Naval Academy Preparatory School

06/04/2026

From 4 June to 6 June, US forces fought and defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of Midway. This marked a turning point in the war, forcing the IJN to go on the defensive and shaping the course of both the war in the Pacific and world history. The seeds of the American victory at Midway were planted at the United States Naval Academy.

Admiral Chester Nimitz, a 1905 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, served in strategic command as Commander, United States Pacific Fleet.

Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, a 1906 graduate, commanded Task Force 17.

Admiral Ray Spruance, a 1907 graduate, commanded the Fleet's Carrier forces.

Lieutenant Commander (and later Rear Admiral) C. Wade McClusky, a 1926 graduate, decided to keep searching for the Japanese Fleet as commander of USS Enterprise's air group and press the attack that resulted in the sinking of three of the Japanese fleet carriers.

Countless other graduates of the United States Naval Academy made history during the battle, with 75 officers from the class of 1942 alone serving on the various ships that participated in it. The class of 1942 is notable for many reasons; it's graduates led Sailors and Marines through the war in both the Pacific and Atlantic. It also graduated in December, 1941, only two weeks after Pearl Harbor.

05/24/2026

05/13/2026

Congrats to NAPS 25 and all of the members of the USNA Class of '29!

05/04/2026

Our final selection for Midshipman Candidate Monday is the M/C who proposed this idea as a way to increase outreach to prospective NAPSters...Midshipman Candidate Noah Jackson is a native of Las Cruces, New Mexico. M/C Jackson enlisted in the US Navy after high school and worked aboard Fleet Cyber Command/Commander 10th Fleet as an Information Systems Technician prior to coming to NAPS. He enjoys basketball, running, golf, and the challenge of picking up any new hobby or skill. He hopes to study History and Spanish at the United States Naval Academy and is aiming to FLY NAVY!

04/27/2026

Our penultimate Midshipman Candidate in the spotlight is Midshipman Candidate Lazariyah Aranda, a native of West Tampa, FL. M/C Aranda joined NAPS after serving as a Cryptologic Technician (Collection) onboard USS DEWEY in Yokosuka,
Japan. She enjoys theater, reading, and watching bad movies. Go Navy!

04/20/2026

Midshipman Candidate Miguel Mendoza, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, and prior enlisted Aviation Structural Mechanic, is today's pick for Midshipman Candidate Monday. M/C Mendoza is interested in the arts and is responsible for many of the photographs used on the NAPS page. He is also one of the driving forces on the NAPS Yearbook team. M/C Mendoza plans to study Naval Architecture at the United States Naval Academy.

04/13/2026

Midshipman Candidate Ryan O'Kane, a native of Annapolis, MD, is looking forward to playing rugby next year for Navy. Sports are a huge part of this candidate's life and she currently serves as one of the managers of the NAPS men's lacrosse team, where her vocal support of her classmates helped spur the team on to beat MAPS. We look forward to seeing her unleash that energy and intensity on the rugby field next year!

04/12/2026

Friends and families of NAPS, this is a friendly reminder for those that have not already done paperwork to be cleared for base access to do so as soon as possible. Please submit your paperwork to our admin office by 20 April to ensure we have enough time to process your request. Please review the "Things you need to know" and the link below for more information.

Things you need to know:
- NAPS is located on a naval base which isn't open to the public.
- Regardless if you have been cleared, or whether you are being es**rted, every patron (other than es**rted minors) need to present a REAL ID at the gate to enter the base.
- If you intend on using a state issued ID, please make sure it doesn't say "Not for federal use", "Federal Limits Apply", or something to that effect, as the base will not accept it.
- Military, Government Service, and respective retirees with valid ID are able to access the base and es**rt up to eight people as long as they possess a REAL ID. All of our candidates possess such an ID.
- Cleared persons are NOT able to es**rt patrons.
- It takes about 7 to 14 days to get cleared for base access.
- Just because you are cleared doesn't mean you have blanket access. The base will use the cleared list to post an access list specifically on the days of graduation.
- Clearance for base access is good for 12 months. If you already did clearance at the beginning of the year, and entered "NAPS Friends and Family" or "Sponsor" in block 27 of your paperwork, you should still be in the system and added to the access list for graduation.

Link to our base access page:

What you need to know for visiting NAPS, including base access requirements, ID policies, vetting procedures, and important details for a smooth visit.