Military School Training Facilities at Marine Military Academy
The training facilities at Marine Military Academy are some of the most complete and varied that can be found at any military school and rival many of those found on military bases. The facilities lie within a 142-acre area in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. The majority of the facilities have been developed within the last 13 years and are found on the Leadership Enhancement and Development Complex. MMA also has a number of military school training facilities that date back to the earlier days of the school. These facilities serve a number of purposes for our cadets, including physical fitness, agility, teamwork development, problem solving, and more.
Basic Military School Training Facilities
Indoor/Outdoor Shooting Range: One of the earliest facilities at MMA is Gilmore Marksmanship Training Center. The range includes both an indoor and outdoor firing line. Cadets are educated on the principals of rifle safety as well as the fundamentals of marksmanship, including sight alignment and breath control, while practicing with air and pellet rifles. The rifle team at MMA competes against other high schools in pellet rifle matches and focuses on more advanced marksmanship skills and techniques, including shooting from prone, standing and kneeling positions. In addition to our cadets, the rifle range is used by a number of local law enforcement agencies and for recreational shooting for staff members.
Outdoor Mud Course: The outdoor mud course at Marine Military Academy is used heavily by our cadets and is also a major focal point of the MMA Summer Camp. The course is also used by a number of local schools that visit to use our training facilities. A series of obstacles require cadets to crawl under wire, crawl through pipes, swing on ropes and dive into a water filled ditch. Check out the video of the mud course to see what it’s like for our cadets and how much fun military boarding school can be.
Gymnasiums: Although gymnasiums and swimming pools are not unique to military boarding schools, they play an important role in shaping the cadets at Marine Military Academy into physically fit and confident young men. The Florence E. King Field House is MMA’s main gymnasium and houses the basketball court, racquetball court and varsity weight room. The varsity weight room is where the major varsity sports conduct all their weight training and houses the most modern equipment and free weights.
The second gym on the MMA campus is the Junior Varsity Gym, located next to the rifle range. The swimming pool is used extensively during MMA Summer Camp and is the training facility for MMA’s swimming team. Additionally, the academy hosts swim meets at our pool, and it is used for recreation by the Corps of Cadets and staff.
Weightlifting Facility: Another core military school training facility is the cadet weightlifting building, which is located adjacent to the baseball field. Weightlifting is a daily activity that cadets can sign up for and houses numerous weight machines and free weights. This activity is supervised by one of our staff members and is one of our more popular activities.
Advanced Training Facilities at Marine Military Academy
LEAD Complex: First and foremost, among the newest and most advanced military school training facilities at Marine Military Academy is the Leadership Enhancement and Development Complex. The LEAD Complex houses numerous training courses that include:
- Rappel Tower
- 350-Foot Zipline
- Two High/Low Ropes Courses
- Confidence Course
- Obstacle Course
- Leadership Reaction Course
- Rock-Climbing Wall
- Rope Bridging Course
- Combat Fitness Course
- Pugil Stick Training
All of the courses within the LEAD Complex are designed to develop fitness, promote teamwork, enhance problem-solving skills and improve self-confidence for MMA’s cadets and summer camp attendees. Many of the events are physically challenging and require development of techniques to negotiate quickly.
The LEAD Complex is the major component of MMA Summer Camp, but it is also used extensively by other school JROTC units. Because of the number of military training facilities located in a single area, the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps Junior ROTC programs have both held annual summer Cadet Leadership camps at MMA where the LEAD Complex is the major focus. Additionally, many law enforcement agencies regularly use the courses for training of their personnel and local military reserve units also use the complex.
Paintball Course: The last of the military school training facilities is one of the most fun for cadets. The Paintball Course is one that all cadets and summer campers cannot seem to get enough of during their time here. Cadets at MMA are permitted to bring their own paintball equipment for use on the course when their drill instructors schedule its use. Summer campers get to run the course a number of times each summer, and it is always one of the favorite events.
To learn more about the elite training facilities at Marine Military Academy, call (956) 423-6006. You can also request a free, no-obligation information packet to learn how these facilities supplement MMA’s teen leadership development programs and how they help our cadets grow into capable and confident young men.