| Bataan Military Academy | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 8001 Mountain Road Place NE Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87110 USA |
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| Information | |
| School type | Public Charter School |
| Motto | Honor, Courage, Commitment |
| Established | 2006 |
| Founder | LCDR Shelby Dawson-Tallchief |
| Superintendent | INST Jean Podborny |
| Chairperson | Cynthia Adair |
| Staff | 20 teachers
2 TAC (Training and Counsel)-NCO |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Gender | Co-ed |
| Enrollment | c. 140 cadets |
| Average class size | 18 |
| Color(s) | Navy Blue and Gold |
| Athletics | football, wrestling, baseball, track and field, marksmanship,volleyball,cheerleading |
| Mascot | Mythological Sea Lion |
| Website | http://bataanmilitaryacademy.org/ |
Bataan Military Academy is a tuition-free, co-ed, college-prep public day high school. All Cadets are members of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps; the U.S. Navy’s youth organization. Founded by Shelby Dawson-Tallchief, a Lieutenant Commander in the Sea Cadet program and Associate Regional Director for Arizona and New Mexico, Bataan opened at the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year with freshmen and sophomores. Currently accepting students of high school grade levels (9-12), Bataan Military Academy (BMA), employs both teachers and military service members who are active duty, reservists or retired.
The Academy is named to commemorate the soldiers and sailors who surrendered to Japanese forces on Luzon in 1942. During a forced removal to a POW camp, some 70,000 of these American and Philippine soldiers died during what later became known as the Bataan Death March. In remembrance of these brave men, many of whom were from New Mexico’s 200th Coastal Artillery, BMA Cadets participate in the annual 26 mile Bataan Death March Memorial Marathon held at the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
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The campus is housed in two office buildings at 8001 Mountain RD, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Commanding Officer for the USNSCC Bataan Battalion RMR 15-2 for Arizona and New Mexico, served as the Academy’s first Commodore or principal.
The Academy’s Governing Council has five members elected from the community. The role of the Council is to provide leadership through policy development and monitor the school’s finances. The Commanding Officer of the Academy, contracted by the Council, is called "Commodore". The Commodore equivalent to the principal of a high school. He is the overall approving authority for faculty, staff and Cadets. Lieutenant Shelby Dawson-Tallchief (USNSCC) served as the Academy’s first Commodore and was the school’s founder.
Students are selected by a lottery process and an interview with the Commanding Officer or the Executive Officer. Courses include standard high-school curriculum and AP classes are available.
Through the IDEAL New Mexico program, an online high school curriculum, Cadets are able to take additional courses, such as advanced mathematics and AP classes.
During the 2009-2010 school year, all incoming New Mexico high school freshmen are required to attend at least one advanced placement or dual-credit course during their high-school years. BMA is working with Central New Mexico Community College and the University of New Mexico to satisfy that goal.
U.S. Naval Science is a unique course offered by BMA. The course includes military history, traditions, uniform regulations, basic military regulations, military-related career exploration, how to identify and report sexual harassment, the military’s no drug/alcohol policies, and an emphasis on building leadership skills. The Cadet rank system is based on the following: Time in service, completion of course work available through U.S. Naval Science classes, and completion of USNSCC training opportunities. Information about USNSCC training courses is available at [www.resources.seacadets.org]. In accordance with state regulations, the class is taught by Chief Petty Officer Raymond Griffith (USNR).
Bataan Cadets are required to take four years of physical education classes. These classes includes physical conditioning and weight-lifting as well as traditional high school PE activities. Cadets must pass the U.S. Navy Physical Readiness Test once per year. Cadets also get a chance once a year to earn the USNSCC Physical Fitness ribbon.
The U.S. Navy’s standards of "Honor, Courage and Commitment," are taught and implemented in Academy relationships. Ethics and morals are instilled every day through military drill and a military environment.
BMA follows an Honor Code which states, “Cadets do not lie, cheat or steal, and will not tolerate those who do.”
Bataan Military is the first charter school in New Mexico to have a football team. The athletic program includes football, baseball, wrestling, track and field, marksmanship, volleyball, cheerleading, color guard, honor guard, and a drill team. As are all public schools in New Mexico, the Academy is a member of the New Mexico Activities Association.
As World War II began, a U.S. submarine happened to be docked on the Philippine Island of Luzon. On the third day after the events at Pearl Harbor, Japanese air forces bombed the submarine. Several U.S. sailors died as most were on shore. Later, Japanese ground forces invaded the island and eventually captured American and Filipino troops leading to the events of the Death March. After the war and the return to the U.S., survivors of the Bataan Death March formed an organization named the Battling Bastards of Bataan. They selected the heraldry symbol of a sea lion to represent the organization. Dating to the year 400 AD, the sea lion represented the men who fought to protect the coastal waters. Bataan Military Academy proudly presents the sea lion as its mascot. Former Navy artist Jim Pearson of Albuquerque was commissioned to create a contemporary version of the sea lion. It is his conceptual version that is used by the Academy.
As Cadets do not live at the Academy, discipline is reinforced by adult Instructors and Senior Cadets (Petty Officers). Such discipline is crucial to maintaining the integrity and leadership-building qualities that are valued at the school.
Cadets are organized into four Divisions: Alpha (Freshman or "Plebes"), Bravo (Sophomores), Charlie (Juniors), and Echo (Seniors). Each Division is led by a PO1 (Petty Officer First Class) and a PO2 acting as Division Commander and Division Master-at-Arms, respectively. They are further divided into squads that are led by Third Class Petty Officers who are selected by the Division Commander.
Cadets at the Academy are required to enroll and keep in good standing with the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC). Cadets’ highest possible promotion is Chief Petty Officer. A student in the Corps is addressed as "Cadet" followed by their rank. For example: "Cadet Seaman Harris." Unless the Cadet is a Petty Officer, the Cadet may be called "Petty Officer Harris."
The Cadet Corps rank system is as follows:
Recruit trainings organized by BMA are widely considered the toughest USNSCC trainings in the United States. Cadets from around the country send sea cadets to train with BMA Cadets at Fort Bayard, New Mexico. In the Bataan Battalion, Cadets are required to attend at least one USNSCC approved training per year. BMA offers several that meet this requirement, including but not limited to: Recruit Training, Petty Officer Leadership Academy (POLA), SeaBee Infantry Combat and Survival training, Master-at-Arms training, and SCUBA training and certification.
BMA SeaBees are the Battalion’s most highly trained Cadets. Cadets are taught military movements and the importance of the infantry in the military team. They are constantly drilled in survival, land navigation, first-aid, hand-to-hand fighting techniques, ambush, and counter-ambush techniques.
Because the Navy's SeaBee battalions conduct construction operations and some combat operations, the first class of SeaBees established a forward observation post known as Firebase Reazin, named after a determined member of the first class who was forced to withdraw for medical reasons. Following classes will be charged with expanding this post.
SeaBees are pinned during the graduation ceremony at Bataan Memorial Park in Albuquerque, NM. The first class of Bataan SeaBees consisted of 11 cadets - the SeaBee class of 2009.
SCUBA training is offered at least two times each year. Shallow dive training begins in a local pool. Final dives are held at the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The Blue Hole is known as a special location for divers. It is a volcanic tube filled with natural spring water. The usable portion of the tube is ninety feet deep. Courses are official USNSCC classes taught by nationally certified divers.