The Associated Press (AP) recently analyzed members of Congress service academy recruiting and determined that members from big-city districts with large numbers of blacks, Hispanics and Asians are making few nominations. The result, USNA efforts in minority recruiting often fall short. According to the AP:
“From New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, lawmakers from heavily minority areas rank at or near the bottom in the number of students they have nominated for appointment to West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy or the U.S. Air Force Academy.”
“Rep. Nydia Velazquez of New York City, chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, nominated only four students, the lowest among House members who served the entire five-year period. Rep. Charles Rangel, whose New York City district includes Harlem, was second-lowest, with eight nominations. And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose San Francisco district is 29 percent Asian, was also near the bottom, with 19.”
“It’s beyond my imagination how someone that has the ability to nominate doesn’t do it,” Craig Duchossois said last December at his final meeting as chairman of the Naval Academy’s Board of Visitors.
He noted what an academy appointment means: a free four-year education and a guaranteed job as an officer for at least five years after graduation.”
You can read the complete article here.
What can you do?
Well, if you find yourself in one of these Districts and want to go to the Naval Academy, be aggressive. Contact your Congressional office and ask about a nomination, ask about their process. If you get the run around, explain how important this is to you, explain what the opportunities are. And if you still run into resistance, contact USNA admissions and let them know your difficulties. Shoot. contact the AP or the President. I am not a big proponent of political action without going through the proper channels, but in this case, there is simply no excuse for not making nominations. Do whatever you can to bring the point home to your congressional office that this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone who gets it. And nobody can get it without their help.
