Family Members to attend service academies this fall

By Mrs. Michelle Kennedy (Drum)March 5, 2015

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FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Growing up in a military Family, children are exposed to many things their civilian peers would never experience. From growing up in a foreign country to becoming accustomed to a parent being away for milestones, military children learn independence, self-reliance and an appreciation for those who choose to wear the uniform of the armed forces.

Three Fort Drum Family Members are setting their sights on following in their fathers' footsteps by joining the military. Mary and Katie McCurry and Paige Lusk, who all attend Carthage Central High School, received their acceptance letters to attend U.S. service academies this fall.

Mary and Katie McCurry will join the newest "plebes" at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, while Paige Lusk will become a "doolie" at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

While each has her own personal reasons for pursuing an education at a service academy, the young women were unanimous about one -- they want to serve their country.

Paige Lusk

Paige Lusk, 17, was born at Fort Hood, Texas. She is active in school programs, including soccer, basketball, track and the Wiz Quiz academic bowl. She also is a member of the National Honor Society and participates in Girl Scouts.

Lusk said her upbringing as a military child has been "amazing."

"I feel extremely blessed to have been to all the places that I have through the military," she said. "I know that, without the military, I definitely would not be the kid I am today. New York is the eighth place I've lived, and I can honestly say that I've gained something new from every home I've had.

"Military life has taught me that home isn't a place; it's a feeling," Lusk added. "As cliché as that sounds, it is so true. I've never known one place or one house to be 'home,' it's always been my Family and my friends who make me feel like I belong somewhere."

Lusk said she knew she wanted to attend the Air Force Academy while her Family was stationed in Colorado. Members of the Air Force Academy basketball team visited her elementary school, met the students, signed autographs and handed out tickets to their game.

"I think ever since then, it was my dream to attend U.S. Air Force Academy," she said. "As I got older and really started to think about this plan, I knew it was the right decision for me."

However, applying to the Air Force Academy is not a simple process. Applicants must apply for and submit a congressional nomination as well as apply to the school and complete a physical assessment. Lusk received a congressional nomination from Rep. Bill Owens.

"It's quite a lengthy process to make sure you have all the required paperwork and to double-check that you filled in every box online," she said. "Each congressional office has their own application for nominations with their own deadlines and requirements separate from each other and the academy's. A candidate is only eligible for a nomination from their area; for example, I was able to apply to both New York senators and my district representative."

Lusk will attend orientation in April, and until fall, she will focus on physically preparing for the school year.

"Other than that there isn't much you can do to prepare," she said. "Everything in your life has been leading up to this, and you should be socially and academically prepared already.

"I'm not sure what I want to do just yet," Lusk continued. "I would like to study biology in school and look into some flight programs and see if those are for me or not. I'm really open to anything at this point and can't wait to try new things."

Lusk said that while growing up, her father, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alton Lusk, standardization pilot for 3rd Battalion, 10th General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, has been a source of inspiration for her.

"I want to be able to do something as honorable as my dad," she said. "My dad has taught me many things that I don't think can be placed into words. I think one of the most important things he's taught me is to go after what you want and don't hesitate to make decisions and do what you know is right. He's good at standing up for himself and having a strong voice, and I definitely think that's something from him that I will take with me."

Katie McCurry

Unlike many freshmen attending the U.S. Military Academy this fall, Katie McCurry, 18, will attend West Point with her twin sister, Mary.

McCurry, who was born in Watertown, is involved in cheerleading, lacrosse and JROTC, and enjoys running, cooking, playing with her siblings and volunteering.

Growing up as a military child in the U.S. and overseas has afforded McCurry many opportunities and taught her to adapt to different places and interact with a variety of people. She also learned not "to sweat the small stuff."

"In a few years, you could be at a totally different place in your life and those little struggles will seem obsolete," McCurry said. "Cherish the relationships you have and keep your focus on faith, Family and country; everything else changes in an instant.

"Without military life, I wouldn't have seen Rome or Paris as a child, I wouldn't have gotten to play girls' ice hockey, I wouldn't have gotten to go on a mission trip through the Catholic school I attended last year, and I probably wouldn't have gotten to attend the American Legion Auxiliary Girls' State in Virginia last year," she added.

McCurry has been contemplating attending a military university since junior high, she said. Then, two years ago, she began looking at her options.

"They seemed like wonderful, unique environments in which I would be challenged and be surrounded by other young people who wanted to serve their country and push their intellectual, physical and interpersonal limits," she said. "It sounded like a dream to me."

While she initially decided she wanted to attend the U.S. Naval Academy -- mostly because her sister, Mary, wanted to attend West Point -- after visiting both schools and speaking to current students, she decided that the Army would be a better fit.

"I liked the outdoorsy, up-in-the-mountains adventure atmosphere at Army," McCurry said. "The cadets at the Summer Leadership Experience were what really sold me on West Point. They were awesome, motivated people who inspired me to set difficult goals for myself and chase after them, as well as being all-around hilarious and of good integrity. My squad leader, Sgt. Oberholtzer, helped me realize that you don't have to be GI Joe to go into the Army. You just have to want it and work for it. I can't thank him enough for that."

Like Lusk, McCurry had to undergo physical / medical tests and obtain a nomination to attend the U.S. Military Academy. Because her father, Col. Michael McCurry, 10th CAB commander, is active-duty military, she set her sights on earning a presidential nomination, a task in which she proved successful.

McCurry looks forward to her new adventure at West Point, and she believes she is as prepared as she can be for what lies ahead.

Although McCurry has been surrounded by the military her whole life, she never thought she would find herself joining the Army.

"I couldn't imagine living a life in one town, working the same job at the same place forever," she said. "So, I guess I am used to frequent transition and that feels like part of it. The military is my home. But when it comes down to it, it's deeper than that."

If she chose to go to a traditional college, McCurry believes she would miss out on something. Attending a military university will afford her with a sense of accomplishment and hope for the future.

"I want to feel like I accomplished something, like my life had a positive impact on the lives of many others," she said. "Seeing the terror around the world today, I know that I want to help put an end to it, and I feel a little like that's my life's purpose -- to keep others safe in their freedom."

"I would really like to be one of the first female officers to qualify for infantry," McCurry added. "It involves a lot of marching carrying a lot of heavy gear, and women are not actually allowed to commission into the branch from West Point until the Class of 2016. However, I will be the Class of 2019, so it's fair game! Someone has to be a groundbreaker, right?"

Mary McCurry

Mary McCurry, 18, is involved in chorus, musicals, cross country, hockey, track and Wiz Quiz.

Growing up in a military Family, McCurry has learned positivity, the importance of getting involved and trying to search for the greater good.

"You don't solve a problem by complaining about it, but by doing something about it," she said. "I could never control where I moved, but I could control my attitude about it. If I was positive and went in with an open mind, I usually found people who I could get along with.

"It is hard sometimes for people to look at a situation with a greater lens than just how it affects them individually," McCurry added. "This was hard for the first couple times my dad deployed, but around the beginning of high school, I got really interested in current events and discovered what the Army was really about."

McCurry said she learned that living with a purpose is more important than making a lot of money and simply working to build her resume.

Two years ago, McCurry made the decision to apply to West Point. While she is not certain what she wants to do in the Army, it offers the opportunity for leadership she is looking for as well as a wide variety of careers from which she can choose.

"There are a lot of problems in our world," McCurry said. "I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and I want to do something concrete about it. The largest problem in our world is the abuse and ignorance of human rights. I believe that the United States military, in particular, is a tool used by the government for the defense of human rights, and I want to commit all my efforts to this cause.

"I may want to branch military intelligence because I enjoy international relations and foreign languages," she said. "However, I would really like to try to qualify for infantry first, because no female has done it yet, and I would like to experience the boots-on-the-ground lifestyle before jumping to a more administrative role."

Like her sister, McCurry also obtained a presidential nomination to attend West Point.

"There are a limited number (of presidential nominations approved), so you must remain up-to-date with the rest of your application for the presidential nomination to count," she said. "For nonmilitary kids, there is the congressional nomination route where you apply for a nomination from a senator or state representative from your state of residence."

To prepare for her freshman year, McCurry plans to stay active and keep her grades up. Her involvement in her school's JROTC program also has helped her prepare, and she has been in contact with some fellow newcomers to start making friends.

While she has learned many lessons in her 18 years as a military child, she plans to take the lessons she learned from her father with her.

"I will take with me an understanding of the chain of command and enforcing the decisions of your superiors," she said. "As a newly commissioned officer, I need to trust that their experience gives them the judgment to make the call. A lot of military actions are based on trust, and I think that trust is largely undervalued in today's world."