The name "usma"

kl3661

5-Year Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Messages
67
I know this has nothing to do with application or I guess "useful information" but has anyone else wondered why west point is called US Military Academy even though technically air force and Navy are both part of the military?

Sorry I thought I was posting in usma
Does anyone know how can delete it
 
Last edited:
Just ignore this
I am new with the forum and don't know how to do things

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
If they did change it to the "United States Army Academy" or USAA for short, a whole bunch of us would have to get new insurance cards, banking documents and credit cards! :eek:

Sorry, I just couldn't pass by the opportunity for a little humor :biggrin:
 
Haha thanks that question was on my mind for a long time before I decided to ask people on the forum

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
It was first to the party.

Can any Naval historian tell us how Naval officers were commissioned during that time? I believe typical commissioning practice for Naval officer during that time as on the job training or good old "money."

If so, no need for a Naval Academy at 1802.

Or any English language expert that can shed some light on on how the word "military" was used in 1802.
 
Can any Naval historian tell us how Naval officers were commissioned during that time? I believe typical commissioning practice for Naval officer during that time as on the job training or good old "money."

If so, no need for a Naval Academy at 1802.

Or any English language expert that can shed some light on on how the word "military" was used in 1802.

Short answer is yes. The US copied the Royal Navy system of Midshipmen serving onboard ships essentially as apprentice officers (while also studying academic topics/tactics/navigation/whatever) until they passed an examination that allowed them to promote to Lieutenant. Having important or wealthy family members definitely made the process easier.
After some serious issues (attempted mutiny by a mid who, uh, happened to be son of the Secretary of War) and inefficiencies/inconsistency in training, USNA came about.
 
Specific military academies came into vogue in Europe in the eighteenth century (or "1700s" to make it easy). They generally had names that were the equivalent of "military academy" and were focused on land warfare. So, for example, the French military academy prior to the French Revolution was the "Ecole Royale Militaire," and the British had the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich (aka "the Shop") to produce artillery and engineering officers. (The modern British military academy, Sandhurst, was formed by merging Woolwich and Sandhurst, established in the early 1800s to train infantry and cavalry cadets.)

So, yes, West Point came first. But the convention to name such institutions with "Military" in their name came from Europe.
 
Don't expect USMA to change its name - they still wear uniforms that trace back to the 19th century! Tradition doesn't run much deeper than at the Point.
 
I know this has nothing to do with application or I guess "useful information" but has anyone else wondered why west point is called US Military Academy even though technically air force and Navy are both part of the military?

Coast Guard, too.
 
Back
Top