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Letter regarding misinformation on nominations of Rota
students
August 23, 2008
To my fellow citizens in Rota:
This is to clarify certain misinformation being disseminated among the people,
especially the youth, of Rota regarding nominations to the U.S. military
academies. Shortly after assuming office as your Resident Representative
to the United States, it was my honor to notify all juniors and seniors at all
of our high schools on Rota, Tinian, and Saipan about opportunities at the three
U.S. military academies. Through the media as well as personal visits to
the schools, I told the young men and women that I was looking for students
interested in both a first-rate education and the opportunity to serve our
country in the military. I informed our students that as the Resident
Representative, I had the authority and privilege to nominate students from the
CNMI to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, the United
States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the United States Air Force
Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
I emphasized to our students that attendance at one of the U.S. military
academies was a tremendous opportunity for academic and intellectual growth and
leadership skill development. Tuition is free and students earn a modest
allowance. Upon graduation, students are commissioned as officers in the armed
forces and must serve at least five years.
Since my first year in office, I have issued press releases every Fall
announcing which service academy was open for a CNMI nomination, and have also
utilized high school counselors to provide information to students about the
opportunity. The annual deadline to apply for a nomination from my Office
is December 15th. I have proudly nominated all of our students who have
expressed an interest. However, once I make my nominations, my authority
ends. All nominations are reviewed by the admissions boards of the
respective academies who then select those who will receive appointments.
In order to be considered a candidate, one must: be a U.S. citizen, have good
moral character, be at least 17 and not past their 23rd birthday on July 1 of
the year they would enter the academy. Candidates must also be unmarried,
not pregnant and have no dependents.
As your CNMI Resident Representative, it has been an honor for me to nominate
our students to the United States military academies and watch some of our fine
young men and women grow into outstanding military leaders. It has been a
real joy for me to see Joshua C. Dunn and Ulysses C. Mafnas graduate from the
Air Force Academy; and Matthew J. Kirschenheiter, Adrian Anthony Rempillo
Evangelista and Caroline Claire Lynch graduate from the Naval Academy.
Unfortunately, I have never received an application for nomination from a
student from Rota since I have been in office. It is my fervent hope that
our students from Rota will be interested in taking advantage of the enormous
educational opportunity available at the United States military academies.
I will very much welcome their applications for nomination. I want to
assure all our youth in Rota and throughout our lovely and peaceful Commonwealth
that I treat every single applicant to the academies with fairness and complete
objectivity.
Sincerely,
PEDRO A. TENORIO
Resident Representative
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