The U.S. military-service academies--at West Point (Army), Annapolis (Navy), Colorado Springs (Air Force), and New London (Coast Guard)--are at the center of several debates, both military and civilian. The military is downsizing, and the federal budget is under scrutiny: Do the academies deserve to continue if they are not producing better officers than the cheaper routes of ROTC and Officer Candidate School? The academies are educational institutions, but, this author asks, do they actually educate, and furthermore, do they produce "leaders" as they claim to? The author contends that, although the academies attract a certain type of student: hard-charging, military-oriented, with expectations of both physical and mental challenges, they are squandering that rich resource. He offers seven suggestions that may improve the efficiency of the military academies.