New Mexico Military Institute

New Mexico Military Institute
Address
101 West College Blvd. Roswell, New Mexico, Chaves County, 88201  United States
Information
Founded	1891
Founder	Joseph C. Lea
Superintendent	MG Jerry Grizzle
President	MG Jerry Grizzle
Dean	BG Douglas Murray
	COL George Brick
Grades	9-14

New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a state-supported educational institution. NMMI is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. It is sometimes referred to as the West Point of the West and it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a college preparatory four-year high school and a two-year junior college. Founded in 1891 by Joseph C. Lea, who selected former Confederate Col. Robert S. Goss as the Superintendent for the Goss Military Institute (which was later renamed NMMI), and inspired by Virginia Military Institute, it is one of five Military Junior Colleges in the United States.

Students who attend NMMI are referred to as 'Cadets' and are classified as either 'Old Cadets' or 'New Cadets'. It typically has about 980 cadets, 95 percent of whom go on to four-year universities, The school's Army ROTC program commissions approximately 35 cadets per year as US Army 2nd Lieutenants through the US Army two-year Early Commissioning Program (ECP), and about 100 cadets each year go to one of the five major United States Service academies.^[1] Many NMMI graduates are currently serving as senior-level officers in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

NMMI first admitted women as cadets in 1977 due to a court decision, although some women did attend as non-cadet day students in the early years of the school. It is the only state-supported co-educational college preparatory military boarding high school (grades 9–12) and junior college in the United States and is renowned for its quality leadership programs for female cadets.^[1]

The school's motto is "Duty, Honor, and Achievement". The school's teams are the Broncos (junior college) and the Colts (high school) and the school is known for the mandatory attendance of its cadets at football games. The school's colors are scarlet and black.

NMMI today

New Mexico Military Institute provides a unique environment, where 6th Class (9th Grade High School Equivalent) through 1st Class (college sophomore) cadets are all treated on the basis of earned merit upon completion of their introductory period as a Recruit At Training (RAT) and subsequent year as a New Cadet. The military school structure is provided through all cadets living in the Troop Barracks, with all classes, meals, and military and physical training occurring "On Post" in a controlled environment. RATs and Cadre (cadets who train new RATs) perform PT early in the morning followed by a meal, and training in D&C (Drill and Ceremony)and other such activities associated with the military. After the 21/28 RAT days cadets earn even more privileges. After 42 days RATs become New Cadets and have almost full access to the campus. NMMI has a notable status system that was created in 1927. There are three statuses, New Cadet, Yearling, and Old Cadet. A high school cadet who has been at NMMI for a year "turns" into a yearling at the end of the year. Junior College members "turn" into yearlings after a semester. As for becoming an old cadet the system is the same, one year for high school and a semester for college, after their yearling terms, to become an Old Cadet. These statuses determine a cadet's privileges and authority and is one of the greatest social factors of the institute. There are certain rules of interaction that apply, a new cadet cannot socialize with a yearling and or old cadet in a non-professional manner or they may receive a "stick" for fraternization. A stick is the primary mode of punishment at NMMI. When given a stick, a certain amount of "tours" are given and also a certain amount of demerits. A tour is one hour of marching which is fulfilled through "Tour Squad" a group that meets at certain times and does various things to fulfill their tour credit. The standard stick for "Frat" A.K.A Fraternization is 40/40. In other words, one must fulfill forty hours of tour credit and must receive forty demerits. Cadets with too many demerits may be put on Academic and or Disciplinary Probation, in which many of their privileges are taken away. Punishment at the Institute is strict and quickly administered by the "Cadre" or student leaders of NMMI and the staff, when regulations are not followed.

Hagerman Barracks

Notable alumni are listed in the section below, and many less well-known alumni continue to "give back" to the Institute in the form of active involvement with the Staff and Corps of Cadets. Each October sees the return of "Homecoming" where alumni from each decade of the corresponding year make the pilgrimage to Roswell, New Mexico and take part in traditions as old as the school itself. Annual Trail Rides and Alumni Musters have also become part of the alumni experience, and NMMI Alumni Association Chapters help to foster life-long friendships through meetings in various locations. Sometimes alumni chapters will sponsor a "Tattoo" or a "Stand To" - both based on nostalgic military functions designed to increase awareness of alumni initiatives.

The school's Honor Code is "A Cadet will not Lie, Cheat, Steal, nor Tolerate Those Who Do."

Athletics

The football team competes in the Western States Football League. Its other sports compete in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.^[2]

Administration

President/Superintendent is Major General Jerry W. Grizzle USANG (RET)

Commandant of Cadets is Brigadier General Richard V. Geraci US Army (RET)

Deputy Commandant for Operations is currently unfilled.

Deputy Commandant for Support is Lieutenant Colonel Jeffry Cunningham US Army (RET)

Regimental Staff

Regimental Commander is c/COL Jeremy Harvard

Regimental Executive Officer is c/LTC Wade Thomas

Regimental Honor Board Chairman is c/LTC Wade Thomas

Regimental Adjutant is c/MAJ Reyes

Regimental Command Sergeant Major is c/CSM Reilly

Regimental Master of Fitness is c/MAJ Pacileo

Regimental Provost Marshall is c/MAJ Carlos Echevarri

Regimental Operations Officer is c/MAJ Bond

Regimental Color Guard Commander is Master Sergeant Angelo Santomenna

Notable alumni

• Norman E. Brinker, founder of Brinker International
• William John Cox (Billy Jack Cox), public interest attorney, author and political activist.
• Charles A. Coulombe
• Bill Daniels, cable television pioneer.
• Sam Donaldson of ABC News
• Malcolm Duncan, former owner of Duncan Buick Cadillac in Waco, Texas; educational philanthropist through MAC Scholarships.
• Ira B. Harkey Jr., awarded the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing
• Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotel chain
• Conrad Hilton Jr., American socialite
• Paul Horgan, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author who also served as the school's librarian for a time.
• Peter Hurd, artist and friend of Horgan's who painted the presidential portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson
• Hal Mumme, collegiate football coach
• Anthony Principi, the fourth United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• Chuck Roberts, news anchor for CNN Headline News
• Roger Staubach, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys
• G. Harry Stine, sci-fi writer; a father of model rocketry
• Casey Urlacher, Arena League football player, brother of Brian Urlacher

Nickie Vigil, first female graduate

• Major General Edwin Walker
• Frank D. White, governor of Arkansas
• Owen Wilson, movie actor (Bottle Rocket, Shanghai Knights, Wedding Crashers)
• Jerome Dazzo, Founder of The Dazzo Hair Restoration Institute in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

GUILLERMO PADRÉS-ELÍAS; GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF SONORA, MEXICO

Bold text==References==

1. ^ ^{a b} http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/455
2. ^ http://www.nmmi.edu/athletics/index.htm

Rebecca Davis, future award winning author

External links

Coordinates: 33°24′36″N 104°31′29″W / 33.409896°N 104.524698°W / 33.409896; -104.524698

• Official web page
• Alumni Association
• Discover NMMI
• Albuquerque Alumni Chapter