Service Academy exchange programs?

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GoNavy2025

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Why would a SA student do an exchange program with another SA? What kinds of questions should they ask before they go? Would love to hear about your experiences (or your kiddo's experience) with doing an exchange w another SA.

Thanks!
 
GoNavy2025 said:
Why would a SA student do an exchange program with another SA? What kinds of questions should they ask before they go? Would love to hear about your experiences (or your kiddo's experience) with doing an exchange w another SA.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Because it’s fun!
It provides a break from your own SA, broadens horizons, improves understanding of another service (the joint service culture is professionally necessary down the road), creates cross-service friendships, offers opportunities perhaps not found at your own SA.
For some contemplating applying for cross-commissioning to another service, it’s a relevant step.
I think the most important question is there any impact on academic matrix and major. The mid or cadet might have to take a course in summer school at their own SA if they are going to be gone in the fall, say, and that course is not offered in the spring. It’s too difficult for some athletes and some majors.

Several of our USNA sponsor family over the years have done exchanges at other SAs, as well as French and Spanish Naval Academies. All of them had a great time; all were glad to “go home to Morher B.”

PS Think if the exchange cadets who got to be in the “Naptown Funk” video, the making of it in downtown Annapolis and happy life on YouTube. You know they had fun.
 
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No experience specifically with a SA exchange program….but I think that in general, we grow from new experiences. Seeing the other side. Expanding our horizon. If nothing else, gaining an appreciation for what we have.

I would someone who asked, ‘why NOT do it?’

Plus you get to participate in the prisoner exchange at the respective game. And that’s just neat 😎
 
There are opportunities available at other SAs that are not available at USNA. USAFA is the most competitive one to get because of the location (CO Springs is a pretty cool place and an outdoors(wo)man's paradise, especially for winter/mountain activities. Also, like every MIDN has to do seamanship, every USAFA cadet has to do airmanship. The most popular class exchange mids take is Freefall. So you'll get your jump wings out of going too.

West Point will see a lot aspiring Marines and a sprinkling of aspiring SEAL/EOD selects try to go there. When I was looking at applying, USCGA wasn't too popular and it only had spots for three people to go.

As @Capt MJ said, understanding how other services do business is a good skill to have. One of the goals of the program is to bring back "best practices" from USXA and evaluate their implementation possibility at USNA. Some stuff will get changed (like us being able to wear cammies as a UOD), but other things are brought up yearly and fall on deaf ears every time.
 
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My nephew spent the fall semester last year at West Point and had a great experience. He liked seeing how another branch of the military works. My nephew made some life-long friendships while he was at West Point. He even joined the Army Triathlon Team and competed with them during his semester away.
 
My CGA cadet did an exchange to Air Force Academy. It is a very competitive program - required an application and an interview, and not everyone who applied was accepted. One cool thing about AFA, is they get exchangers from ROTC and international military schools in addition to those from other US Academies. We went to parent's weekend, and it was fun to see all of the different uniforms on the field during the review. My cadet enjoyed his academic classes and the comparative freedom at AFA and flight suit Fridays :cool:, but said the food was "not good". He made some great friends and went snowboarding every weekend the mountains were open. He was definitely glad to have the experience.
 
CaptMJ first words were exact: "Because it's FUN!"

Yep!!
A good friend of mine did the SA exchange to "Le Ecole del Air" in France. He LOVED it! We heard all kinds of stories about the experiences he had, the people he met (who later in his career were networked foreign officers), and such. Heck, he came back with this huge pin on his uniform. We said, "what is that?"

Brevet_Parachutiste.jpg

"Oh, those? Those are French parachutist wings. When they saw my jump wings, they said I had to jump with them...so I spent some time away from school doing their qualification!!"

If I remember correctly, he had to do something like 6 or more jumps, one using only his reserve!!

And yes, his French became mostly fluent.
 
GoNavy2025 said:
Why would a SA student do an exchange program with another SA? What kinds of questions should they ask before they go? Would love to hear about your experiences (or your kiddo's experience) with doing an exchange w another SA.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Possibly because they wanted to earn an Army A* to go with their Navy N* , earning one , then the next year earning the other.

The NCAA allows this.

Had to be a fall sport——soccer.

Cant remember his name though.
 
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