Posted on 01/26/2017 5:57:08 AM PST by AC Beach Patrol
During my Plebe Summer at the Naval Academy, it was framed somewhat differently ...
"Here at Annapolis, we're getting free tuition worth $20,000 per year ... shoved one nickel after another up our @$$."
Last year, our kid’s school had a graduate get three appointments. He decided to go Air Force.
Technically - it would be more correct to say that this individual RECEIVED FOUR OFFERS OF APPOINTMENT - one to each of the 4 service academies.
The OFFER of APPOINTMENT is NOT ‘effective’ unless the offer is accepted. He can’t accept 4 appointments, only 1. So - he will be appointed to 1 service academy....West Point appears to be his first choice.
A better title would be “VA Teen offered Appointments to all 4 US Military Academies.”
Doesn’t this require a congressional appointment? So did the Congressman appoint him for all four academies?
Not always.
I went to a military academy high school in the mid-60’s. It was designated an ‘honor’ academy because it had a full-time active US Army staff teaching the ROTC part. (A Captain, a Master Sgt., 2 Staff Sgts., and 3 bar Sgt.)
As a result, the staff could nominate a cadet to each of the four academies just like a congressman could. I was the nominee to the Air Force Academy, but only wanted to go if I could fly. But I didn’t make the vision cut, so I didn’t go.
In 2004 (the year my son accepted an appointment to USNA) - the stated ‘value’ of the ‘scholarship’ (and it really isn’t a ‘scholarship’) was $400,000.
As a Blue and Gold Officer for USNA, I tell candidates that I interview for their application to USNA that the typical ‘regular’ scholarship comes with no follow-on obligation, but Service Academies and ROTC ‘scholarships’ have a follow-on obligation to serve in the military, hence it is something that is earned both in the past (for having a good record worthy of being selected), and will be paid for in the future...usually for a minimum of 5 years service.
An appointment to Annapolis was something that I had worked for since I started 7th grade. It was a great feeling just being there, for all of the blood, sweat, and tears that the whole experience involved.
To get to a service academy (the big 3 - USNA, West Point, USAFA, plus the Merchant Marine Academy) a candidate must be mentally and physically qualified and have a nomination. At present, each big service academy (this excludes Merch.Marine Academy) will have an incoming class size of around 1200. (May be dropping to 1100...)
There are a variety of ways to get a nomination. Each Congressman and Senator can have 5 ‘nominees’ in each service academy at any one time. This means that each year, they typically get 1 person selected to each academy; maybe every 4th year - they get 2. (They get 2 if someone drops out). Figure 535 x 1.25 = 670 selected each year from Congressional/Senator nominations.
Candidates who have a parent who is still serving or is retired (for Reserves - they need about 2800 points total) - is eligible for a “Presidential Nomination” - and each service academy deals with those nomination (White House doesn’t get involved.) 100 Presidential Nominations are selected for each entering class.
Then they allow about 150 to 200 selections from enlisted selections; some are direct from the enlisted ranks, while some of the selected enlisted go to 1 year of the service academy Prep School. (And some candidates in High School might not go directly to a service academy, but are offered the Prep School - they enlist in the Reserves and do their year; if they do well academically and all around, they are guaranteed entrance to the service academy at completion.)
The final numbers to bring the class up to the authorized size comes from a “National Board” slating, where every person who received a nomination from a Senator or Congressman is reviewed, and the top ones are selected.
NOTE: Each Senator or Congressman can submit a list of 10...and the 10 can be ranked 1 through 10, or totally unranked...or some ranked and the rest unranked. The service academy MUST pick at least 1 from the list and is ‘charged’ to the Senator/Cong’man’s allotment of 5. BUT - the national slating board is more of a ‘free-for-all’.
It is a bit convoluted...but the goal is diversity - bringing candidates from all across the nation, from parents who might be wealthy or poor, from all work backgrounds. It is an interesting process.
[BTW - the 2nd small academy - the Coast Guard - does not require nominations. It is handled within the Coast Guard academy.]
No, that's the father of James Suh, Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan.
So when was it? 1950’s?? [ VBG ;^) ]
I recall during a BGO briefing where someone had figured out the total operating cost of each academy for a 4 year period, plus the stipends paid to cadets or midshipmen ....divide by number of cadets/midshipmen to get the cost per cadet/midshipman. In 2008, it was about $420K for USNA, $435K for USMA, and $460K for USAFA. Of course, the questions were around about the differences...and we all agreed that USAFA was more expensive because of all the golf courses that were maintained there.
Nooooo, no quite that long ago ...
But it was long enough ago [Class of '76], that my memory may be playing games with me. It may very well have been "$200,000" and not "$20,000" ...
...but that still is sure a lot of nickels ...
Okay...you got commissioned 1 year after I was commissioned. I served in Submarines - and my ‘running mates’ were USNA Class of 1975...and I recall them saying something similar about a $150K scholarship, but it was quarters shoved up their butts...not nickels.
Grand slam: Fairfax teen admitted to four military academies
The course load is going to be a bear....
He could go to a real college instead and commission through ROTC, more girls are available that way.
(Full disclosure: prior service and Army ROTC grad myself)
From the article you posted, it appears that he definitely is eligible for a Presidential Nomination (based on his father serving in the US Army). No telling whether he got nominations from his Congress Critter or either Senator from his state.
BUT- strong candidates with multiple nomination sources have a higher likelihood of getting an offer of an appointment.
I have seen candidates with similar performance records; I am a member of our Congressman’s Service Academy Panel that meets, reviews records, interviews candidates, and then recommends to the Congressman who should and should not get a nomination, and, if ranking is desired, what ranking assignments should be given. It is wonderful to see the many high quality high school students who are seeking to go to a service academy and serve our country. Gives me hope.
Tough decision!
When I think of the great military figures, they always seem to have been West Point or VMI guys. Heck even the greatest Marine general, Chesty Puller, didn't go to Annapolis but to VMI (and funny enough is originally a West Point guy-- b/c he was born in West Point, VA). But I think that's all changing and more and more top generals are coming out of traditional colleges while the service academy grads are aiming for lucrative private sector careers.
Most of the time but not always. In 1977 my Congressman only had one selection. I got it to the Naval Academy but wanted Air Force.
Didn’t matter, didn’t get in.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.