What Military School Can Do For Your Child
Michalis "BIG Mike" Kotzakolios
Kotzakoliou, SSA

In society today more and more parents are being confronted with the fact that children have problems. Sadly, some of these problems go beyond the traditional woes of coming-of-age. Alcohol and drug usage, teenage pregnancy, vandalism and other forms of youthful delinquency like smoking of tobacco and marijuana, are all on the rise and have parents frightened. For this reason, more parents are considering placing their children in military school.

One trait that children will learn in military school is respect for elders. While this was a characteristic of American children up until the 1950’s, this trend has fallen with the baby boomers, and further yet with their progeny. This simple ethic constitutes a universal set of further principles that are also slipping away from today’s youth.

Orderliness and organization are also common skills acquired in military school. This becomes a necessary fact of life in such a structured environment. In fact, many students who enter military school as slobs or simply have unorganized habits that quickly progresses to learning from their peers and superiors as to how to maintain their schedules, to find proper times to study, and to also manage enough time to have a social life.

With the dedication and intensity of labor that is required to achieve success in the environment of such a school also comes the reward of satisfaction, of surprise at one’s successes, of getting to know oneself. Military school will mold a child, give her confidence and experience that she’ll carry with her through life like invisible armor.

At a more national level, military school will aid a child in learning about the importance of patriotism, and where she is in the scheme of things. New ideas will be taught, such as the difference between patriotism and nationalism –and why one is important, and the other an anathema to democracy. National security will manifest itself into the thoughts of your child, thus instilling a sense of purpose and a yearning for maturation in the heart of your child.

For all of this, a child will learn to stay informed and the value of information such as why voting is important, how our legislature works, the strengths (and shortcomings) of the Constitution, and of what, quite simply, it means to be a citizen.

Moreover, a child may entertain thoughts of continuing on into military service, for which he or she will be more prepared for than the average enlistee. Often times, due to having trained in a military school, a cadet will be given advanced rank over his or her peers, upon leaving boot camp. Yet even if a student simply decides to enter adulthood as a civilian, she will walk through life truly understanding the meaning of honor and autonomy; truly, she will be a leader amongst others.