Since the colonial times, the United States has relied on a number of external sources to create important founding documents, as demonstrated by the Magna Carta and the American Constitution, and the British governmental system and our own bicameral legislature. This use of outside sources does not stop with just the structure and principles of our government, but also includes the structure and ethos of our military. There have been a number of civilizations with military and leaders that inspire humans today, such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, but none of this civilizations were as pivotal in American military as the Spartans.
In Spartan society, dedication to service and the mission was the center of each citizens identity and time with boys being pulled from their families for training and females playing a supporting military role from a very young age. This in addition to the commitment demonstrated by relational sacrifices and their commitment to education. This is also seen in today’s officer’s force with the most educated Navy in history with increasing opportunities for masters degrees for enlisted and officer service members alike.
Spartan society was centered around a lifelong dedication to military service, allowing them to dominate their enemies on the battlefield. The culture of the Spartans can be summarized by the statement mothers would say to their sons as they we departing for war “with your shield or on it” (Plutarch). Shields in Spartan society were the key to their success only if every man utilized his shield as it was intended to be used. Without each man using his shield to protect himself and the man next to him in the sarissae, their likelihood of success in battle would plummet. This profound sense of selflessness that is found in the Spartan civilization has a key role in the officer force today. Selflessness is taught in leadership classes at the Academy as not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less and putting the needs of others ahead of your own. Spartan warrior ethos are very applicable to modern officership, as demonstrated by their indoctrination in officer training schools including plebe summer.
By studying the prowess that the Spartans demonstrated on the battlefield and within their own culture by creating warriors, we learn from their triumphs and trials in order to best most successful. The Spartans are the extreme demonstration of the leaders that Academy graduates strive to be, committed to their mission and one another.
-Mack Pearson
Word Count: 412
The West in the Pre-Modern World 
The warrior culture of Spartan society allowed them to dominate in warfare and it made their warriors tough and better prepared than their enemies. They were selfless in their fighting and duty to Sparta came before anything. As mentioned in the blog post, Spartan mothers told their warriors to come back carrying their shields or be carried on them. Duty, service, and sacrifice came before everything for the greater good of Sparta. In contrast to the blog though, I believe our modern U.S. military has a greater focus on producing well rounded officers, not just warriors. We are not just preparing our warriors to fight, but to be thinkers as well. Education never stops for the modern naval officer because we must constantly keep improving mentally as well as on the battlefield. This is where the U.S military has improved upon the warrior ethos of the Spartans. We’re not here to just fight, but to take care of our men and save lives. In order to do so, we must be educated and constantly work to improve in every area.
-Ethan Fessler
Word Count: 182
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While Sparta was short-lived, the city-state was very successful in terms of its military and way of life. The word “spartan” means self-restrained, simple, frugal, and austere. We cannot be a comprehensive parallel comparison between the Spartans and officers of the U.S. Navy, there are many similarities between the Spartan state and the U.S. Naval Academy, which produces future leaders in the U.S. military and civilian world. All healthy male Spartans participate in the Agoge, an education system, in which parallels can be drawn. Both the Agoge and USNA emphasize obedience, endurance, and courage; self-control is derived from such an environment. Both programs train young men (and in the case of the Academy, young women as well) to become warriors; emphasis is placed upon life as a warrior. Plus, military drill and discipline were a regular part of Spartan life to later prepare for fighting in a phalanx formation. Here at the Academy, we also drill with rifles in units of companies to experience unit cohesion. Overall, by studying history, we can appreciate what has come before us so we can become better people and leaders for later generations to follow in suit.
—Cameron Guan
Word Count: 193
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