Military Resources
Veteran and Military Families
The Math and Science Academy of Apex (TMSA Apex) is a place that supports military-connected students and their families.
North Carolina is a member of
The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3).
North Carolina was one of the first 11 states to adopt the Interstate Compact, placing it into statute in August 2008.
The MIC3 provides assistance in transitioning students and ensures consistency for military-affiliated students
as they transfer between school districts and member states. For information regarding the MIC3 Family Guide
for Families and Schools,
click here.
The average military family can move 6-9 times from Kindergarten to grade 12. North Carolina has the 4th largest
military presence in the United States and is home to over 52,000 school-age military-connected students.
In the 2023-2024 school year, there were 5,654 students identified as military-connected in Wake County.
Military Flag
TMSA Apex has implemented a team consisting of school administrators, school counselors, lead staff members,
executive directors, and military-connected family members to provide support to our military-connected
students as they transition to a new school. At TMSA Apex, all students are given opportunities to practice their
leadership skills and reach new academic achievements.
TMSA Apex values all of our amazing military-connected children and families. As a school, we understand that
military youth go through unique circumstances and situations, and we want every military family to know we are
here to support them.
This page is designed to provide families with easy access to helpful resources. In addition, the staff in our school
have experience in assisting military youth and their families, as we have conducted and shared various
informational resources about how to best support military-connected children. We are also proud to have staff
members who have direct ties to the military.
- April – Month of the Military Child - Celebrating our military-connected children through various “Purple-Up” school-wide events and spirit days.
- Special counseling support by the school counselor for students affected by active-duty parent military obligations (deployment, TDY).
- Educational options and flexibility for students whose attendance is affected by military obligations such as deployments, TDY, and upcoming PCS.
- Specialized website postings/links for additional resources for military students and families.
Helpful Links
Military Ranks
Understanding military ranks can be tricky, especially when it comes to knowing the military ranks in order.
Some of the military services – the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps – have their own enlisted military rank structures;
the Coast Guard and Navy generally mirror each other; and, as of late 2020, the Space Force relies on the Air Force rank system.
A service member’s military rank doesn’t just determine their level of responsibility, but also their pay. That’s why
each service’s ranks are tied to paygrades in an "enlisted," "warrant officer," and "officer" number system, written
as the letters "E," "W," "O," and a number.
These military ranks are displayed on service member uniforms through a series of symbols, such as chevrons, stripes,
stars, and bars.
What Are The Military Ranks?
To learn the military ranks, you need to know what each service specifically calls the E and O levels, their
abbreviations, and how they look in the symbols, also known as insignias.
The rank symbols can vary broadly for enlisted troops, with the Marine Corps and Army having many commonalities,
and the Coast Guard and Navy again mirroring each other. Military rank is more than just who salutes whom. Military
rank is a badge of leadership.