Some parents think of college education for their children in terms of state colleges, such as the University of California System which has ten schools, and the California State University System which has twice that many campuses. Those who can afford it dream about sending the youngsters to Stanford, Harvard, California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other elite private (read expensive) schools. And of course, in this country, there is a myriad of colleges in between. (In the US, the words “college” and “university” are used interchangeably. Sometimes a part of a university is called a “college” such as “College of Arts and Sciences.”)

But have you ever considered the military academies?

My wife and I are not from military families. So naturally we did not recommend them to our children when they were considering colleges. That was quite a while ago; our children are grown and independent now. One of our boys had a fleeting interest in being a pilot. So when he was in middle school, we took him to a tour at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The campus was beautiful and almost spotless. There was nothing not to dislike about the institution, except for the fact that you are going to be a soldier for at least a few years. About three years later, when he was one year away from high school graduation, he picked a few colleges to apply to, but not the Air Force Academy. So that was the end of his interest and definitely mine in military academies.

A few posts ago in November, 2015, I talked with you about the stress and angst of parents and kids about college applications. It turned out that my friend John’s son Karl (not their real names) had applied to the United States Military Academy at West point at about the same time but was rejected due to a minor health issue. John and Karl invited me to go with them a few days ago to a recruitment seminar held by West Point itself in a nearby town called Lafayette. The purpose was to understand more about the application process and to find out why Karl was disqualified on a minor medical condition that happened many years ago. If possible, Karl would like to try again next year, he said.

The federal government operates five military colleges and they are:

1. United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
2. United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut
3. United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York
4. United States Military Academy, West Point, New York
5. United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

As far as I could tell, these are all excellent schools. And there’s this big bonus: You don’t have to pay for a dime to go to them – even your room and board are provided for, plus a small amount of monthly stipends.

A military education and career are not for everybody. It’s not for someone like me even if I were a teenager again. Not because my eye-glasses are made of Coca-Cola bottles; it’s because of my despise for human conflicts. But if your son or daughter is interested in being a future leader in the military, that may be a wonderful choice.

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