A Brief History
Military training has long been part of American history. Col. Henry Knox first suggested in 1776 that it would be profitable to put up a school where young men could avail of military training. He mentioned this in a letter to then Congressman John Adams. Knox, being a military man himself, was well aware of the current trend in Europe at that time. Government-funded military institutions have established themselves all across the continent, becoming a common feature among European countries. Berlin began its Prussian Cadet Corps in 1717. Russia was the next to come up with a military training establishment in 1732. Britain soon followed with its Woolwich institute in 1741, after which the French instituted L’Ecole Millitaire in 1751. So it was that in 1776 the Continental Congress, through the urging of Knox and Adams, designated a committee of five individuals to draw up a plan for a military school. Though no plan was eventually finalized, military schools have since flourished in the U.S.
Following the consequences of the Vietnam War, the military’s reputation suffered in the public mind. Military schools around the country languished, and the numbers of students dwindled. For many years it seemed that most people would have nothing to do with the military, let alone receive education from them. It did not stay that way, however. The trend reversed, and in recent years military schools have seen an increase in their population. More and more parents, particularly those with troubled teens, are beginning to see military school as a good alternative to help then children with their problems.
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