Week 9 Wrap Up

Today we completed week nine of the National Academy.  The week consisted of wrapping up presentations, research papers and final exams.  Next week will be spent finishing any loose ends in class, completing course evaluations and preparing for graduation.

I thought I would take a moment to catch up on a few events we attended during the past couple weeks.  It has been a busy time at the NA.

As you may know, the National Law Enforcement Memorial is in Washington DC.  This is an area that is very important to everyone in Law Enforcement whether active duty or retired.  It is a place to go and remember those men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities.  During our short nine weeks at the National Academy, we have lost twelve police officers to gunfire.  This is a terrible statistic, and one that should be alarming to every person in this country.  Each National Academy session makes a visit to the memorial and places a wreath in honor of those who have fallen.  Our session had an opportunity to visit the memorial two weeks ago.  It was an incredible experience, and one that I will always remember.

Each session also has an opportunity to spend the weekend in Philadelphia and visit several historical locations in the city.  During our session, the officers from Philadelphia PD planned an incredible trip for us.  Last weekend we departed the academy on Saturday morning and arrived at Philly PD just before lunch.  We had the pleasure to meet Police Commissioner Ross, visit the Bomb Unit, SWAT Unit and K-9 Unit.  We also enjoyed a private tour of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and museum.  Later we toured the Philadelphia Eagles stadium.  If you are attending the NA in the future, this trip is a great weekend away from Quantico!

                                                      Philadelphia Police Commissioner Ross
 

After the Yellow Brick Road event, we were treated to some amazing food thanks to our classmates from Louisiana.  Louisiana Night is an event hosted by our bayou friends and an opportunity to sample some amazing food, drinks and music.  The event is prepared and funded by previous NA graduates from Louisiana and some great sponsors.  This is also a great time to network with classmates and continue to build those relationships.  The weather was perfect for an outdoor gathering on the patio, something the January - March sessions do not experience very often!

Today was our last Physical Training day and it was a good one.  Our PT instructor, Kevin Chimento, has been fantastic.  He has taught our class about nutrition, wellness and given everyone new ideas for working out.  Purpose built workouts for law enforcement.

Once again, if you are preparing to come to the National Academy, do not focus solely on running!  Plan on short, explosive circuit style workouts focusing on core, back, functional workouts.  The best example for the style of workouts you will see is P90X.  Our class presented Kevin with a 35lb weight with the words "Savor it" on the handle.  After each intense workout, Kevin typically finishes with a plank or some other grueling maneuver and encourages us to savor it.  The entire training staff is top notch, and a valuable part of the NA experience.