For 178 years, the United States Naval Academy has trained and educated young men and women to be commissioned officers in the US Navy and US Marine Corps. The Naval Academy is the second oldest of the five service academies in the United States. The nearly-340-acre campus is located on the grounds of the old Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland. The entire campus, known as the Yard, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Admission to the Naval Academy is highly competitive. Since the curriculum leans heavily on science, engineering, and mathematics, all graduates--no matter their major--earn a bachelor of science degree. After completing their coursework, midshipmen enter either the Navy or Marine Corps for a five-year commitment.
Lt. Christopher G. Miller is a retired US Navy officer. He spent 22 years on active duty (including 3 at the Naval Academy), and he now works for the US Coast Guard in Norfolk, Virginia. He lives in Portsmouth with his husband, James. Most of the photographs in this book appear courtesy of the Special Collections and Archives Department at the Naval Academy's Nimitz Library.