Army College Options

Army colleges require mental and physical training.

Many consider serving in the U.S. military an honorable and wise career path. In addition to the usual routes into the armed services -- enlistment or officer candidate school -- many soldiers in the Army enter the service via one of a number of Army colleges. There are four different types of Army colleges, each offering a slightly different route toward the ultimate goal of serving in the Army.

Federal Service Academies

Federal Service Academies are federally supported military academies that train cadets in each branch of the U.S. military. The Federal Service Academy for the Army is the U.S. Military Academy, commonly referred to as West Point. Located in southern New York state, West Point is the oldest of the Federal Service Academies and arguably the most prestigious, having been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1802.

Senior Military Academies

State-supported military academies include six academies throughout the United States. They are The Citadel, North Georgia College and State University, Norwich University Corps of Cadets, Texas A&M Corp of Cadets, Virginia Tech Corp of Cadets and Virginia Military Institute. These universities are specifically recognized under Title 10 of the United States Code as training institutions for the Army. All senior military academies were founded in the 1800s as institutions capable of providing educational and militaristic training to new Army recruits.

Military Junior Academies

Military junior academies function much like nonmilitary junior colleges. This grouping includes Wentworth Military Academy, Valley Forge Military Academy, Marion Military Institute, New Mexico Military Institute and Georgia Military College. Unlike FSAs and SMAs, military junior academies allow recruits to finish in two years as fully commissioned second lieutenants through a military process called the Early Commissioning Program. With the exception of the Marion Military Institute, which was founded in 1842, all military junior academies were founded after the Civil War to provide a faster recruitment and enlistment option for the Army.

Reserve Officers' Training Corps

Reserve Officers' Training Corps is an embedded program in many nonmilitary colleges and universities throughout the United States. ROTC functions as a four-year elective, with students taking coursework focusing on leadership, problem-solving and physical training. Upon completion of their four-year degree and the ROTC program, students are commissioned into the Army as second lieutenants. The ROTC program was established in 1862 as a part of the Morrill Act, which sought to develop a broader sense of academia within U.S. Army soldiers.

References

• "The Soldier's Guide: The Complete Guide to U.S. Army Traditions, Training, Duties, and Responsibilities"; Department of the Army; 2007