By: Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson
The men and women who serve our country as members of our military forces are led by some of the most highly trained individuals in the world. These leaders are prepared for their tasks and trained to be commissioned officers at America’s five service academies which include the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
The Academies admit students with superior academic records who have demonstrated high moral and leadership skills while high school students. The educational training that they receive is equal to, or surpasses that received at any academic institution in the world, including this country’s Ivy League schools.
Graduates of the service academies receive an education valued at approximately $400,000. The starting salary for their first job is approximately $69,000 and they are highly sought by some of the world’s leading employers.
As a member of Congress I am honored to nominate students who reside in the 30th Congressional District to attend the service academies. A selection review board, headed by former graduates of the academies, recommends the students that are nominated.
District Thirty students who have been selected to attend the service academies in the fall of his year include Mariqua Elizabeth Chans, who will attend the U.S. Military Academy; Gregory Preston Gorman Jr., who will attend the U.S Naval Academy; Adonis Robert Smith, who will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy; Garrett Ryan Smith, who will attend the U.S. Naval Academy and Christian Taylor Dickens, who will attend the US. Military Academy Preparatory School.
About two hundred Dallas area high school students and their parents recently attended the 21st Annual Academy Day educational workshop at Duncanville Senior High School. All of the students, 9th, 10th and 11th graders attended the event to hear from representatives from the nation’s service academies. I urge students in our district to apply.
I believe that those chosen from our district will make tremendous contributions to the academies and insurmountable contributions to our nation’s military branches once they are graduated. We should all be very proud of those who have been selected, and grateful for their willingness to serve our country.
