Service Academy Nominations

The 5-Pointed Star: The U.S. Services Academies:
Part 1:  https://youtu.be/N0YY7rsDqKw   17 min
Part 2:  https://youtu.be/m5kZAtUaHQM   7 min

Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DODMERB) Briefing by
Larry Mullen, Deputy Chief, DODMERB:
https://youtu.be/ckhfCblNGIw   11 min

Thank you for your interest in the nation’s military service academies. As the Tennessee Valley’s congressman, each year I have the privilege of nominating a limited number of candidates to four of the five service academies. Your decision to compete for an appointment to one of these institutions speaks to your high moral character and your selfless desire to serve your country. The honor of attending a service academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation.

The President of the United States officially makes all appointments to the United States service academies. However, each member of Congress is allotted a limited number of nominations, which they may submit for consideration of an appointment (by the academy) to fill the vacancies at each academy. Because of limited number of nominations, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply to all three of their congressional sponsors (U.S. Congressman Brooks, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby and U.S. Senator Doug Jones).

Because making academy nominations is one of the most important responsibilities I have as your representative in the U.S. Congress, I have assembled a Service Academy Nomination Advisory Board tasked with reviewing all completed nomination packets and interviewing each candidate. The board will review each application carefully and take many factors into consideration as they provide recommendations to me on the nominations. This well-qualified, non-partisan board will ensure a fair and impartial process and is comprised of service academy graduates, retired military and community leaders from Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District.

To assist with this process, I ask candidates to submit a nomination application packet that documents their academic, civic, and athletic abilities, as well as their commitment to military service. The completed nomination application packet must be received in my Huntsville district office no later than 5:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, October 29, 2020.

Each candidate seeking a nomination from my office must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Candidates must be at least 17 years old, but not yet 23 years of age to the Military, Naval or Air Force academies and not yet 25 years of age for the Merchant Marine Academy.
• Candidates must be a U.S. citizen and reside within the boundaries of the 5th Congressional District of Alabama.
• Candidates must be unmarried, not pregnant, and without legal obligation to support children or other dependents.
• Candidates must meet the medical, physical, and academic requirements of the Academy, in addition to possess good moral character.

A complete file consists of the following items:

• Congressional Nomination Application
• Official high school and, if applicable, college transcripts
• American College Testing Program (ACT) results and/or College Board Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) results
• Résumé (one page only)
• Essay Questions (one page only)
• Three (3) completed Personal Recommendation Forms completed by adult non-family members (i.e. teacher, counselor, employer, coach, clergy, scoutmaster)
• Current wallet-size photo

The application period for the Class of 2025 is now open. Please click here to access the application.

For more information about the nominations process, please review my Congressional Nominations packet or my list of Frequently Asked Questions for those seeking a Military Academy Nomination. You can also contact my Service Academy Liaison Sandy Garvey in my Huntsville district office at (256) 551-0190 or sandy.garvey@mail.house.gov. Best wishes as you pursue your goal of attending one of the U.S. Service Academies and serving our country!