Academia Militar de Agulhas Negras

Infobox Military Structure
name=Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras
partof=
location=
coordinates=


caption=AMAN Cadets during the "Small Sword" ceremony
type=Military base, Military academy
built=1944
used=1944 - present
controlledby=Brazilian Army

The Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras (English: Military Academy of the Black Needles - named after the Pico das Agulhas Negras; AMAN) is the biggest among several schools of formation of combatant officers of Brazilian Army. It originated in 1792 with the creation of the Royal Academy of Artillery, Blockhouse and Drawing - first military school of the Americas - in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Today the Academy is located in the city of Resende, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

History

The transfer of the Portuguese Royal Court from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro in 1808 caused King Dom João VI to inaugurate in 23 April of 1811 the "Royal Military Academy", incorporating the Royal Academy of Artillery, Blockhouse and Drawing. Its first location was at the Train's House of the Artillery, today the location of the National Historical Museum of Brazil. In 1812, the Train's House was transferred to the Plaza of São Francisco, a place that offered better conditions for warfare maneuvers. With the Independence of Brazil in 1822, it was renamed the "Imperial Military Academy".

With the ever-growing need to improve the training of the officers of the Brazilian Army, it was merged with the School of War in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul. In 1913, with the objective of uniting all the military institutes of War and Application, was created the First Royal Military School.

With the urgent need to expand its facilities to absorb an Army that grew and got operational was created, on January 1 1944 in the city of Resende, the "Military School of Resende". It was renamed the "Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras" in 1951.

AMAN today

The AMAN is currently located in Resende, Rio de Janeiro state, occupying a total area of 67 km². It contains some constructed complexes, amongst them the Main Complex, the Physical Education Department, the Equestrian Department, the Firearms Department and the Instruction Park. The Main Complex was expanded in 1988 to two times its original size, the expansion consisting mainly of refectories and cadets' lodgings.

The AMAN possess, in support to its activities, a Command and Services Battalion, composed of a Headquarters Company ; a Service Company; a Military Police Company; a Guard Company; a Riflemen Company; and two Corps of Cadets Auxiliary Companies. It is the biggest Battalion of the Brazilian Army.

Structure

The Cadet corps are constituted by a Commander, a Deputy Commander, a staff and diverse Courses and peculiar Sections, composites for Officers and Cadets with the diverse missions and characteristics to each one.

To the Courses, it fits to form the official futures in the diverse Weapons and Services:
* Infantry,
* Cavalry,
* Artillery,
* Engineering,
* Communications,
* Quartermaster and
*Ordnance.

The Sections assist in the formation of the military personality of a cadet, working the most varied attributes of the affective area, by means of military physical training (SEF), lessons in riding (S Ski), exercises using special techniques (SIEsp) and the use of diverse armaments (S Tir).

The Education

In the Academy the pertinent activities to the professional teaching of the official military man of career are developed, in accordance with the following periods:

*1st Period: ** Basic Formation - 1st and 2nd years
*2nd Period: ** Qualification - 3rd year
*3rd Period: ** Qualification and Intensification of Instruction - 4th year

In the Basic Formation, the objectives are: to adjust the personality of the cadet to the principles that conduct the military life; to assure the knowledge that qualify him to the continuation of its formation of officer; to form the military character, to prepare the basic combatant, getting acquainted with the execution of techniques and individual tactics of combat, to get physical qualification, and to develop abilities techniques.

The Qualification has as its main objective the qualification in the practice of commanding the small elementary fractions, and the inherent functions of the graduated ones. One consolidates the perfectioning of the individual techniques of the combatant, the raised standard of joined order and the continuous development of the physical capacity. The Qualification and the Intensification of the Military Instruction have as their main objective the inherent qualifications to the holding of positions and functions to the Subordinate Officer and the Captain.

They are inherent activities to the Cadet corps: exercises in the field, peculiar to each course; periods of special instructions training ; conjunct exercises of weapons, service and formation; maneuvering; the Academic Olympics; sporting competitions with the Naval School and the Academy of the Air Force (NAVAMAER) and the South American Festival of Cadets.

References

*cite web | title=Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras | publisher = Brazilian Army | date=2008-03-11 | url=http://www.aman.ensino.eb.br/ | accessdate=2008-03-11 | language=Portuguese

External links

* [http://www.aman.ensino.eb.br/ Academia Militar das Agulhas Negras] Official website pt icon
* [http://www.resende.com/ Resende.com] City maps and tourist information pt icon