The Delaware Military Academy (DMA) is a publicly-funded charter high school in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware and has a Wilmington postal address. The Academy was founded in 2003 by Charles Baldwin, a retired

Master Chief Petty Officer A master chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards, usually above some grade of petty officer. United States Master chief petty officer (MCPO) is the ninth (just below the rank of MCPON) enliste ...

from the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

, and Jack Wintermantel, a retired Colonel from the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. All students are required to participate in the Navy

Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is a Federal government of the United States, federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US mil ...

, or NJROTC; DMA is the first successful all-JROTC military charter school in the US. DMA offers grades nine through twelve and has been designated a

Blue Ribbon School The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

Organization

All DMA students are referred to as

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

s and the school is organized to reflect that of the

US military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except th ...

and JROTC standards. While there are typical academic teachers and administrators, a number of faculty are retired from the military, and there are seven Naval Science Instructors (NSIs), six of whom teach, who oversee the military aspect of the school. Students are divided into one

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

and each Regiment is divided into two

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

s(Alpha and Bravo) with four

Companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

each. Ranks are given based on honor, seniority, and academic excellence, with the highest student rank being the Regimental Commander.

Academics

DMA is a college-preparatory school that offers honors, AP, and dual-enrollment classes through Delaware Technical and Community College. The State of Delaware gave DMA a "Superior" ranking for high scores on standardized testing and they were named a

in 2019.

Athletics

For much of its history, DMA has lacked sufficient athletics facilities and relied on nearby Banning Park and other high schools' facilities. In 2015, DMA purchased just under six additional acres of land with the intention of constructing a third building for this purpose and announced its plans for a gymnasium (called the "drill deck") in 2016. The Anthony N. Fusco, Sr. Athletic & Academic Center, a $6 million construction paid for by donors, opened in 2017. Shortly after, in 2019, a $2.5 million turf stadium was erected and named the Fusco Memorial Field. In 2010, the ice hockey team became the first DMA team to go undefeated (19-0) and won the school's first championship by defeating Hodgson Vo-Tech High School in the Delaware Scholastic Hockey Association B Division Championship finals. Two years later, they won the school's first varsity championship by defeating Alexis I. duPont High School and solidified their place in the A Division.

Notable alumni

* Patrick Clark, football player

References

External links

* {{authority control Military high schools in the United States High schools in New Castle County, Delaware Educational institutions established in 2003 Charter schools in Delaware Public high schools in Delaware 2003 establishments in Delaware Red Clay Consolidated School District