News From Congressman Norm Dicks  2467 Rayburn House Office Building  Washington, D.C.    20515  (202) 225-5916          http//www.house.gov/dicks

                                         For Release:  February 1, 2008

            WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 1 -- U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks has nominated 19 students from area high schools to United States military academies for the upcoming academic year.

            The students nominated this year are from high schools in Bremerton, University Place, Gig Harbor, Tacoma, Sequim, Shelton, Elma, Olalla and Allyn.

            The congressman recommends exceptional students from the 6th Congressional District for admission to the four service academies each year based upon academic performance, personal motivation and their determination to pursue a military career.   Rep. Dicks, who serves as the vice-chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, said "the military academies are critically important for developing next generation of military leaders who are highly-educated and capable of adapting our forces to the emerging threats of the 21st century."

             The nominees for the classes entering the academies in the summer of 2008 are as follows (note that some students are nominated for more than one academy, and that hometown of record is listed):   

NOMINEES TO THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY
                            (WEST POINT)                                     

	Jessica Bickford	Tacoma
	Phoebe Haglin	Sequim
	Brandon Isaacson	Shelton
	Scott Lorette	Olalla
	Moira McCormack	Tacoma
	Luke Pittman	Shelton
	Christine Sloan	University Place
	Kristia Suriben	Bremerton

NOMINEES TO THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY

	Travis Alatalo	Allyn
	Sarah Brown	Port Orchard
	Rachel Cabacungan	Port Orchard
	Patrick Dillow	University Place
	Phoebe Haglin	Sequim
	Whitney Macaulay	Sequim
	John Matthews	University Place
	Kristia Suriben	Bremerton
	Roger Willis	Tacoma

                                
NOMINEES TO THE U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY          

	Jessica Bickford	Tacoma
	Sarah Brown	Port Orchard
	Bryndon Ecklund	Elma
	Cory Havrilak	Ocean Shores
	Scott Lorette	Olalla
	Luke Pittman	Shelton
	Kristia Suriben	Bremerton
	Taylor Youtsler	Gig Harbor
	David Zhang	University Place

                            NOMINEES TO THE U.S. MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY         

	Patrick Dillow	University Place
	Whitney Macaulay	Sequim
	Kristia Suriben	Bremerton

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