U.S. Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) today asked high school students in the 9^th Congressional District to consider attending the nation’s military academies in order to serve our country.

“There are many young men and women throughout the 9^th District who would make great leaders in our country’s armed forces, and I invite them to learn about the admissions process at the academies because of the strong college learning experience and the opportunity to serve our country,” Luetkemeyer said. “For those selected from the extremely competitive field of qualified students from across the country, they are in for a very positive life-changing experience.”

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 acceptance process includes a formal application to a panel of community volunteers from the district selected by Luetkemeyer; applicant interviews; and formal applicant nominations to the academies of their choice. Nominations are forwarded to the respective academies which notify students if they have been accepted. 

Students can contact Jenni Riegel in Luetkemeyer’s Washington, Mo., office for information about the academy nomination process. Riegel can be contacted at (636) 239-2276. A packet of information including various deadlines and a formal application will be sent to interested students and must be returned to Riegel no later than October 30, 2009 for Fall, 2010 consideration.