1. They come in different shapes and sizes. These schools have different class sizes that may range from very large campuses to very small ones.

2. Not all of them are exclusive for boys. While military schools are traditionally for boys only, these days there are quite a lot of military schools that are already open for girls as well.

3. Some may admit lower grade levels. Traditionally, boarding schools admit students from grades 9 to 12, although you may also come across schools that admit students from 6th grade. There are some military schools which may admit students as young as 4th grade.

4. There’s more to them than just JROTC. Some people think that military schools only offer military-based extracurricular activities. The truth is that these schools also usually offer a healthy sports program as well as a good arts program with a lot of variety. It’s not just JROTC, aviation, navigation or similar activities in these schools.

5. Some offer to accommodate both boarding and day students, some have more intensive programs that require all of their students to board in campus.

Just like in a military camp, students are taught to accept discipline as a regular part of their lives. Students are called cadets, they wear military uniforms (as do their teachers), they have a rigid daily schedule that starts with a bugle call early in the morning. Just like in military camps where soldiers are expected to keep order, cadets are expected to keep their living quarters clean and to keep their own belongings in clean and orderly condition. Students are taught to take pride in their appearance and achievements.

In terms of academics, military schools often go above and beyond the state-required classes. In fact, for parents who have children who are interested in different branches of the military, there are schools that offer real navigation and aviation lessons. There are also AP classes that are offered in these schools which aren’t typically offered in traditional public schools. Some schools even allow students to take advanced classes that can be credited to their college units.

Historical records of wars are available for 4000 years. That is a pretty long time. However even a cursory reading of the campaigns of Hannibal and Alexander to those of Chengiz khan and Napoleon will show that no women soldiers were used or took part in any operation. There could be exceptions here and there like Joan of Arc or a Rani of Jhansi, but the underlying thread is that women have by and large never been soldiers.

However there are records to show that women did accompany soldiers and armies in a different capacity as ‘camp followers’ or ‘comfort women’. Their job was to comfort the soldier after the heat of battle. Women activists who propagate gender equality, must understand that something not in vogue or practiced for thousands of years cannot be negated at one stroke of a pen.

A deeper study will show that women as soldiers or officers cannot stand up to the rigors of the job due to their God given qualities. Firstly women are not as strong as men and secondly they have inherent biological cycles that cannot be obviated and certainly can be restrictive in the heat of combat. That is the reason even an enlightened nation like the USA does not use women for combat duties.

A few times the women were used as soldiers like during the first Iraq war the results were disastrous as an Iraqi attack took some women recruits as prisoners with disastrous results of sexual assault. Women’s equality with man certainly needs to be supported but women in the armed forces is not the best of things. Perhaps their role as non combatants can have some meaning as they will add a feminine and healing touch in a world that is certainly a mans world.

To start with if your teen is in trouble with serious health issues or a major attitude problem, they stand little or no chance of being accepted. Military schools today set very high academic standards. They are not therapy centers for kids with problems. Two of their major goals are to produce students able to enter prestigious colleges and/or join the military.

Discipline is a major part of a military environment. If your teen is lazy and disrespectful they will get a serious jolt in a military school. They will be out of bed at 0600 hours, they will make their bed and tidy their possessions, and they will be on the parade ground and exercising before breakfast. This type of lifestyle could change your teen’s attitude to life.

Of course a military school is a residential facility and while students are allowed to attend approved activities in the local town, things like taking a part-time job in the grocery store are simply not an option.

There is a full extra-curricula program at a military school with plenty of time for artistic pursuits and outdoor education. This means your child is getting an all-round education and enjoying their schooling at the same time.

Opportunities for leadership roles are many and varied in a military education. If your child requires a challenge and enjoys being a leader, they will develop their talents and be truly extended in such a school. It is ideal for developing the total person.

If as a parent you are looking to a military school to mollycoddle your child, you will be disappointed. It’s much more a shape up or ship out approach from the school. If your child chooses to disobey and fails to complete tasks, the school will not spend a great deal of time and effort in whipping them into line.

Those who do work hard are sure to be well rewarded and for life. College entrance is likely and if a career in the military is required, this type of secondary education is perfect for such a move.

A military school is a community where teamwork and bonding is part of every day life. If this suits your child, fine. If your child is a loner and doesn’t like a regimented and disciplined lifestyle, then a military school is not for them.

Others see a compound, reminiscent of that seen on Hogan’s Heroes, where misbehaving inmates are sentenced to hard time for their past behavior, and angry drill instructors scream at a hopeless collection of trouble-makers. The later is more reminiscent of what today has become known as teen boot camps, where an intense regime of shock therapy and even abuse over a short period of time is designed to turn troubled teens around.

The truth is that both of these types of organizations exist, as does everything in between. This is why one size does not fit all when looking for a military school or academy.

In the United States, there are numerous military schools. In Canada, there is only one. You don’t need to search for too long on the internet to find them. But why are there so many and why are they so popular? Some have a long proud history dating back to before the Civil War. Students attend because of tradition; their father, and grand father, and great grand father attended. Some attend because they see it as a stepping stone to one of the federal service academies like West Point, Annapolis, or the Air Force Academy. Others see it as a structured environment within which their misbehaving youngster will learn their bad discipline and be transferred from a life of misfortune into become a contributing member of society.

There are military schools that cater to each of these groups. However, when these students with differing goals end up in the same school the outcome is often chaotic. Those who do not want to be there fight the system every step of the way. The others end up suffering as a result of these negative influences. In the end, neither group receives what they want, or what they need.

It is for these reasons that it is important to know what you are looking for in a military school, and why. Ask the right questions and tell your whole story to the admissions department before enrolling. This will help determine whether a particular school is right for your son or daughter, and whether your son or daughter is right for the school.

The moral of this story: Not all military schools and academies are alike. Be sure you understand the difference between what you want and what you (or your son or daughter) need, because these are not necessarily the same thing.

Being one of the military troops is one great example of sacrificing life and time. Think about the responsibility of all the military men, it is so great and very challenging. Once they are out in the battle, their hearts never stop pounding, their mind needs to be focused and their body is in deep pressure. It is the intense adrenaline rush that makes them so in to the battle for peace and prosperity.

It is not easy to become a part of the military most especially when you have a family and little kids to think about. The family that they have left behind also feels intense pressure every time their husband or their father is on a mission. The hearts of families never stop from beating fast too. They never stop from worrying and they even constantly think of what could have been going on every single minute. Family support, strength, courage and prayers are what every military soldier needs in order for them to face all of the hardships that they meet.

When an individual has a firm decision on becoming a military soldier, all out support from the family and significant others should be given. For those individuals who are willing to become a member of the military in their country, they must pass or qualify the requirements and the standards of the military academy.

One very important requirement is the age. Those who are willing to join the academy must be at least 17 years old but with parental consent or 18 years old without any parental consent. You need to be of legal age when you want to join due to the fact that this matter is very serious and it needs mature individuals in order to fully understand the procedures and issues that surround the academy and of course, the country. Age is definitely one of the criteria when talking about legal matters. Same goes too when you want to carry and use a self defense tazer or any forms of non lethal weapons.

The military academy also requires every applicant to be in good physical condition. Health is a requirement and as much as possible, they want their applicants to be mentally and emotionally fit as well. They will undergo screening and medical examinations to determine if there are underlying diseases and also if they are qualified or not. This is also a requirement when one decides to buy a stun gun for self defense.

Educational attainment is one requirement that almost any branch of military also requires. Applicants must have graduated from high school and can present a high school diploma and any other accepted credentials. In almost any type of work field, having a good educational background is a must.

Good moral character is another requirement in almost any military service. The recruiter will have to perform a serious background check in all of the applicants. This is to determine if the applicant has history of being imprisoned, use of illegal drugs and has committed serious crimes. Applicants having such can destroy the reputation of the military academy.

If you think you have what it takes to become a good military soldier, you can apply to any branch of military service. Just make sure that you have full support from your family and a strong will and determination to serve your nation.

Defence is also a term used when describing a military unit’s defensive tactics when working against an opposing forces offensive, perhaps by seeking to circumnavigate the enemy position, delay an enemy attack, or to wage a war of attrition whereby the enemy will lose numbers eventually allowing the defensive force to form a defensive line or perform an offensive manoeuvre.

An excellent example of employing defensive strategy tactics can be seen when used against American soldiers in the Vietnam Conflict. The Vietcong employed both regular army units and guerrilla units in order to fight an offensive and defensive strategy. By the use of smaller mobile guerrilla forces the Vietcong waged a war on the resources of the American soldiers, which included destroying supplies and supply routes. They also used the Americans resources when producing booby traps, including discarded items such as tin cans as well as unexploded bombs which they would collect and use for mines.

Eventually the efforts of the smaller mobile defensive guerrillas caused such an effect that the main army was able to overrun the American forces with a massive attack know as the Tet Offensive.

Defensive military strategy is also hugely apparent in the arms race, and more recently the nuclear arms race. The opinion being that with a nation holding such powerful weapons it would be inadvisable to attack unless of course the offensive nation holds weapons of a similar nature.

Nowhere is this example more outlined than in the Cold War stand offs of the mid to late twentieth century. One specific example of this is the Cuban Missile Crisis which involved the US and the Soviet Union in 1962. The Soviet and Cuban authorities had placed nuclear weapons on Cuba as seen by American reconnaissance planes and, with the tension between the two countries already palpable, a standoff ensued with the ‘very real’ threat of a nuclear war occurring. Fortunately diplomatic proceedings ensured that the crisis was settled relatively amicably with the dismantling of the weaponry and a no-invasion agreement in place from the American authorities.

As a Captain, you would serve as a company commander responsible for 100-200 soldiers.

As a Lieutenant Colonel, you would serve as a Battalion Commander, responsible for 400-700 soldiers.

As a Colonel, you would lead a Brigade and be responsible for 1,800-5,000 soldiers.

As a Major General, you could be a Division Commander in charge of 10,000 to 15,000 troops. Or, you could be the Adjutant General in charge of the entire state military department.

As you can see, there are many different types of commanders within the National Guard.

Most of these leaders are part-time, Citizen Soldiers. They maintain civilian jobs or businesses full-time and tend to their military duties part-time. Most commanders have a full-time AGR staff that handles day to day life within their unit.

As a commander, you can expect to drill one weekend a month minimum. In addition, you will probably visit your unit once per week or more. Also, you will attend meetings and phone conferences.

In essence, you have the same responsibility as an Active Duty Commander, but you have less time to complete your tasks. It is a challenge, but in my opinion, it’s worth it.

The biggest benefit is improving your leadership skills, serving your state and leading soldiers. It’s an experience I will never forget.

Pakistan Army offensives have thus far been successful, and are likely to cut off Swat from TTP reinforcements from the South. Bajaur-Malakand-Buner axis would leave the Pakistani Taliban in Swat dissected from their friends in Mohmand Agency. The Swat Valley has very few exits and is accessible mainly from the South and North, with limited access to Shangla to the East and Dir to the West. All of which can theoretically be closed by the Pakistan Army.

The TTP have underestimated the Pakistan Army and overestimated their position and moved towards more conventional ground holding operations over classic guerrilla too quickly. They are likely to pay the price in blood, and complete loss of their northern flank. The only silver lining for the TTP will be the use of massive American weaponry including borrowed choppers that are likely to be used in such an operation. This would equate the Pakistan Army=stooges of America.

The Pakistani game plan has been masterminded by General Kayani, who is now emerging as a seasoned chess-player and a veritable Pakistani Putin. He has deftly fixed the political crisis without directly interfering in the affairs of the state. “The Kayani Model”, a term coined by former Chief of Army Staff Jehangir Karamat, represents a new framework for the Pakistan Army. As Karamat puts it, – “invisible but around, fully informed and acting through well timed and effective influence”.

In a parallel development, a new consensus appears to be emerging, that can be called the “Zaid Hamid Consensus” that charts out a broad policy of independence from the US and an Islamic state in the philosophical lineage of Allama Iqbal rather than a Taliban/Salafi style interpretation. This consensus, if it can gain critical mass, could prove to be an antidote to both foreign designs against the country as well as the internal threat of the Salafists and terrorists.

The Americans are also in the game. The American game plan is represented by a rehash of the “Sunni Awakening” strategy in Iraq under the brand name of “Sunni Tahreek” a so-called Deobandi outfit. This is perhaps the biggest danger for Pakistan, as it will in the long-term move the battle from far flung and remote areas to the city centers of the country in a rehash of Iraq post US conquest, with the violence, militias and terror that it accompanied. With the political government’s cooperation and US funding, this could easily turn very nasty.

Careers in Information Technology

Nothing is hotter right now than Information Technology and Computer System Analysis. And there is no place to get better training in these areas than the service. What other opportunity is available to get paid while you learn, then walk into a career with unlimited potential?

It is certainly possible to get a good education in Information Technology in a civilian college, but you won’t get the hands on application opportunities and true work experience you can find in the Army. By serving, you enjoy GI benefits — meaning you won’t be starting your career in debt with massive school loans.

Cutting Edge Technology

People in the Army are always working with the most up to date technological and computer equipment, and frequently set up networks and undertake complicated trouble-shooting. You will gain experience in the Army National Guard that would take you years to achieve in a civilian position. Civilian companies love Army National Guard veterans because they know these professionals have received the best training possible, and they know what hard work and dedication mean.

Networking is second nature to Army veterans who have worked in systems analysis or other areas of information technology in the service. You can almost do it in your sleep. And the pressure of work deadlines is nothing to the skilled men and women with Army National Guard service behind them. You will learn how to stay focused on the job and work at your optimal performance no matter what’s going on around you with Army training under your belt.

Companies know the prize they’re getting when they hire former Army recruits. There’s no worry about choosing someone with a poor work ethic or someone who is difficult to supervise. After time working as part of a skilled team with respect for authority and everyone’s individual responsibility you’re an employee to rely on. You’re the first person to come to mind when an advancement opportunity is available because as an Army National Guard veteran you’re a known commodity and a proven leader.