 In 1916 with the passage of the “National Defense Act of 1916” the Junior Reserve Officer Training Program (JROTC) was established and AMA became the first secondary school in the state of Virginia to officially include this program into its curriculum in 1921.This opened the door to Federal logistical support for the military program but in reality, had little effect on the school's operating principles - military instilled discipline was still a pivotal principle of the school's academic and athletic programs.The early 20th century were years of expansion both in enrollment and physical presence and A.M.A.