Three Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) officers have joined top military training academies in the United States following a successful application and acceptance by the academies.
US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman in a statement on May 10, 2024, announced that the three KDF officers have been accepted to train with the US Military.
Whitman in her statement said that the three officers had been accepted to join the institutions which conduct training of the Army, Navy, and Air Force wings.
“Hongera to the KDF cadets Denis Karanja Mwangi, Tracey Okoth, and Ivan Yegoh for your acceptance to U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy,” said Whitman.
Kenya’s Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said this was possible because of the collaboration between KDF and the U.S military.
“Congratulations to our cadets who are set to join U.S premier Defence colleges. This is part of the partnership between Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and Department of Defence (DOD) Pentagon that bolsters our historical Defence and security cooperation in the field of military training,” Duale stated.
Whitman on KDF officers joining US Academies
According to the ambassador, the acceptance of the three cadets highlights the promising future of the relations between the US and Kenya.
The U.S. Military at West Point (USMA) is a US service academy in West Point, New York which was originally established as a fort during the American Revolutionary War.
It is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the United States Army.
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Candidates who apply to join the academy must meet certain requirements specified by public law to be considered for admission.
Among the requirements include being at least 17 years of age but not 23 or older.
Also, candidates must not be married, not be pregnant, not be legally responsible for child support and must be U.S Citizens.
However, the Academy provides exceptions for International Cadets who are not US Citizens, which the KDF officers applied through.
International cadets are fully assimilated into the Corps of Cadets, with the academy highlighting that their four-year experience at the academy is identical to that of U.S. cadets.
According to West Point, up to 60 international cadets may study at the academy at any given time.
International Cadets
Eligible countries are selected on an annual basis by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Defense, with the American embassies notifying invited nations to nominate up to six candidates per country to compete for admission to West Point.
For an international student to apply for admission to West Point, one has to contact the US Defense Attaché Office at the American Embassy in their respective country.
“This office serves as the link between the student, the host nation, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The application process for international students is essentially the same as that for U.S. citizens; however, you must be sponsored by a national-level government official,” adds USMA.
Qualified candidates set to join the academy receive an email directing them to the CFA (Candidate fitness assessment) Testing Instructions which are a mandatory part of Fitness Assessment
According to the academy, the CFA consists of six events including Basketball throw (from a kneeling position), Cadence pull-ups or flexed-arm hang (women’s option) and a 40-yard shuttle run (for time).
Other tests include Modified Sit-ups (number completed in 2 minutes), Push-ups (number completed in 2 minutes), and a 1-mile run (for time).
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Candidates are permitted for just one examination and should practice the six events prior to taking the examination.
Naval and Air force Academies
The United States Naval Academy (USNA) on the other hand is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland which was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy.
USNA educates midshipmen for service in the officer corps of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps and is the second oldest of the five U.S. service academies.
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), on its part, is located in El Paso County, Colorado and trains cadets for service in the officer corps of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force.
US Graduates of the academy’s four-year program receive a Bachelor of Science degree and are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force.
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