MikeF, hear hear on your point regarding social awkwardness. I think USNA has a little easier time with that being right smack dab in the middle of Annapolis, USMA and USAFA not so much. I can honestly say that after four years of isolation and a bad distance running habit, I graduated at the social skill level of a 14 year old.

I've seen a some good points come out about teaching leaders...and I couldn't agree more. I can honestly look back at my 11 years of service and not look at one time when I applied a leadership lesson culled from my time at the Academy. Beyond the basic military history (which, let's face it; is not the issue) what was taught to me there was so far removed from what I faced either inside or outside the wire. Granted, I may have just been a crappy cadet, but I'd have to think that somewhere along the way I learned something while getting smoked as a four-degree or in yet another pointless M-hour.