WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today announced he is nominating 16 Montana students to U.S. service academies.
A congressional nomination is a critical step in the process for Montanans seeking admission to one of the nation’s four service academies: the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) at Colorado Springs, the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point.
“One of my greatest honors as a U. S. Senator is to nominate committed young Montanans to compete for an appointment to one of our nation’s service academies,”Daines said. “I commend these remarkable students for their commitment to serving our nation, upholding Montana’s strong legacy of service and I wish them the best as they continue in this extremely competitive process.”
Students interested in applying to a U.S. service academy submitted an extensive application that documents their academic, civic and athletic abilities, as well as their commitment to military service. An academy selection board assembled by Daines reviewed the applications and conducted interviews of the applicants.
The following is a complete list of Daines’ 2023 academy nominations by county:
Beaverhead:
Andrew Eagan – Dillon – USNA
Cascade:
Aedan Bingham – Great Falls – USAFA
Alec (A.J.) Wells – Great Falls – USNA
Gallatin:
Pi Taylor – Bozeman – USMA, USAFA, USMMA
Ryan Galyen – Bozeman – USNA, USAFA
Judith Basin
Heath Drivdahl – Hobson – USMMA, USMA
Madison:
Alicia Dale – Sheridan – USAFA
Beckett Johnson – Big Sky – USMA
Missoula:
Hannah King – Missoula – USMA
Finleigh Schrichte – Missoula – USNA, USMMA
Powell:
Clara Graveley – Avon – USNA
Ravalli County:
Andrew Purcell – Hamilton – USNA
Yellowstone County:
Tyler Brown – Billings – USNA
Cooper Freitag – Billings – USAF
Daniel Mattingly – Billings – USMA
Tobias Ottenbacher – Billings – USMA