MOAA-LV Hosts newest Academy Cadets and Midshipmen
Thirty Five local high school graduates have received appointments to the nation’s Service Academies and will be reporting to West Point, NY; Annapolis, MD; Colorado Springs, CO; and New London, CT, in August. All should graduate and be commissioned as military officers in 2029
The Southern Nevada Chapter of the Military Officers Association (MOAA), with the Service Academy Parents Club (SAPCSN), hosted the new appointees and their families to a dinner at the Wildhorse Golf Club on June 12th.
The US Naval Academy will be home the next four years for Jose Amaya (Eldorado HS), Veronica Avra, Alexis Bishop (Faith Lutheran HS), Kaylee Chung (LV Academy of Arts), Mateo Flores (Basic HS), Jayce Fox (Arbor View HS), Sona Gonzales (Pinecrest Academy Cadence), Cesar Lopez (Veterans Tribute HS), Charles Ogle (Pinecrest Academy Cadence), Davin Schneider-Agapito (Eldorado HS), Tzion Wong (Lake Mead Christian Academy), and Kevin Young (West CTA). Attending the Naval Academy Prep School will be Kristian Ivan Que, Jr (NV Learning Academy), Noelani Lopez (Eldorado HS), Samantha Loya Gandara and Kolt Viano.
Headed to the US Air Force Academy are Conor Cloutier, Jack Delap (Pinecest Academy Cadence), Diego Gonzales, Vera Lee (Coronado HS), Diego Moreira, Alexander Perez (Bishop Gorman HS), Jack Schultz, Amaya Stepp (Veritas Scholars Academy), Boyd Tandberg (Shadow Ridge HS), Landon Tsang, Nahoa Walker, and Jordan Watkins (Faith Lutheran HS); while Kristian Angelov will attend the Air Force Academy Prep School.
Benjamin Young (homeschool and Desert Oasis HS) will be attending the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT.
The US Military Academy at West Point, NY, will welcome Jackson Bentham (Faith Lutheran HS),Vasilija Boskovic (Bishop Gorman HS), and Scarlet Nielsen (Green Valley HS), while Gabriella Martinez (Bishop Gorman HS) will attend the US Military Academy Prep School.
Guest of Honor, Nevada Lt Gov Stavros Anthony, spoke of Courage, Responsibility and Honor while comparing the Police Academy to the military academies. After graduating from the Police Academy, Stavros served 23 years in law enforcement.
The appointees were also congratulated video messages from Nevada’s Senators Catherine Cortez-Mastro and Jacky Rosen, plus Congresswomen Dina Titus and Susie Lee and Congressman Steven Horsford.
The keynote speaker was Napoleon McCallum, a graduate of the US Naval Academy, class of 1985, who recounted his days as a midshipman at Annapolis where he received a Computer Science degree. He admitted that although he selected the Navy, he couldn’t swim. While at Annapolis he played football and was a two-time All American, finishing sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1983 and seventh in 1985. In 1986 he was drafted the Los Angeles Raiders and played for them while on active duty that year. He separated from the Navy in 1990 and rejoined the Raiders. He now resides in Henderson and is employed the Las Vegas Sands Corp.
MOAA advocates with Congress on behalf of officers and enlisted personnel for benefits and compensation. The local chapter president is Lt Col Richard Marshall, US Army (ret). Mrs. Chrissy Tadlock is the president of SAPCSN. Their websites are moaalasvegas.org and sapcsn.com.
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Len Yelinek
6/21/2025