Camden Military Academy Anti-Semitic, refuses to correct Camden, South Carolina

Most of these comments seem to be coming from individuals with no education, much less a "sub-par at best" education quoted by someone. I attended CMA in the late eighties through early nineties and graduated. I am a US Army Veteran, regular job, house, friends and divorced. My time at CMA was, to me, just back and forth. To me when you look back at things that's when you can give an accurate report. This is a different world today, than when I attended CMA. Black market scams; ie, girlie mags, cigarettes, dip, and other niceties were always around. Welcome to the real world people. I remember one instance of two guys, apparently doing things two guys shouldn't be doing with each other. I know they were gone by the time I heard about it. They were at breakfast and gone at lunch. Other than that, while I was there that was never a concern, and was never part of the culture. Guys went AWOL, some got into trouble, and others stayed in trouble. Skipping church was one of my early trouble experiences, but fun. Cadets went to a church of their choosing in town , back then. All of our TAC Officers were top shelf, certainly not to some, but to me anyhow.

CMA worked for me and many others, and looking back, it served me well moving foward. By the time senior year rolled around, some of my main buddies and I were officers and we did basically what we wanted to do, within the limits of our world there. From day one I did what I was told in the barracks, I took pride in how I looked and didn't respect people who brought the ones that did down. I made my mistakes too, and they were handled. I came back every year, and coming back from furlough or breaks were almost unbearable by my senior year. I have three or four guys I'll always keep in touch with.

When I graduated, I could count my REAL friends on one hand. Today I can count my REAL friends from 4 years at CMA on two hands, albeit three have sadly died. Most of what I read about CMA online and in these little chatter boxes seem to be more about weak people that can't handle their s**t, or don't get it. Maybe there are more cadets there that don't need or can't handle that environment. That was showing itself as I was leaving. My respect to anyone that has experienced criminal behavior directed towards them or have been pysically or mentally harmed in some way. Some of the things sound more in line with prison life than boarding school. You guys can change that, we would have. I'm absolutely positive about that. Take it in stride, leave, finish school, be yoursleves, love your families and be the best. One day will greet you very fast and you'll be dumbfounded as to where yesterday (and CMA) went. If you stink take a d**n shower.....d**n!

Mrs. Smith you think calling people out because they didnt to use thier name on this website makes them wrong and you right

My Name Is Charles Douan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went to to camden for the for the full 6 years(02-08). The commets i know this guy and its worse than you think are spot on about the hazing i witness all of the hazing, disrespect by cadets and others. I arrived at camden in 7th grade under sergent major Terrell. The two cadets that wrote the commets you said are lying went to camden after i graduated.

When i was there i wittnessed blanket partys, kids getting beat and jumped for snitching, anything that could be stolen ive seen it. Kids drinking rubbing alcohol or what ever they could their hand. Heared of kids getting raped never saw it just rumors but i dont doubt it. They force you to go to church im not saying that is a bad thing but no one should be forced to attend church if they dont want to no matter if they have permission from their parents or not.

Most of this happens when the tacs are not in the building. I personally was thearten and beating by cadets and cadet officers for not listening to their orders and threaten not to snitch. Command Sergent Major Martain once pulled me out of classes that my grandparents paided for to go march around the tennis are (or were) behind the baseball he made march around those tennis courts at pace of 120 steps a min from the time classes started in the morning (at that time classes went from 8:30 to 2:30) to when they got out the only time i was allowed to stop was a 10 minute lunch which was a pbj not the lunch my grandparentspaided, he threatened to hit me with his belt if i slowed down. I was not the only one that was forced to do that. He bragged that he did this to battalion commander when he had gone awol.

You are a parent you will never know the true extent of what goes on at that school because most cadets are afraid to tell anyone. Do not doubt what these cadets have said IT IS TRUE. Most of the cadets that are officers are officers because they are popular with the previous officers the year before because they recommend who gets promoted and who doesnt. The officers are also some of the worst cadets on campus. They are mostly the older cadets (i.e. junoirs/seniors).

Ive seen officers sell a can of dip (when i was there it was mostly grizzly because it was the cheapest dip back then it was about 1.50 a can and sell at school for 10 bucks) to a 7th grader for 10 bucks then get a follow officer go a confiscate it and bring it back then sell the same can back to the 7th grader for another 10 bucks. This was a common thing when i was there.

But with that being said i Do Not agree with what they said about CSM Brooks i beleive he is a good man and better tac for that matter most of the tacs are good tacs. i knew everybody that worked there. Yes i did know everybody that worked there from headmaster Boland all the way down to the maintenice men.

This stuff does happen and i dont care what you say about what your son says about it not happening. It has happened, it will happen again. Kids make stupid mistakes they do dumb things. My finally opinion is that its not the faculty that make the so much as it is the cadets themsevles. Some of kids there are good kids they are not the ones im talkng about. In my expereince the kids that seem bad kids are the ones being mistreated.

You need to understand that your child is 1 OUT OF 300 kid there that is one opinion from one kid from one company. How dare you tell those kids that their lying about what happened while they were there. You dont what happened while they were there. You see the pretty side when the parents are there. You dont see the cruelty that those kids endure at the other cadets. From tell ma.kin funny of them to straight up beatings. So do not simply beleive the experence YOUR CHILD had was the same as the others.You should be ashamed

 

  Hello Tristan Van Aiken, you don't know who this and don't bother asking because I am not going to tell you.  However, I know exactly who you are.  You are the single biggest liar that I have met in my entire life.  I would like to let everyone know just who you are, which is just a dude who is full of sh*.
   I was in the same company as you at one time, and when I first met you, you told me outrageous things which I will list here:#1. that you had a millions of dollars saved in a Swiss bank account along with your very own private jet.  #2. that you could hack into gas pumps and get free gas. #3. that you had a tumor on your chin. #4. that your doctor told you that once they remove your so-called chin tumor you would regain all of your lost memories (cause of course you hold all of your memories in your chin. LMFAO!!) #5. that you have only tried marijuana once and it made you go crazy and vadalize your whole neighborhood. 
   And just to prove to all of these nice people that I know exactly what I'm talking about. I am going to reveal that CSMB  name of yours that you did not want to reveal.  I'll admit I don't know what the C stands for but the rest is Sargent Major Brooks. He was a sniper in the Vietnam War and prior to that he was an active member of the Black Panthers, really unstable person honestly.  But People, please, for gods sake...
sigh... dont believe Tristan, everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie. the only thing Tristan said in this post that's true is that he was there for 4 years and that he is mentally unstable.
    He really is not a bad guy, just really weird and out there and The biggest sign of his mental issues was his compulsive lying.  I mean the worst thing I ever heard him do while at Camden was Punch some kid in the face at the swimming pool then take off running like a coward. If all you ladies and gents want to know the truth, read Kid69 post, he is spot on.  Especially about the prices and the listerine. 
    I will admit that I never heard of any blanket parties when I was there, but then again these f**ked up cadets always think of new things.  I do remember one kid got a big log of crap thrown on him while he was in the bathroom stall taking a dump.  he told he felt something hit his cheek and roll down his arm then realized that it was feces.
the year before I was there a kid got a broom handle shoved up his a*s in the shower and when I was there A cadet by the name of White got his face slammed through a window in Charlie Company, had to have plastic surgery on his left eye, had to walk the pad and pay for the window, and the Captain who did this to him (Smith) got away with it because his family was wealthy. 
   What confuses me the most is you Tristan, I was there when you were there and I remember very clearly that no one respected you, everyone treated you like s**t, called you a liar(which is not far from the truth), a goblin, and a p***y, and they would laugh at your expense on a regular basis and yet you stick up for this hellhole.
   If you answer me. answer me this. WHY!!. why do you talk so highly of this place.  I mean for gods sake they are getting sued for hazing, beatings, and rape, and you were treated like a joke. I mean your delusions of Grandeur was one thing, but are you really so delusional that you love a place that hated you?

I love it with all these random comments about the school yet no one will post their name.  Why hide in the shadows if you feel this way.  I specifically asked my son about these things.  He said absolutely not.  None of the bullying or type of comments based on religion were allowed.  None of the other nonsense I'm reading either.  He said kids coming home from break would constantly be caught trying to bring weed back to schooland would end up getting caught and kicked out.  Sounds like the problem is at home wouldn't it be great to do parent reviews.  My son said that the biggest issue was chewing tobacco.  Seriously, have your visited your local high school if chewing tobacco or cigarettes are the biggest issue these are teenage boys in today's society.  I'm reading these comments about their kids already heading the wrong road.  Seriously people, do you think maybe you are part of the problem as the parent and think Camden is suppose to fix things you couldn't.  I am so tired of the nonsense and people not taking personal responsbility my name is posted feel free to contact me google me in Charlotte NC or Carlsbad CA.  I'm not hiding and making all these BS claims.  I was happy to write them a check and thankful for the education and skills they gave my son.  Thank you Camden.

I am sure the reasons that cadets come to CMA are as diverse as the cadets themselves.

I sent my son there, because he was not succeeding in tradition high school in Ohio.  We live in a great school district, but it is big and impersonal.  That did not work for him.  He wanted to eventually be in the military so I felt a military school might be a good fit for him.  I looked for schools around the area we are from and unfortunately they were basically boot camps for teens in trouble.  My son was not in trouble.  He was just resisting the idea that he needed to put forth an effort and try to achieve good grades.

It was a financial hardship for us but we decided that it would be worth it.  And it was.  His grades did comeup dramatically.  Was he exposed to things that were not good, yes but probably no more than if he were in our local afluent high school.  Were things taken care of, yes they were much more quickly than a public high school where politics play a much heavier role in how discipline is doled out.  More than one boy was sent home from CMA for behavior or possession of things that were not acceptable. 

My son is now in the military and he feels that his time at Canden has better prepared him.  And he still stays in contact with several of his teachers.  He also dreams of retiring to that area and working with that school in the future. Be careful who you blame for your children's issues, sometimes when you follow the thread to its origin ... it isn't someone else, but perhaps it is yourself.

I was a cadet at Camden Military Academy for 4 years. My options were CMA or Jail. Im not afraid to admit that i was a horrible person 4 years ago. When I entered CMA I was a troubled child. My therapist outside of CMA said that i was incurable and that i had to be locked up in a mental institution because i was "unstable". Thats right a mental institution called "The Pines". it is like a mental prison for the disturbed and uncontrolled. As I was at "The Pines" i was severely beaten, abused, had used profane language, and almost died from getting choked to death. A patient there was murdered by another with a battery in a sock blown to the head. This place was like hell on earth. But i deserved it. But my time there made me even worse. 

I then got transferred to Camden Military Academy in Alpha Company. My TAC Officer was CSMB (I will not reveal full name). Now all these complaints about people talking about Jews and racism are true. I will not lie i have heard it happen. But listen to this. The people who have had that said to them have said some profane words also. I have seen both sides to this fight and they are equally to blame. Its not CMA's fault for the profane language. There is justice. I know because i got my justice for saying things I shouldn't have.  Yes there are drugs there, but the Officers find it and dispose of it. To Cadets at CMA it is hell and should not exist. But if that is the way they feel then CMA is doing their job right. Cadets are there for a reason. Mostly because their child's behavior is uncontrollable. So the reason they get that treatment is because like me, they refused to change and behave. For the blanket parties, that's a load of crap. I was a first sergeant and I knew all the cadets there. Not one had a blanket party the last 4 years. The Faculty and TAC Officers are doing the best they can to control what happens there. And there is always justice.

CMA is the one place that changed me and changed my life. I Graduated in 2012 and now I have a very successful job, I was accepted to 5 colleges, I have great behavior, won employee of the season, am making A and B averages, am respectful, and respected, and about to work with one of the biggest companies in the U.S.. Camden Military Academy is why i am alive right now. And I owe CSMB my life and everything i have. Without him I would either be in jail or dead. And when someone asks me why i went to CMA i am proud to tell them because my transformation was amazing and nobody believes it. CSMB has taught me how to be a leader and life lessons. And I each them to others as well. I am Commissioning as a 2nd LT. Into the ARMY. And i will repay Camden for what they gave and taught me. The tuition is costly but no amount of money could pay for what they have provided me.

I will fight on Camden Military's Side for as long as i live. This is the BEST school for your child if he is like i was. And if your child is having trouble with school or studies CMA is not the place to go. But your child will learn life and leadership skills that no other can teach them. So i understand things happen that shouldn't. And im not disagreing with those who have an issue. But its not Camden thats the problem. Either your child doesn't belong there, He is instigating the fight, or he needs to stop doing the wrong things. And you hear from your child his story but ask this...If you ask all the cadets what happened will the story change? I bet my life it will. And one day I pray i can work At Camden for a job. Why? Because everyone deserves a chance to have what i got. So my final words are Camden Military is different for everyone but the goal is helping your child to better succeed in life and become a great leader and person. I'm former cadet Van Aken and i support CMA.

The truth is that the academy will never admit to their shortcomings. They will cash the check. I attended Camden Military Academy in the 90's and it was definately not a place I would send my kids. The place is a dump, the food was horrible, academics are sub-par (at best) and drugs were super easy to get. When the lights are suppose to go out and there are no adults around......take a guess what happens....anything. Spend your hard earned money on a better school, or take a pay cut to spend more time with your kid, but don't send them to Camden Military Academy.

This is Camden Military Academys official response to these anonymous postings.  Camden takes any and all reports of crime or misconduct very seriously and investigates them thoroughly.  You may read more about our program at our website, www.camdenmilitary.com.


First, Camden Military Academy welcomes all religions.  Currently, we have Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhists, and Jewish students enrolled at the academy who will gladly address any concerns regarding spirituality. All cadets are treated with respect and allowed to practice the religion of his choice.  


The academy has a strict policy regarding hazing.  According to the Parent Handbook,  There is no tradition of hazing at Camden Military Academy and we do not allow or sanction any students hitting, shoving, punching, or in any way physically, mentally, or emotionally mistreating another cadetthe result of hazing is dismissal from the academy.


Furthermore, Camden Military Academy does not tolerate drug use or possession, including over the counter medications, vitamins or dietary supplements.  The Cadet Handbook states that the use or possession of illegal drugs will result in dismissal from the academy.  


Per the Parent Handbook, the academy reserves the right to administer a drug test to any student. According to the policy, if a cadet tests positive, the cadet is immediately dismissed from the academy.   Furthermore any student with drugs in his possession faces the possibility of arrest.   

Camden takes drug use/experimentation very seriously.  Unfortunately, we acknowledge that the academy is not perfect and young men are dismissed every year for testing positive for drugs.  However, due to the academys structured environment and stringent policies, drug use among our cadets is extremely limited and lower than national norms.


A copy of the Parent Handbook is available at: http://camdenmilitary.com/student_parent_resources/.  For more information, please contact Camden Military Academy directly at 800-948-6291 or 803-432-6001.
 

I feel so sorry for you. My son attended Camden Military Academy and his life has been destroyed by it. He started smoking weed at Camden, he associated with really bad people. My son has been to rehab once, nothing has worked for him. He now has friends that have gone to prison, and one died. My suggestion is to get out of there. Even if you try to keep yourself above it all, you could suffer adverse consequences just through your association with terrible people. I suggest you talk openly with your parents, and ask them to transfer you to another school.  There are wonderful schools out there, that truly will care about you, care about your future and help you to have the future and opportunies you deserve.

Look< i go to school at cma. its my first year there. its so bad. if your kid is heading down the wrong path...Dont send him to CMA. it will just make him worse. for examples, weed is so easy to buy there. its actually easier to get it there than at home because you practically live with the people that seel it. dip is a huge product there. omg. its everywhere...this place teaches you so much new thing... how to get drunk off of listerene< how to make a bowl out of 1 pen and 1 pencil< how to get high off of mucinex. there an outstanding amount of fights and jumps. this year 5 ppl had a blanket party with our 1st serargant. a blanket party is when you run in a room with a group of people, turn off the lights and shut the dor. throw a blanket over someones head and beat the s**t out of him. the blanket is so he cant see your identity. the older kids will most likely rob your son whether it be at the bank, the barraks, etc. they will even steel something such as your ipod and then sell it to for about 50 dollars...and i no your thinking, " tell some such as the tac officer". but thats snitchin and if people no you snitched on someone.. well guess what>blanket party for you. the motto is snitches get stiches.your kid will be tempted every dayt to smoke.. no matter what it is< weed, cigs, and dip, mucinex, cough syrup, k2, spice...the list goes on and on. for my last thing im going to make a list of prices that everyone that goes to cma knows about;
pack of cigs-$20
can of dip-$10
1 gram of shitty weed-$20-$30
colt 45(malt liquor)-$25
7 mucinex 1200mg-$20

I must comment on this post as I could not disagree more. My son attends Camden right now as well and I too checked out several structured schools not because my son was heading down the "wrong path" but because of the caliber of education as well as the opportunity to develop relationships will a diverse group of young men from all over the world. The education at Camden willallow him college opportunities of his choice the reports show 95+% of graduates went to their 1st choice college. The top colleges are very competitive and this was an opportunity to elevate his education. I'm reading this post and the parent discusses the "mandatory church" yes, that is true but all parents are provided a list of local houses of worship for all denominations that your cadet may attend. Theyare very accommodating andprovide transportation to and from service. For the on-sitechurch services Iwitnessed services first hand and how the cadets responded.I found them to bevery engaged in the service as welloverhearing cadets afterward discussing the message withstaff. The service wascompletely non-denominational and provided a contemporary positive message that would be applicable to all religions. I also disagree that they allow anti-Semitism! I know from conversations with my son that cadets were sent home for such things. They are zero tolerance on racism, bullying, anti-semitism, tobacco use, drugs, etc. Your report that your son is there for being on the "wrong path" is one of my worries when I sent my son there. He was an honor roll student, volunteer,JROTC Marine Corpand we seen this as opportunity for him to excel even though he may have to overcome some of the "wrong path" disrespectful, excuse making, poor behavior etc.students that were there as well. It sounds to me like your son is using what he knows may push your buttons to get you to pull him and because the staff is not willing to participate with a meeting and feed into this...seriously.Oneparent to another your son is there because of excuses and bad behavior it soundslike you may be enabling this...