foreign National Students Limited numbers of foreign national students are admitted each year. By statute, a maximum of 60 may be enrolled at each academy. Candidates must exhibit proficiency in English and high marks on standardized academic tests. The Department of State and DOD determine eligible countries, and invite these nations to nominate promising candidates. Foreign students return to their host nation following graduation and may incur a service obligation with their country's military. Preparatory Schools Each military department operates a preparatory school that offers a 10-month curriculum of instruction, in English, mathematics, science, and other academic areas, tailored to the student's needs and entrance requirements for each academy. Individuals do not apply directly to the prep school; they are selected from the pool of applicants to the service academies. Initially conceived as a program to help selected enlisted soldiers and sailors prepare academically to meet the entrance standards, Congress and DOD have also considered them as an avenue to increase access to the academies for historically disadvantaged demographic groups. Enrollment The student limit for each academy is 4,400 and each of the academies admits between 1,100 and 1,350 students per year. Women first entered the academies in 1976 and now account for 23-30% of each academy's student body. Table 1 shows demographics by race and ethnicity.

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