About 240 cadet or midshipmen candidates attend each of the three Service Academy prep schools every year. Of these 240 attendees, about 200 end up being selected to attend a Service Academy, getting us to the 80% acceptance rate.   This episode will talk out these Prep Schools and who typically receives an appointment.

In this episode, the hosts interview Air Force Major Valerie "Twitch" Wetzbarger, fighter pilot and Director Operations of an F-35 training squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.  She gives her views on women officers in the Air Force and the military in general.

There are a number of interviews Service Academy applicants will need to master.  These include Member of Congress interviews during the nomination process as well as an interview with the particular Academy one is applying to:  the West Point Field Force, the Air Force Air Liaison Officer (ALO) or the Naval Academy Blue & Gold (B&G) interview.   This episode will talk about winning techniques in order to master this important task and get closer to an Academy appointment.

Which Service Academy should a candidate apply for?  The hosts explore this question and give insight on each military service and issues candidates should consider in making this decision.

The Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DODMERB) physical is a medical and vision exam which evaluates and certifies all ROTC scholarship recipients as either “medically qualified” or “medically does not meet the medical accession standards.”  A scholarship recipient must be DODMERB qualified in order to receive scholarship benefits and eventually commission an officer in the U.S. Armed Services.  In this episode, LTC Kirkland explores this subject with a parent whose son recently went through the DODMERB process.

DODMERB Website

DoD Instruction 6130.03 "Medical Standards.."

U.S. Service Academy Forum 

Gain Service Academy Admission Consulting Site

In this inaugural episode of the podcast, the hosts discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on Service Academy admission for the 2020-2021 application year.   Areas discussed include SAT/ACT, application timelines, and video interview techniques.