from Staff
U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw has nominated 26 local students for appointments to United States service academies.
Members of Crenshaw’s Military Academy Selection Committee, individuals who have graduated from academies or served in the military, interviewed the students and selected the nominees. Service academies will offer appointments from a nationwide list of nominees from members of Congress. Final appointments are determined by the individual academies, and those appointments will be made within the next few months.
Crenshaw said he was impressed with the students up for military academy appointments in his Congressional district.
“This year’s academy applicants consisted of an exceptionally gifted pool of young men and women, making this decision extraordinarily difficult,” said Crenshaw. “While each and every one had the benefit of an impressive list of accomplishments, these 26 individuals proved their abilities to be above all the rest.”
The interviews took place in Tallahassee in November with 40 applicants. Dan McCarthy, the City’s director of military affairs, interviewed 30 students whom U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez will consider for nominations. After the interviews, McCarthy — who graduated from the Naval Academy and retired from the Navy after 30 years — said he, too, was impressed with the students who applied for military appointments.
“These were fantastic kids,” he said shortly after the interviews.
David Taft of Crenshaw’s office said the 26 nominees are an average number for any given year.
This year’s nominees are:
United States Naval Academy
Hamilton C. Bennett, the Bolles School; Daniel P. Calhoun, University Christian; Joshua D. Ciocco, Wolfson High; Andrejs Fraifelds, Ribault High; Michael A. Guibas, Paxon School for Advanced Studies; Christopher R. Infante, Bishop Kenny High; Timothy H. Melton, First Coast High; Christopher G. Memminger, Paxon; Christopher W. O’Connell, O’Connell Home School; Patrick M. Orman, Bolles; Kristin R. Otterson; Episcopal High; Tyler Terronez, Naples American High School; Zachary A. Vargo, Bishop Kenny; Robin L. Wegele, First Coast High; Christopher J. Zumbar, Fernandina Beach High; and Hunter R. Briley, Fernandina Beach High (Presidential appointment).
United States Air Force Academy
David G. Baccash; Fletcher High; Aaron H. Cho, Stanton College Prep; Yunior I. Cruz, Englewood High; Rocque S. Gartland, Terry Parker High; Matthew J. Luman, Fernandina Beach High; Jared P. Mathis, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Taylor A. Morgan, Bolles.
United States Military Academy (West Point)
Joshua L. Green, Episcopal High and Michael L. Williams, Fort White High.
United States Merchant Marine Academy
James A. Sanwald, Stanton College Prep