A nonprofit, leadership-led training program preparing high school students nationwide for U.S. service academies and four-year ROTC scholarships — at no cost to accepted families.
FORGE is engineered around what selective service academies and four-year ROTC scholarship boards actually look for. Nothing less, nothing extra.
Personalized preparation for the United States Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, and the Merchant Marine Academy — including congressional nomination interview coaching and Summer Leadership Experience placement.
Coordinated preparation for Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, and ROTC scholarship boards — academics, fitness, the leadership résumé, and the application package these boards actually evaluate. The same academic foundation opens the door to admission at the universities that host those programs.
A structured three-year preparation pathway built around what service academies and ROTC boards actually evaluate — delivered nationwide, at no cost, to every student who applies and is accepted into the program.
Establish academic rigor, fitness baseline, and leadership entry points. Two coaching sessions per month, more as required. Set the record selection boards will read three years from now.
The heaviest year. Two coaching sessions per month, more as required. Standardized testing, Summer Leadership Experience placement, Boys & Girls State, congressional nomination groundwork.
Applications, nomination interviews, ROTC boards, and admissions essays — all coordinated. The work of the prior two years becomes a package that competes nationally.
This is the three-year arc FORGE is built to repeat — the same disciplined preparation pathway that has already produced multiple service academy appointments and ROTC scholarships.
A competitive high school student-athlete with the discipline to prepare and the grades to compete.
A Certificate of Appointment from a U.S. service academy — West Point, Annapolis, the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard, or Merchant Marine — earned through three years of the right plan and the right coaching.
Sworn in. In uniform. The end of one journey and the beginning of a life of service.
FORGE is a structured, three-year preparation pathway built by experienced military officers and education leaders who have lived inside the service academy and ROTC selection process — and who deliver that pathway directly to every student in the program.
FORGE is not delegated. Every coach is personally vetted — professionals who have walked this path.
28-year Army Colonel · West Point Class of 1997 · MIT Seminar XXI Senior Fellow · West Point Association of Graduates Class Advisor. Co-founder and head coach of FORGE.
Read Dan's full bio
Co-founder and CEO of FORGE · Marketing Director for the Billingsley family of automotive dealerships. Janie leads FORGE strategy, partnerships, and donor engagement.
Read Janie's full bioEvery accepted student receives a personalized plan covering the four areas that determine who earns an appointment, a scholarship, or admission to a top university.
Personalized coursework planning — concurrent enrollment, AP, engineering, advanced math and science — plus ACT, SAT, and PSAT preparation and reference letter strategy. Two coaching sessions per month, more as required.
Sports and extracurricular goal-setting, Summer Leadership Experience placement, American Legion Boys & Girls State applications, state and federal legislative paging, Tommy Franks 4-Star Leadership, and school club officer support.
Service academy and ROTC fitness assessment training. Quarterly fitness benchmarks and goal-setting. Personalized training plans built around your student's sport, schedule, and current baseline.
Direct preparation for the academy application process, congressional nomination interview coaching, ROTC scholarship application coaching, and quarterly goal-setting and progress reviews.
Endorsed by district superintendents and decorated military officers who know what serious college and service academy preparation requires.
We are pleased to offer our high school students access to FORGE Professional Training beginning with the 2026–2027 school year. We are fully supportive of FORGE's efforts to launch, enhance, and sustain this program.
FORGE provides our students access to a structured, professional training pathway to the service academies that they would not otherwise have. The discipline and clarity it brings to their preparation is exactly what high-potential students in our district need.
As a West Point graduate and former ROTC instructor, I have seen firsthand how difficult it is for students to navigate the complex requirements. FORGE is built to identify, prepare, and equip high-potential students to compete for service academy admission and ROTC scholarships through direct coaching from experts who understand the process.
I have personally watched Colonel Blackmon coach students through every step of the application process. His record, his standards, and his commitment to these young leaders is unmatched. FORGE is the real thing.
Seniors considered case by case. FORGE is free for accepted students. Every application is reviewed personally by FORGE leadership.
Every gift contributes to the full FORGE experience. While illustrative tier amounts describe specific impacts, donations are pooled to ensure each student receives the support they need most.
