Autobot Academy

The Autobot Academy is an institution where Autobots are schooled in military tactics and combat. It trains its students to become officers, a significant number eventually being accepted into the Elite Guard. It has quite a reputation amongst Autobot graduates of less prestigious training programs such as Autobot boot camp.

Animated cartoon
Optimus and Sentinel accidentally left their classmate Elita-1 behind on a hostile planet. Apparently, the buddy system doesn't work well in the Academy. This experience led her to pursue other career choices. Sentinel, having developed a violent hatred for Optimus, allowed his comrade to take the blame, and Optimus was expelled from the Academy. However, Ultra Magnus still promoted Optimus to the rank of Prime and gave him his own vessel and crew of Autobots.

Optimus revealed a wide range of combat maneuvers to his fellow Autobots during an accident on an asteroid. After they inquired where he learned these mad skillz, Optimus stated that he trained at the Academy. When asked why he left, he maintained a stoic silence.

Optimus would later bring up Sentinel letting him take the fall for the Elita-1 incident when Sentinel was in a pickle. Optimus also had flashbacks to his expulsion from the Academy when the threat of an assault from Megatron loomed over Detroit once again, causing him to have doubts in his leadership abilities.