A pair of students from Soldotna are among 39 Alaskans nominated to U.S. military service academies for the class of 2028.
According to a press release from U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Zac Buckbee and Nicholas Lopez, both from Soldotna, are nominated to academies — Buckbee to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado and Lopez to the U.S. Military Academy in New York.
Though a congressional nomination “is an accomplishment within itself,” the release says, admission is not guaranteed. Instead, the students will compete with other candidates for a spot at the school they have been nominated for.
According to previous Clarion reporting, students seeking admission to the military academies apply for a nomination through their state’s congressional delegation.
“It’s a privilege to nominate these outstanding candidates from the Last Frontier to our country’s military service academies,” Sen. Murkowski says in the release. “These individuals have showcased exceptional leadership and commitment to service—and I extend each and every one of them my best wishes.”
A full list of nominees can be found at the website for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, murkowski.senate.gov.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
