Weekly Column

Nebraska has a rich heritage of military service. Over the years, thousands of Nebraskans have answered the call and served our country heroically.

I am proud that many young Nebraskans want to continue this important tradition of service to our country. Each year, my staff and I review applications from high school students across Nebraska who are interested in attending one or more of the country’s five distinguished military academies. The five academies are the U.S. Military Academy (West Point, New York), the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, Maryland), the U.S. Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, Colorado), the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (New London, Connecticut), and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, New York). All of the military academies, except the Coast Guard Academy, require a nomination from a U.S. Senator or a member of the U.S. House of Representatives to accept a student’s application.

This year, I am honored to nominate 18 young men and women to one or more of the service academies for the Class of 2027. Each of these students has an excellent academic record, proven leadership skills, and a desire to serve our country. I am confident that they would be exemplary officers in the United States military.

As Nebraska’s senior senator, I have nominated hundreds of men and women to the service academies since 2013, many of whom were accepted and serve our country in incredible ways. My nomination is only the beginning of the journey for these outstanding candidates. Students also submit applications to the academies themselves, which will conduct a rigorous review of their credentials. The academies have high standards for acceptance to ensure they continue to produce quality military officers. It is my hope that the highly selective admissions staff at these schools recognize our young Nebraskans as some of the best and brightest in our country.

Students at the academies receive an education equal to our country’s most respected universities, coupled with training that molds America’s young people into tomorrow’s leaders. Eager men and women are transformed into informed, courageous officers, ready and able to serve. Academy graduates serve for a minimum of five years, after which some remain in military service and some move on to civilian leadership positions. The military training and classroom instruction provided to academy cadets and midshipmen shape their characters as officers and as civilians.

Reading the applications of our young leaders fills me with optimism for our state and our country at large. We are headed toward a bright future forged by these Nebraskans. It is my pleasure and privilege to nominate 18 exceptional young men and women to the five military academies this year. I know these students will represent both the United States and Nebraska with dignity during their service.

I hope to hear from more future leaders during the nomination process for next year. To learn more about the academies, visit their websites:

https://www.westpoint.edu/
https://www.usna.edu/
https://www.usafa.edu/
https://www.usmma.edu/
https://uscga.edu/

To apply for a nomination, please contact my Omaha office at (402) 391-3411 or email AcademyNom_Fischer@fischer.senate.gov.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.

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