Annapolis, Maryland
The United States Naval Academy was founded in 1845 on the site of Fort Severn, and now occupies an area of land reclaimed from the Severn River next to the Chesapeake Bay. The Annapolis area was the home of a VLF-transmitter called NSS Annapolis, which was used by the United States Navy to communicate with its Atlantic submarine fleet. Students that attend the Naval Academy are enrolled in school for four years with a following five year commitment to serving in the Marine Corps or Navy. There is a typical average of around 4,500 students enrolled.
Navy Music Program
Tracing its origins to the early 20th century, the School evolved from intermittent attempts to establish a permanent site to train Navy Musicians. In June 1935, the Navy School of Music opened in Washington, D.C., operating in conjunction with the United States Navy Band until becoming an independent activity in 1942. Students enrolled at the School during this era graduated as complete ensembles—transferring as a unit to serve aboard ships in the U.S. Fleet. Unit Band No. 22, for example, was deployed to USS "Arizona"—ultimately to be counted among the first casualties during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.