Political pull to enter service academies? Your Say

I read Paste BN's special report "Pride and patronage" with great interest as I have been intimately involved in this process for 31 years.

I lead Sen. Jeff Flakes' academy interview team for the state of Arizona. I have sat on congressional and senatorial interview boards in Florida, Texas and Arizona. I have never once heard mention of an applicant's parents' political contributions. I don't even know the political affiliation of my interview team.

Some congressional districts are more competitive than others. If you're from upstate New York, the competition is probably keener for West Point than for the Air Force Academy. And yes, all of the academies try to recruit minorities. The complexion of officer ranks should mirror society.

Your portrayal of the academies' selection process was misleading and unjust to all of the citizens who volunteer their time to give back to our great country by trying to send the absolute best students to each of the service academies. It also casts doubts about the qualifications of our outstanding cadets and midshipmen. Shame on you!

Rod Jones; Phoenix

While it would be foolish to think that politics never plays a part in service academy nominations, your article on the subject had far too much of a "something's fishy here" tone.

As two of the few registered Republicans in an overwhelmingly Democratic town (Albany), my wife and I were unknown to our congressman, and certainly not on his contributors' list. Our son was nominated and accepted to West Point nonetheless. If anything beyond his academic achievements influenced that decision, it might have been his Eagle Scout status, but it certainly was not politics.

While the article noted the dollar value of the education these kids got at the academies, it failed to mention the rigor of what they must do when they get there. It is no cakewalk. Academy graduates, moreover, also then "pay back" the value of their education through five years' service. Your article would have been better had it been more balanced.

Robert M. Penna; Wilmington, N.C.

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

I am a former Air Force Academy cadet. I agree with many points in Paste BN's article "Pride and patronage."

Minorities are scarce at the academies, the admissions process is in the hands of some corrupt politicians and, like most issues in America, not enough people care.

— Richard Hackney

The nomination process is designed to get a great pool of candidates who represent the entire nation. Significant changes to that process could have serious and unwanted consequences.

The article is insightful about the process, but it fails to point out an alternative that would suit the needs of the military, Congress and the nation at large.

— Lee Gibson

My wife is a Republican, and I am an independent.

Our son was nominated to the U.S. Naval Academy by our congressional representative and one of our senators; both are Democrats. We have never made a political donation.

While I don't doubt that instances of corruption are out there, I think this article is more about finding a problem that may not be statistically relevant. In other words, there probably are much bigger fish to fry.

— Craig Rockhold

While your article attempts to focus on congressional shortcomings, it is important to highlight the quality and character of the men and women who are admitted and endure the challenges of academy life and curriculum.

— Bill Suys