Service academy appointees honored by congressman

Being admitted to a military service academy is a rare honor. Even rarer is being congratulated on that accomplishment by a war hero. For 19 local service academy appointees, both happened. On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson, a Vietnam and Korean War veteran, held a private event honoring his local service academy appointees.

The congressman, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 29 years and represents the 3rd District of Texas, located in Collin County, met with the appointees and their families at the event. Johnson personally nominated each appointee after a candidate selection board comprised of nine service academy graduates reviewed their applications.

During the Vietnam War, Johnson was a prisoner of war after his plane was shot down in North Vietnam. He was held in a Hanoi prison for seven years; he spent more than 42 months of that time in solitary confinement. At the ceremony, Johnson spoke of his career and what it takes to serve in the military.

"As a military man myself, I know what lies ahead of you," Johnson said. "And I know each one of you here will make a fine officer in the United States military ... As a part of your job you'll sometimes lead men and women much older than you are. As a part of your job you'll take men and women into battle."

Appointees will attend one of four service academies -- the United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, United States Air Force Academy or United States Merchant Marine Academy -- and enter service as an officer upon graduation. A fifth service academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy, does not require a congressional nomination.

Johnson submitted 40 nominations to the service academies. Of those 40 nominations, 20 were awarded appointments and 19 accepted those appointments. Each member of Congress is only guaranteed one appointment to each service academy.

"The fact that you've got to this step in the process to your academy career demonstrates to me that you have what it takes to excel," Johnson told the service academy appointees and their families. "And those traits include sacrifice, discipline, initiative, and diligence."

Military service isn't the only commitment service academy appointees will be making -- they'll also be committing to each academy's strenuous academic standards. Austin Kong, a West Point appointee from Allen, looks forward to the receiving a world-class education.

"Until my sophomore year in high school, I didn't know much about West Point," Kong said. "I was never really interested because I thought it was solely a military training college. One day I picked up Forbes magazine and noticed it was ranked the No. 1 college. That's when I really started learning what it's all about -- not just the military, but the education, camaraderie, everything."

Kong also noted the uniqueness of attending college as a group instead of an individual.

"What I liked about the academy was the fact that it's a collective goal school," said Kong, who plans on becoming an electrical engineer. "At other colleges, everyone's working for themselves, but at West Point we're all working to serve our country and lead our soldiers."

Another Allen resident, Kamron Murrell, will attend the Naval Academy. Murrell credits his father as a source of inspiration for his decision.

"My father attended the Air Force Academy, which kind of dropped the idea in my head -- it really took off from there," Murrell said. "Then, my senior year of high school, two liaison officers from the Naval Academy came to my house and really influenced me to pursue it if that's what I wanted to do, which reinforced my commitment."

The fact that his father attended the Air Force Academy hasn't caused a friendly family competition yet, Murrell said.

"He's just proud of me nonetheless," he said. "He wants me to do what I want to do. Once he found out what this is what I wanted to do, he supported me 100 percent."

Allie Baumgarten of Plano attended the Air Force Academy Preparatory School in advance of her appointment to the Air Force Academy -- something she said will ease her transition to the Air Force Academy as her family had no prior military experience to learn from.

At the Air Force Academy she'll be a member of the women's soccer team. During her sophomore year of high school, she started receiving interest from the service academy.

"I'd been talking to them since my sophomore year and had never really considered it before, and once I was looking into it and went up for my official visit, that's when I was kind of like, 'this is what I want to do,'" she said. "I got to walk around with a freshman [cadet], and it was the best experience ever."

Baumgarten hopes to go into public affairs in the Air Force, as she enjoys communicating with others. She also plans on majoring in behavioral science to become a psychiatrist or counselor later in life.

Johnson recommended appointees be proud of the accomplishment of being admitted to the academies, but to prepare for the road ahead.

"Clearly any one of you stood out among the crowd of literally tens of thousands of applicants," he said. "You ought to be proud and know that this is going to be the start of a journey I wish you well on."

Rep. Sam Johnson's class of 2016 service academy appointees

United States Military Academy at West Point, New York

Cody Guerry -- Garland, Texas Naaman Forest High School

Austin Kong -- Allen, Texas -- Allen High School

Shannon Rogers -- Plano, Texas -- Plano Senior High School

United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland

William Allred -- Richardson, Texas -- Plano East Senior High School

Travis Beach -- Garland, Texas -- Trinity Christian Academy

Nicholas Cerf -- McKinney, Texas -- Liberty High School

Mitchell Larios -- Frisco, Texas -- Frisco High School

Kamron Murrell -- Allen, Texas -- Allen High School

United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado

Allie Baumgarten -- Plano, Texas -- Plano Senior High School

Constance Gabel -- Plano, Texas -- Canyon Creek Christian Academy

Cameron Kistler -- Plano, Texas -- Plano Senior High School

Joseph Lamb -- Plano, Texas -- Plano East Senior High School

Melissa Leonhardt -- Plano, Texas -- Plano Senior High School

*Adam Ayelle Melaku -- Garland, Texas -- Garland High School

Andrew Parks -- McKinney, Texas -- Austin Tennis Academy College Preparatory School

Adam Wilkins -- McKinney, Texas -- McKinney North High School

United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York

Colin Carr -- Plano, Texas -- Plano West Senior High School

Kinser Newkirk -- Plano, Texas -- Prince of Peace Christian School

Jack Westrich -- McKinney, Texas -- McKinney Boyd High School

*Adam Melaku will attend the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School.

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