Christ, you want to write military space SF, and haven't read the most important novel in the field since Starship Troopers? You say you don't like the military SF out there but it appears you haven't read any! The orbital academy in the story is called "Battleschool".
From wiki:
[/quote]The U.S. Marine Corps Professional Reading List makes the novel recommended reading at several lower ranks, and again at Officer Candidate/Midshipman.[20] The book was placed on the reading list by Captain John F. Schmitt, author of FMFM-1 (Fleet Marine Fighting Manual, on maneuver doctrine) for "provid[ing] useful allegories to explain why militaries do what they do in a particularly effective shorthand way."[21] In introducing the novel for use in leadership training, Marine Corps University's Lejeune program opines that it offers "lessons in training methodology, leadership, and ethics as well ... Ender's Game has been a stalwart item on the Marine Corps Reading List since its inception."[21]
