New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a state-supported educational institution 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 Col. Robert S. Goss as the Superintendent for the Goss Military Institute (which was later renamed NMMI), its architecture and organization is inspired by Virginia Military Institute, and is one of six 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. 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.
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.
Read more about New Mexico Military Institute: NMMI Today, Athletics, Administration, Notable Alumni
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