DODGE CITY — The Office of Congressman Tim Huelskamp is accepting applications from young men and women aged 17-22 seeking nomination to four of the five U.S. Service Academies: The United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy, United States Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

The honor of attending a service academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. Eligibility is generally granted to candidates who are high school juniors and who will be seniors the following school year, or to those who have already graduated. To access complete information regarding application procedures, please visit http://huelskamp.house.gov/nominations, or contact Allison Reed, Constituent Services Representative in the Hutchinson office, at 620-665-6138.

The deadline for application is Oct. 1; applicants will be scheduled for an interview by early November. Academies will usually begin notifying candidates of their admission status by February 2013, and all offers of appointment are generally sent out by May 2013.