Cadets receive appointments to U.S. military academies

COLOMBO: Three military cadets received certificates of appointment from U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead to begin undergraduate studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy in September, states a US embassy press release.

Radhika Ranaweera will enrol in the U.S Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Ali Ihusaan and Ahmed Mooman, both of the Maldives, will enrol in the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.

The three students will pursue Bachelor of Science degrees and receive military training alongside students from the United States and around the world.

"I am excited about going to study aeronautical engineering, hopefully learning to fly," said Cadet Ranaweera. Cadet Ihusaan will study computer sciences and Cadet Mooman will study civil engineering before returning to serve as lieutenants in the Maldivan National Defence Force.

Students from Sri Lanka and the Maldives have had great success in the highly competitive selection process of gaining admission to the Academies, with four Maldivian and six Sri Lankan cadet students pursuing degrees in the coming term at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, the U.S. Military Academy in West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Students from more than 150 countries are invited to apply each year for admission to the academies, where international students complete the same course of study as their American peers, but do not receive commission in the American Armed Forces.

The youngest of the American Service Academies, the U.S. Air Force Academy was established in 1954 to "produce professional officers who have the knowledge, character, and motivation essential to leadership."

Cadets can choose from more than 30 academic majors, and each cadet receives thorough training in Military Science, Leadership, Aviation Science, and Professional Development.

The Academy's campus sits near the base of Colorado's Rampart Mountain Range, at 7,163 feet above sea level.

Notable graduates include astronauts Kevin Chilton and Susan Helms, U.S. Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM), and Charles Phillips, Jr., President of the Oracle Corporation.

The United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, has a mission to "Educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of duty, honour, country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service...." The United States is proud to share these core values with cadets from around the world.

Established in 1802, West Point is the oldest military academy in the United States. Located on a scenic overlook of the Hudson River, abut 80 km north of New York City, and occupying over 65 km2, it is one of the largest school campuses in the world.

Its unique combination of facilities include a ski slope and artillery range, in addition to the academic buildings and sports facilities found on a typical university campus.

Notable graduates include astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Frank Borman, neurosurgeon Thoralf Sundt and Randolph Araskog, President of IT & T.