FORGING VIRTUOUS
YOUNG MEN

For over a century, Army and Navy Academy has been a leading military school for boys in grades 7 through 12. While boys can and do excel academically in many types of educational institutions, the Academy is a unique environment that cultivates virtue in young men while propelling them toward excellence in academics, athletics, and leadership.

BETTER FOR EVERY BOY

As one of California’s top boarding schools for boys, Army and Navy Academy has a singular mission: to forge virtuous young men for life. We’re better for every boy because we are built for how boys learn, grow, and thrive. As a Gurian Center for Excellence, we use research-based teaching and mentoring techniques to help every cadet reach his maximum personal potential. Our learning community is highly structured and values-driven, singularly engineered toward helping boys gain the focus, confidence, and character to excel far beyond the classroom. Becoming an Army and Navy Academy cadet isn’t just stepping into another private school: it’s a step toward lifelong success.

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OUR FUNDAMENTALS

Cultivating academic excellence and training exceptional scholar-athletes is the bare minimum of what a military boarding school should do. Army and Navy Academy graduates are currently attending top colleges, including Stanford, Dartmouth, the University of Chicago, the United States Naval Academy, and West Point. It’s our focus on the science of how boys learn and virtue development that makes us an unparalleled opportunity for any young man looking to thrive in an increasingly challenging world.

Virtue is our priority in all that we do, a fact reflected in the environment of dignity and respect that pervades our beachfront campus. Our core values of Honor, Integrity, Respect, Commitment, Gratitude, and Courage don’t just guide our cadets: they are guidelines that motivate every member of our educational community to uplift, serve, and inspire others. We teach our cadets to live these values every day and in every interaction.

BUILT FOR BOYS

We recognize that boys in middle school and high school have unique educational needs that are not being met in other public and private school settings. Across the country, boys are falling behind in school, resulting in a crisis in higher education and poorer life outcomes for young men. We address the needs of boys through the use of the Gurian Model, a revolutionary set of educational techniques that help boys learn best.

INSTILLING VIRTUE

Virtue development is a hands-on experience at Army and Navy Academy. Each week, cadets engage with dynamic guest speakers who share life lessons rooted in our core values of Honor, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, and Gratitude. These interactive sessions spark conversation, inspire reflection, and give our cadets practical tools to navigate life’s challenges with confidence. Our graduates become virtuous men for life.

Warriors on the Road

Army and Navy Academy’s Advancement and Admission teams are on the road all year to connect with current, prospective, and alumni families. Join the Warrior community at one of the following events. We can’t wait to see you.

OCTOBER 2, 2025 • ALISO VIEJO, CA
St. Mary’s School Fair for Prospective Families

OCTOBER 6, 2025 • SANTA BARBARA, CA
Prospective Families and Alumni Community Mixer

OCTOBER 8, 2025 • AUSTIN, TX
Prospective Families and Alumni Community Mixer

OCTOBER 16, 2025 • CORONA DEL MAR, CA
Pegasus & Harbor Day School Fair for Prospective Families

OCTOBER 20, 2025 • HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA
St. Mark’s Lutheran School Fair for Prospective Families

OCTOBER 26, 2025 • CARLSBAD, CA
Army and Navy Academy Open House for Prospective Families

NOVEMBER 16, 2025 • SAN DIEGO, CA
Prospective Families and Alumni Community Mixer

APRIL 25, 2026 • SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Prospective Families and Alumni Community Mixer

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS

This week on Throwback Thursday, we look at how the Academy made its way from San Diego to the iconic Red Apple Inn in Carlsbad.

In 1930, during the hardships of the Great Depression, the Academy faced one of its most challenging eras. Enrollment and revenues dropped, forcing Col. Thomas A. Davis to mortgage properties, equipment and even the drum major’s baton to keep the school afloat.

By 1936, unable to meet the bank’s demands, Col. Davis stepped down. That August, the San Diego Union carried a special announcement from Col. Davis, president, and his brother, Maj. John L. Davis Jr., vice president and commandant, stating they had resigned their positions and would no longer be associated with the San Diego Army and Navy Academy. The notice added that all personal communications should be addressed to them in Carlsbad.

The Davises leased the former Red Apple Inn to house their new school. For a single year it operated under the "Davis Military Academy" name, before the family finally regained the rights to the San Diego Army and Navy Academy title and continued their vision under its historic name.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Beach campus pressed on under new leadership as Brown Military Academy. Despite the split, the Davises’ move to Carlsbad showed how far they were willing to go to preserve the Academy’s traditions of honor, discipline, and leadership in a time of national and personal hardship.

This short-lived but pivotal chapter reminds us how resilience and commitment carried the Academy through the Great Depression. From San Diego to Carlsbad and beyond, each transition built on the last, ensuring that the Academy’s legacy of developing leaders of character would endure for generations.

#ArmyAndNavyAcademy #ThrowbackThursday #RedAppleInn #SchoolHistory #MilitaryTradition #LeadershipLegacy #WarriorPride #ANA #PacificBeach #CarlsbadHistory #GreatDepressionEra #HistoricJourney #ResilientTraditions
Today we are relaunching our Chapel Talk series with special guest speaker, Jack Cumming.  Mr. Cumming is a long-time supporter of the Academy who will be generously sharing his wisdom with our Corps of Cadets.  Stay tuned for details on his podcast interview with Academy President, Barry Shreiar, recorded after the Chapel Talk today. 

Check out all our podcasts on the Army and Navy Academy YouTube channel. 

#army #navy #militaryacademy #privateschool #beachfrontcampus #boardingschoollife #juniorboardingschool #warriorproudwarriorstrong #armyandnavyacademy #longgrayline
Esprit de Corps weekend is a time to build our Warrior brotherhood and welcome our newest Cadets into the Corps.  Stay tuned for activity details in the Weekly Warrior, which comes out every Thursday. 

Mark your calendars with all our Closed Weekends and Special Event dates.

#army #navy #warriorproudwarriorstrong #privateschool #militaryacademy #beachfront #juniorboardingschool #boardingschoollife #academy #armyandnavyacademy #cadetlife #jrotc
This week on Throwback Thursday, we look back to 1910, when Army and Navy Academy first began in San Diego. Founded by Colonel Thomas A. Davis, the school was originally called the San Diego Army and Navy Academy and quickly gained recognition as the “West Point of the West.” From the start, the Academy was more than just a place for academics, it was designed to build discipline, leadership, and character in young men.

The original campus stood in Pacific Beach, where cadets lived and studied by the ocean. The setting gave the school a distinctive identity, combining rigorous college preparatory education with military structure and training. In those early years, cadets were challenged to balance academics with personal growth, teamwork, and responsibility. Traditions that would continue to shape the Academy’s culture today.

Though the Academy’s name and campus would evolve in later decades, the vision set in motion in San Diego over a century ago remains the same: to prepare young men to be leaders of character.

#ArmyAndNavyAcademy #WeAreWarriors #WarriorPride #MilitarySchoolLife #LeadershipForLife #CharacterAboveAll #WestPointOfTheWest
#WarriorTradition #LeadingTheWay #WarriorStrong
#CadetLife #DisciplineHonorSuccess #WarriorNation #Since1910
This week at Army and Navy Academy, cadets in our JROTC program had the chance to hear from a representative of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Speaking during class, she shared what the admissions process looks like, what daily life at West Point is all about, and the unique opportunities that come with attending one of the nation’s top service academies. For our cadets, experiences like this are more than just informative, they open doors to new possibilities and help students picture themselves on different paths after graduation. Whether it’s pursuing an academy like West Point, enrolling at a university, or seeking other leadership opportunities, exposure to these kinds of perspectives helps our cadets broaden their horizons and set ambitious goals for the future.

#ArmyNavyAcademy #WestPoint #WarriorPride #MilitaryAcademy #FutureLeaders #LeadershipDevelopment #CollegePrep #PathwaysToSuccess #ANA #Boys #BoysWillBeBoys #BeBoldBeBrilliantBeYou #JROTC
This week on Throwback Thursday, we’re looking back at the proud history of Army and Navy Academy’s Drill Team. For years, our cadets honed their precision and discipline through two distinct units: Stoll’s Guard, made up of middle school cadets, and Milton’s Guard, the drill team for upper school cadets. Each brought sharp execution and Warrior spirit to parades, competitions, and ceremonies, building a tradition of excellence across campus. 

By the 2000s, Milton’s Guard had grown so large and distinguished that it was elevated into its own company, officially known as the Honor Guard. This elite company stood as a mark of prestige, representing the very best of the Academy and leaving a lasting impression at events both on and off campus. While the Honor Guard Company is no longer active today, Drill Team continues strong, carrying forward the same precision, teamwork, and pride that made Stoll’s Guard, Milton’s Guard, and the Honor Guard legendary in their time.
#armyandnavyacademy #boyswillbeboys #military #throwbackthursday #school #militaryschool #carlsbad #boardingschool #beboldbebrilliantbeyou #drillteam #rifleteam #ANA