As your representative in Congress, I meet with residents of the 3rd District on a daily basis, vote on bills on the House floor, and attend Financial Services and Small Business committee hearings. That's just a small sample of what I do in the House of Representatives. One facet of this job is not only inspiring, but also something that many people don't know about: nominating exceptional young people from our district to our nation's armed service academies.
I work closely with our district's Military Academy Advisory Board, made up of academy graduates, veterans, parents and community leaders in this process, and since 2009, the board has nominated 88 of the brightest and hardest-working individuals. Before these individuals are nominated, the panel first conducts face-to-face interviews with these young folks who wish to serve their country as commissioned officers.
The four armed service academies are West Point in New York (U.S. Army), the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland (U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps), the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado (U.S. Air Force), and the Merchant Marine Academy in New York (U.S. Merchant Marine). The U.S. Coast Guard does not require congressional nominations.
The application process for the class of 2020 has officially opened and it is my privilege to invite the young individuals to learn about the admissions process at the academies. The nomination process includes a formal application and applicant interviews with the 3rd District Military Academy Advisory Board. The board then makes recommendations as to which outstanding students should receive nominations, based on the criteria established by the service academies. Once a nomination is received, an applicant still must be accepted for admission by an academy in order to enroll.
For those selected from the extremely competitive field of qualified students nationwide, they are in for an incredibly positive life experience.
The level of candidates for academy nominations seems to get more impressive each year. There are many tough decisions to make by the Military Academy Advisory Board to make final recommendations. I would like to thank each person on the panel for dedicating your time and helping me decide on a final nominating list and I would like to recognize them: Washington Missourian Publisher Bill Miller Sr.; Sheldon Hartsfield, a safety director and retired military; Adam Gresham, a state employee and U.S. Naval Academy graduate; Matt West, on-air host at KJFF radio in Festus; and Julie Boeckmann, a communications specialist at the Missouri Department of Education.
More information about the academy nomination process can be found on my website and my office will continue to reach out to schools to inform students about the nominating process. I look forward to getting another opportunity to meet these young people in person as they seek the honor of attending one of our military academies and serving a very grateful nation.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., represents the state's 3rd District, which includes Jefferson City. His local office can be reached at 573-635-7232.