A Big Year For Military Academies

U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY West Point, N.Y.

Perched above the Hudson River, the school claims more legends (Eisenhower) and current leaders (Gen. John Abizaid, head of Central Command) than the other two academies combined. The officers West Point produces will shoulder the largest share of the burden in the era of terror.

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY Colorado Springs, Colo.

With striking architecture at the base of the Rockies, the youngest of the academies is turning the corner after a sexual-abuse scandal. The school admits more women than its rivals.

U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY Annapolis, Md.

Roughly 40 percent of each class of midshipmen joins the rapid-reaction Marine Corps. The rest patrol the seas in everything from aircraft carriers to nuclear-powered submarines.