Academy Rewards : Even Cadets Not Here by Choice Salute This School

Cadet Eric Holekamp stole a quick, sly glance to the left. Unfortunately for him, he got caught. And, in an instant, 12-year-old Holekamp was on the ground doing 10.

Push-ups, that is.

Up and down he went as his fellow cadets at the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad--the only military preparatory school on the West Coast--stood rigidly at attention during a noontime formation, hoping to avoid a similar fate.

For boys at an age when long hair and ripped jeans are the look of choice, life at a school where only uniforms are acceptable can seem especially tough. As Holekamp put it: “Personally, I don’t like the military.”

Although a substantial number of cadets revel in the 79-year-old institution’s rich military tradition and thrive in its chain-of-command environment, they constitute the minority.

The majority, like Holekamp, profess no great love for the academy’s rigid schedules or the Spartan life style it demands of its pupils. Their enrollment was hardly an act of free will; parental “urging” provided the motivation.

Still, most cadets seem to view the Army and Navy Academy much as they do medicine: You may not like it, but it’s good for you. That is precisely the message preached by retired Col. Donald Cline, the school’s president.

“We believe that it’s a good idea to develop certain traits, like self-discipline, at an early age,” Cline said. “We’re hoping and trying to develop such traits so that the young man can carry them with him into the civilian world long after he leaves the academy.”

Cline places noticeable emphasis on the word civilian.

“We do not train mini-Rambos,” Cline said. “We’re constantly fighting the misconception that we’re grooming killer fighters. Or, people think that just because we have a structured program, that we’re a reform school for troubled kids. That’s not the case at all. Notice we don’t have walls and fences; we have rules and regulations.”

First and foremost, Cline says, the academy--for boys in grades 7 through 12--is an academic institution that stresses college preparatory studies, not combat skills.

The academy continues to employ the tenets of the military system--with its code of honor and respect for authority--because it works not only to train soldiers, but to teach students the three R’s, Cline said.

“The way to motivate people, Gen. Patton once said, is by patting them,” Cline said. “He said, ‘Sometimes you pat them on the back, and sometimes you pat them on the butt.’ ”

The private boarding school, which is accredited by the Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges, has a faculty of 23 full-time and three part-time teachers, who collectively hold four doctorates and six master’s degrees, said Gary Bowler, dean of instruction.

Besides the traditional college prep curriculum, all cadets receive Junior ROTC training at the academy, which is also certified by the U. S. Department of Army.

For all its military emphasis, the school sends only a handful of seniors on to service academies. Among the 51 students in this year’s graduating class, only four applied to service academies, Bowler said. Two have already been accepted, and the others are awaiting admission notices. More than 70% of the school’s graduates enroll in a four-year college or university.

Little Has Changed

The academy’s formula for developing a young man who respects God and country--a blend of academics, athletics and military discipline--was devised by Col. Thomas Davis, who founded the school in Pacific Beach in 1910.

Since then, the academy has been relocated to its scenic 13-acre beachfront site in Carlsbad. But little else has changed. In fact, Cline says the founder’s philosophy to help boys develop into “complete men” is more needed and appropriate today than ever before.

With a host of problems such as drug abuse and disruptive peer pressure crippling the learning process, and concerns being raised about the quality of a public school education, Cline says military prep schools fill an important niche in American education.

Furthermore, he said, the academy provides strict supervision of a child’s study habits, which Cline said is lacking in many contemporary households because both parents work.

“I’m sorry to say it, but I really think we have lost the family structure. I know of so few families who sit together around the family table. And, because both parents now work, the child comes home from school and there’s no one there to guide him.”

If nothing else, the academy tries to provide an environment that fosters a spirit of camaraderie. And there is absolutely no shortage of guidance; the 69-page cadet guidebook guarantees that.

No Room for Doubt

The detailed manual governs almost every aspect of a cadet’s life: how to cut one’s hair (sufficiently short, not to exceed 3 inches in length); how to arrange one’s closet (raincoat, bathrobe, letterman’s sweaters, etc.), and how and when to make one’s bed (before 0700 hours each morning).

“There’s no question about it, this is a very structured and regimented life,” Cline said. “That’s why we let prospective parents and students know exactly what they’re getting into.”

Such a supervised education does not come cheap: Tuition and boarding costs total $9,300 annually.

Those who adapt to the system are quick to sing the academy’s praises.

“Like most anything, the academy is what you make of it,” said Senior Cadet William Kuebler, 18, a stellar student who has already earned 12 college credits. Although accepted by Pepperdine University and UCLA, Kuebler is holding out in anticipation of admission to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.

“It’s the best education you’ll find,” Kuebler said. “But, if you’re going to downgrade it, you’ll hate it. For example, a lot of guys don’t understand why they have to wear a uniform. My attitude is, ‘If you have something to wear, wear it properly.’ Why look like a jerk?”

Sailor Suits at Root?

His parents supported his decision to attend the academy but, Kuebler said, the desire to go was his own.

“Since I was a small tyke, I wanted to go to the Naval Academy,” Kuebler said. “I was always dressed up in sailor suits. I guess it rubs off on you after a while.”

Like Kuebler, Senior Cadet Bron Stuart, 17, eyed the academy as a step toward his career goal. Stuart, who aspires to become an astronaut, says the institution’s academic programs are good but that there are other schools that probably offer better.

But the blend of academics, physical conditioning and teamwork the Carlsbad school provides produces an education that is second to none, he says.

“Everything they teach you here all adds up,” Stuart said. “And when you do add it up, it provides a great foundation for the rest of your life.”

Reveille at 6 a.m. marks the beginning of a typical day for the academy’s 300 cadets. Almost every minute of the day--through seven classes, meals, organized athletics, extracurricular activities and mandatory study hours--is scheduled until lights out at 10 p.m. Seniors are allowed to stay up until 11.

Such a structured program almost guarantees academic success.

“At home, it’s so easy not to study,” said Tom Mix, 13. “If you get hungry, you say to yourself, ‘I’m gonna go have a snack and then I’ll study.’ But, when you come out of the kitchen, you see something good on TV and you say, ‘I’ll study after I watch this.’ No chance of that happening here.”

Unlike public schools, where nearly 30 students might pack a classroom, academy classes are small, often with fewer than a dozen cadets. Even greater individual attention is available because instructors are required to hold tutoring sessions after classes four times a week.

Mix, who said he had no desire to attend the academy, credits such conditions for improving his grades.

“I didn’t want to come here, no way,” he said. “I heard it was really strict and tough. But I wasn’t doing well in public school. I was getting mostly C’s and D’s, so my mom wanted me to come here.”

Mix still doesn’t gush about the school, but he proudly says he made the academy’s honor roll, which requires a 3.4 grade-point average on a scale of 4.0.

Clearly, not everyone at the school is happy. During a rare free moment before lunch, a group of young cadets pointed out the academy’s flaws--among them, that the school’s system caters to and pampers students who flourish but does little to help those who struggle.

“The top students get medals and ribbons and are paraded before assemblies,” said Matteo Gallizio, 15. “But they’re quick to kick out those who don’t do well. There’s not much tolerance for the kid who doesn’t excel.”

Gallizio, and even the academy’s best students such as Kuebler and Stuart, also say punishment is often too severe. Violations of regulations can result in the issuing of demerits, which can lead to “ED,” or extra duty, such as washing windows.

Other forms of punishment include penalty tours--marching on the grounds for as long as four hours. Commanding officers can also administer “instant correction”--no more than 10 push-ups--for minor infractions, such as being seconds late to formation or looking astray while standing at attention.

There are those who say the academy’s military environment creates bullies.

“Oh, yeah, the seniors go on a real ego trip,” said Jason Brown, 14. “They think they run the school. You give them this power, and then they pick on you.”

Not Wearing Out Shoes

Administrators appear sensitive to such criticism and say they are constantly reviewing the appropriateness of their disciplinary actions.

“We don’t make them march because we’re trying to wear out shoes,” Cline said. “We want them to realize and say to themselves, ‘Hey, this is dumb. If I just did what I had to do, I wouldn’t have to be out here on my free time.’ ”

“We don’t believe in piling punishment upon punishment until a point where a cadet feels there’s no way out,” Cline said. “I wish those cadets who feel that way would come and talk to us. We want every student to be successful. All you have to do to get on the fast track is do what you’re told to do. It’s that simple.”

In response to such student concerns, however, the academy hired a part-time guidance counselor last year to help the troubled cadets: “She may be able to provide a little more TLC,” Cline said.

As for complaints that older students abuse their status on campus, administrators acknowledge that there is a greater chance of such problems occurring at a military academy and say they are always on the lookout for such conduct.

“Especially in this kind of environment when young men are given authority to give orders to underclassmen, you have to monitor the situation carefully,” said Cline, who recently dismissed a troublesome senior who struck an underclassman. “We do not tolerate bullies.”

In fact, humiliation and intimidation are listed in the cadet guidebook as offenses that can lead to dismissal.

“We realize there are problems at times, but you won’t see cadets running around with bruises and black eyes,” Cline said.

Few parents appear to find fault with the academy. On the contrary, many say it has made leaders out of their sons.

“What we sorely miss in today’s world are men with good manners and good morals,” said Cherry Mir, whose son, Pablo, graduates this year. “And that’s exactly what the academy produces.”