In the News

By Allie Robinson
January 23, 2012
Hyperlink

A handful of local high school seniors got the official nod earlier this week as they were nominated for military service academies.

Colston Polly, of Big Stone Gap, Va., and Charles Long, of Abingdon, Va., were both nominated by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Robert Martin, of Tazewell, Va., was nominated to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and Autumn Richards, of Gate City, Va., was nominated to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

“I opened the letter and when I read, ‘I am pleased to announce,’ I jumped about three feet off the ground,” Polly said of when he first learned he had been selected as a nominee. “It is like 50 pounds of burden is lifted off your shoulders.”

Richards said it was a relief knowing she made it through the interview with Griffith’s Service Academy Nomination Board.

“I’m ready to move on to the next step,” she said.

And, said board member Joe Straten, a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, the interview process wasn’t easy.

“It’s an extremely competitive process,” he said. “They only have so many slots.”

The board reviewed about 14 students who applied for nomination, Straten said.

“Each of us had the opportunity to review their resumes and essays,” he said. “We asked them questions – about their character, family life and why they desire a military career. Then we discussed among ourselves and made a list of ranking.”

 A nomination from a congressman is preferred for students applying to military academies, he said. Board members consulted with Griffith and he made the recommendation.

“It is my honor and privilege to nominate these young men and women to attend a United States service academy,” Griffith said in a written statement. “Southwest Virginia has a rich tradition of military service. I commend the willingness of these nominees to serve our country as the next generation of military leaders as well as their desire to receive a superior education at one of the academies.”

Polly said he felt a calling to apply for the naval academy while he worked as a U.S. Senate page last summer.

“I felt a patriotic pull with all the events like bin Laden’s assassination,” he said. “It also feels right in my soul.”

He said he plans to pursue a major in chemistry or physics and potentially become a nuclear submariner.

Richards said she hopes to join the Air Force to get out and see the world.

“Out there in Colorado Springs with the Air Force, I would be able to experience many amazing things I would never get to experience here if I settled for a college or career here,” she said. “There are so many opportunities out in the world if we are willing to go out and find them.”

She said she hopes to be a pilot or to work in military intelligence.

Straten said a nomination from a congressman doesn’t guarantee the nominees a spot at an academy – they still have to apply and pass rigorous testing from military officials there.

But, he said, the group the board selected was a good one.

“These students are the absolute epitome of their schools,” he said. “It was refreshing to talk to those students. It’s hard to put into words how talented these people are.”