Batavia's Congressman Holding Service Academy Information Session

Congressman Randy Hultgren, along with Congressman Peter Roskam, will hold a service academy information session on Saturday, April 22 in St. Charles. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the Little Theater at St. Charles East High School, 1020 Dunham Rd, St Charles.

Applicants to service academies must seek a nomination, usually from a congressional representative. Interested students should apply in their junior year of high school. Selections are evaluated on character, scholarship, leadership and physical aptitude.

Representatives from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy will present information about their academy and answer questions.

Cadets and midshipmen attending the military academies and the Coast Guard Academy receive free tuition, room and board, books, and a monthly stipend. Merchant Marine Academy attendees get free tuition, room and board, books, but they are responsible for some costs.

Graduates of the military academies are commissioned as officers in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. They are required to serve as the military's junior leaders and managers a minimum of five years on active duty.

“It is a distinct honor when our students are selected to our nation’s top service academies, and I’ve been thrilled a number of our community’s students have been chosen in past years,” Rep. Randy Hultgren said in a statement. “If a student desires to pursue this distinguished education and vocation, it is important they start the process early in their middle and high school careers.”

“This is an opportunity for students considering a career of military service to learn about the host of possibilities available to them,” Rep. Peter Roskam said in a statement. “Attending one of the five Service Academies following high school graduation is a prestigious commitment of service and sacrifice to our country."

Map showing where the event will be held, powered by Google.

Photo: R-Day 2010 A new cadet receives a lesson from Firstie Matthew Kuwamoto on how to render a proper hand salute to an officer as nearly 1,380 new cadets experienced Reception Day on June 28, 2010 at West Point, N.Y. Photo by Mike Strasser, West Point Public Affairs via Flickr (https://creativecommons.org/li...)