Students Can Learn About the Military at Special Academy This Weekend

Iowa Congressman Tom Latham is hosting the Academy Day open house for students and their families. It will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Iowa National Guard Gold Star Museum, 7105 N.W. 70th Ave. in Johnston.

Representatives of the military academies will be at the open house and those who attend may ask questions about the programs and institutions.

The United States Military Academies are among the most competitive and distinguished undergraduate universities in the country. Those who are accepted are awarded a first-class education through a full four-year scholarship and graduate as commissioned officers in the United States Armed Services.

There are five military service academies: the U.S. Military Academy (Army) in West Point, N.Y.; the U.S. Naval Academy (Navy/Marine Corps) in Annapolis, Md.; the U.S. Air Force Academy (Air Force) in Colorado Springs, Colo.; the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (Coast Guard) in New London, Conn.; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

“The U.S. military academies are unparalleled in their combination of academics and integrity, and they consistently turn out some of our nation’s best young leaders and people of high character,” Latham said.

Prospective students must receive congressional nominations to attend any of the academies except the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, to which appointments are made on the basis of an annual nationwide competition.

To RSVP, contact Ben Hammes with Latham’s East Constituent Services office in Des Moines at 282-1909 orben.hammes@mail.house.gov.

Students who wish to attend a service academy as a freshman in 2014 must turn in an application to Latham’s office by Oct. 1. Applications are available at:http://latham.house.gov/constituentservices/serviceacademynominations