The Academy on the Art of Espionage

The Academy on the Art of Espionage, otherwise known as The Academy, is the training facility of the EPF.

PSA History (2007 - 2010)
When the PSA was established, agents were initially trained in various military bases in the USA. Before, the bases did not have a hard time in training these new cadets, as they were still very few and trainable. After some time, though, they began to have difficulty balancing between PSA agents and USA army cadets. Given the conditions, most PSA agents winded up with the brawn that can match that of a USA soldier. Although it was useful, many of the agents lacked the desirable academic prowess to successfully execute missions. Also, given that they were from various bases, the agents were trained in various ways. This has lead to a conflict on which base created the best PSA agents, and which made the worst. With the lack of standard training and uncoordinated training methods, there was an appeal to create a special academy for the PSA.

A team of PSA agents lead by G were in search of potential locations for the said academy. Eventually, a medium-sized island was found off the coast of CP Island. After extensive evaluation and negotiation, the island was given to the PSA by the USA government. Construction began almost immediately, spearheaded by Rory and his team of construction workers. The main campus and other major facilities were completed by August 2007, and classes began the month after. A team of retired militants and seasoned PSA agents were the initial faculty of the Academy. The PSA saw an increase in able-minded agents, with a balanced mix of academic and military prowess.

A year after, secret facilities began to be constructed to train EPF elitists. These facilities were typically underground, deep in the forests of Academy Island. A separate curriculum and set of faculty was created for the higher order of agents, but had a similar uniform to that of regular Academy cadets. They had a reportedly higher standard, with stricter training and a higher drop-out rate. The Academy also created a student exchange program, letting its cadets be transferred to other facilities within the intelligence community.

EPF History (2010 - current)
Following the dissolution of the PSA, the transition process was rather difficult for the AAE. The secret facilities of the EPF were made known to regular Academy cadets, and a series of changes were put in order to accommodate the new agency's demands in agent standards. A high percentage of PSA agents were sent back to undergo a crash course that lasted two weeks to be up for par within the EPF, and Academy cadets had to suffer through training intensifications. The Academy saw a drop in graduates as most winded up either quitting or deemed ineligible. More buildings were designed and constructed per orders of The Director, and older buildings had undergone renovation and technological upgrades. By 2011, the Academy had fully transitioned to accommodate the higher standards the EPF has for its agents.

Slowly, the Academy's graduate statistics returned to pre-EPF levels, as the institution got accustomed to the high standards the EPF has for cadet output. While most of the former PSA's education system was retained, the standards of this system as well as additional components were added to further enhance training. There were new subjects that were introduced into the curriculum, and many of the original subjects were given new names. An increase of faculty was also seen, and the uniforms were changed to the proposed designs of the EPF. During this time, two new programs were introduced into the cadet admission, that being the Eir Program and the Heracles Program. This influenced the composition of the cadet body and eventually created a new variety of EPF agents.

By 2014, the EPF saw a need to create a specialized course for its three specialist divisions. It was reportedly due to the fact that these specialist divisions demanded a certain type of skill set required to successfully perform missions. The Specialist Courses were eventually created with the specialist divisions' principles in mind, and is considered separate from the regular training of the Academy.

Currently, the Academy is successful in creating proficient EPF agents, with little to no changes in its curriculum or facilities.

Campus

 * Main Building - where the conference rooms for EPF agents-professors are, complete with a helipad on the rooftop.
 * Left Wing - where the classrooms of students from the second semester are.
 * Right Wing - where the classrooms of students from the first semester are.
 * The Bay - where the speedboats of the EPF are stationed for either island evacuation or water-related training.
 * The Canteen - where the professors and students eat.
 * Igloo of Horrors - deep within the forest, the Igloo of Horrors is where close close-quarters-battle drills are held.
 * The Forest - where survival drills are held.
 * Dormitories - northeast of the main building, the dormitories are where the recruits and professors sleep.
 * Medical Bay - both medical treatment during drills and first-aid lessons are handled here.
 * The Auditorium - where both general assemblies and sports lessons are being held.
 * Garage - it's where all the snowmobiles, cars and motorcycles are stored when not in use.
 * EPF Airport - it's not commercial planes that land here, military planes that bring recruits, agents and militants land here.

Curriculum
The curriculum of the students within the AAE can be divided into two: Academics and Military. Given that the EPF sometimes step up to the task of helping other countries protect itself, it became logical to offer military training to its students. It takes a total of 10 months to complete training within the Academy, class days being from Monday to Saturday with Sunday as their rest day. The academy also observes holidays and provide furloughs during times of celebration.

Core Subjects

 * History (Evan Isolive)
 * Foreign Language (Tori Olivia)

Electives

 * Infiltration (Ben Hilton)
 * Undercover Work (Dot)
 * Forgery (Tony Divelo)
 * Persuasion (Tatanya Radova)
 * Navigation (Rockhopper)
 * Self-Defense (JPG and Sensei)
 * Marksmanship (Jason Crash)
 * Explosives (Piri)
 * Survival (Tang)
 * VIP Protection (Christopher Abrenica)

Military
All recruits in the Academy on the Art of Espionage have to undergo 12 weeks of boot camp, in which they are "broken in" by drill officers. During boot camp, recruits are put through their paces by means of physical exercises, often having to wake up at the crack of dawn and go to bed long past midnight.

Specialist Courses
The specialist courses were recently made mainly to cater to the demands of the specialist divisions of the EPF. Fashioned by the heads of the specialist divisions, they are considered independent courses that cannot be juggled with the main course of the AAE. It has a specified set of classes per course, a hybrid of Academics and Military put together to meet the demands of the specialist divisions. Most of the students in these courses are already employed EPF agents, but a few are Academy recruits who have been nominated to take the courses. It takes approximately 6 months to complete a course.


 * Anti-Terrorism
 * Special Groups
 * Weaponry Development

Admission
Admission to the Academy is rather strict. A majority of its cadets were recruited by current EPF agents, or referred to the institution by the cadet's local government. Many of its cadets ar

Special Programs
There are 3 major recruit programs that are prevalent in the Academy. These programs tend to affect the number and kind of classes of those who are within it, and are specified per program.

The Eir Program was created during the transitionary times of the Academy. Its main goal is to train individuals who possess medical backgrounds and desire to utilize said backgrounds in their career as EPF agents. Many PSA agents who had medical backgrounds were sent back to the Academy after the establishment of this program to undergo the necessary training to make them efficient medical personnel. Currently, the Eir Program has specific requirements when it comes to evaluating its applicants.
 * Eir Program

The Heracles Program was created during the transitionary times of the Academy. It targets to recruit those in secondary school who exhibit potential to becoming EPF agents.
 * Heracles Program

The Student Exchange Program is the first program during the whole time of the Academy. Its sole purpose is to expose interested cadets to the other methods of other intelligence agencies, as well as accommodate interested recruits of other intelligence agencies.
 * Student Exchange Program

Notable Alumnus

 * Agent Convoar
 * Agent Jason Crash
 * General Rogue Tvarkov
 * you can add your character here!

Trivia

 * No one really knows how the boot camp routine was created, but allegedly it is said to be patterned to the USA Marines boot camp routine.
 * The AAE is loosely based on West Point and the ILEA.
 * Although a large percentage of its graduates become EPF agents, there are a few who enter other intelligence agencies or law enforcement organizations.
 * All graduates of the Academy have a Bachelor of Sciences degree.