United States Academy of Extranormal Studies
First seen in Legion of Lawndale Heroes 12.1, "The Wild and The Young", The United States Academy of Extranormal Studies is the nation's fifth federal academy dedicated to training young men and women for a career in Federal Service or in the Armed Forces of the United States of America. Founded in 1978, the Academy is located just outside Evansville, Indiana and educates a student body of thirteen hundred students (addressed as 'cadets') in two separate institutions: the First Academy (for cadets aged 10-18 years) and the Elite Academy (for cadets 18-26 years of age). There are, however, instances where younger and older individuals were admitted to the USAES Corps of Cadets; Julia Carlyle, for example, was admitted to USAES just after her eighth birthday.) Most cadets exhibit their powers between the ages of eleven to fifteen; students are officially admitted to the Academy at the beginning of the school year (in the last week of August); however, students can enter in January at the beginning of the spring semester (the Academy operates on the semester system).
The official motto of the Academy is Memento Ad Vitam Paramus, which is Latin for 'Remember, we are preparing for life'.
To the average person, the Academy is simply another elite government military academy, and as having the Academy gives the city of Evansville a financial boost and other amenities, there have always been friendly relations between the Academy and the city leaders of Evansville (who are aware of what the Academy does, and know it's in their best interest to maintain the secrecy). Several institutions within the City of Evansville have special agreements with the Academy; the local hospitals have a partnership with the Academy medical group under which critical cases can be brought to the Academy's hospital wing, and Academy students trained in emergency medicine or psionic/biophysical field trauma (the technical term for 'healers') can be called into service in times of great emergency.
In addition, the Academy (because of its student body and status as a military installation of special interests and operations) has a permanent United States Marine Corps security force garrisoned on the campus grounds, which includes a small helicopter fleet (among the helicopters kept on station are two VH-3A VIP transport helicopters and three NX-60 'Fire Hawk' utility/assault helicopters, which were specially reverse-engineered and rebuilt by engineering, aviation and special design studies cadets in the late 1990's).
The First Academy is a six-year program that provides basic and advanced educational needs, as well as a comprehensive program designed to instruct cadets on how to effectively deal with the physical, psychological, social and legal problems and issues that arise with the possession and use of metahuman abilities in the modern world.
In addition, a number of special seminars are mandatory for cadets (such as a one-semester seminar on human sexuality which is scheduled for first-semester Cadets Third Year or when the cadet begins his/her first semester at USAES; a one-month refresher course is also mandatory for all Elite Academy cadets in their first semester), as well as intensive training in self-defensive techniques. Throughout the course of their first two years at USAES, all cadets are required to attend four-week introductory courses in various forms of armed and unarmed self-defense; the average cadet will attend between six to ten introductory courses per year (cadets who show an aptitude for specific skills or courses can be allowed to repeat the course up to three times; if the student elects to attempt the Pass/Fail proficiency test offered at the end of the course and passes all three attempts, the courses will count as an additional one-half Independent Study credit in the course passed.). A partial listing of available courses includes:
- Basic Firearms/Handguns
- Basic Firearms/Rifle-Shotgun (mandatory course)
- Edged Weapons/Short (blades shorter than 12 inches) (mandatory course)
- Edged Weapons/Long (blades longer than 12 inches)
- Melee Weapons/Blunt Weapons (mandatory course)
- Martial Arts (this is broken down into a number of classes including Okinawan, Japanese, Chinese and American-forms of Karate, various forms of Kung Fu, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Jeet Kun Do, Savate, Hapikdo, Krav Maga, ninjitsu, and so forth.)
- Boxing
- Wrestling
- Archery
- Basic Psionic Defense (mandatory course)
- Conflict Resolution (mandatory course)
- Passive Defense
Cadets who successfully complete their studies in the First Academy are given the option to apply for acceptance into the five-year collegiate-level program offered by the Elite Academy, which offers advanced training in metahuman abilities with a concentration towards the use of such abilities in military service, law enforcement, specialized search and rescue, diplomatic affairs and many other concentrations - as well as standard collegiate studies - leading to the awarding of a Bachelor's Degree). Upon acceptance into the Elite Academy; cadets are given the choice of service concentrations; this focuses the academic and metahuman training electives the cadet may take in those contrations. Those are:
Armed Forces Service Track - this is for cadets who choose to enter the seven uniformed services of the United States (ex. United States Marine Corps).
Federal Service Track - this is for cadets who choose to enter the law-enforcement, foreign-service and intelligence organizations that serve the United States (ex. Federal Bureau of Investigation).
National Service Track - this track is for cadets who choose to enter the civilian-oriented and domestic-related organizations that serve the United States (ex. National Parks Service).
Cadets are also offered the option of attending one of the four other military academies. Those cadets who accept this option are bound to complete the required one-year internship period directly after commencement, and must also attend summer classes at the Academy. Those cadets classified as Cadets Third Class during their summer sessions, and upon completion of their internship, enter service as First Lieutenants/Lieutenants Junior Grade, or at a service level one rank above entry level (for Federal/National Service track cadets).
Cadets also have the option of applying for attendance in the Elite Academy's non-comissioned officer's program (a three-year program, including the one-year internship); successful completion will allow the graduate to enter the branch of the Armed Forces of his/her choice at E-6 (Staff Sergeant/Petty Officer 1st Class/Tech. Sergeant), or into Federal/National Service at a rank two to three grades above a new inductee into the agency of his/her choice. The cadet is still obligated to complete the one-year internship required of all cadets.
Families of attending cadets family receive a monthly stipend of $2500 during the school year; if the student attends summer classes, the family recieves a $7500 stipend for the ten-week session.
Eligible cadets can apply for 'financial aid' programs at the Academy (those whose powers make them eligible can apply for part-time jobs on the Academy campus where they can use their abilities for research and practical applications, and be paid the same rate as civilian contractors). The Academy keeps one-third of the money made by the cadet, and the cadet can use up to one-third in any way he or she sees fit (the remaining money is held in a trust until the cadet graduates from the First Academy). In the cadet's final semester from the First Academy, he or she must take a seminar on financial matters to help with the decision on how to use the money wisely. Elite Academy cadets are allowed to keep 75% of their earnings (the Academy keeps 25%), and if they use their internship year for work in the private sector or as a civilian contractor for the Federal Government or the Armed Forces, they keep all of their earnings.