U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in conjunction with the Georgia congressional delegation, held the 20th annual U.S. Military Service Academy Day for more than 800 Georgia students interested in attending one of the nation’s prestigious military service academies and their parents.
 
U.S. Senator David Perdue, R-Ga., and U.S. Representatives Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga.-11, and Rob Woodall, R-Ga.-07, attended Isakson’s annual event designed to help students with the application and nomination process for the nation’s five military service academies. Isakson returned Friday from an official trip to Iraq, where he met with service members from Georgia, some of whom were past service academy appointees, and was unable to attend.
 
“I’m delighted to host our annual Academy Day for the 20th year with the help and support of our entire Congressional delegation,” said Isakson. “We’ve helped hundreds of Georgians achieve their goals of attending one of the nation’s prestigious military service academies through this opportunity for students and their families to hear directly from each academy and learn more about the application process.”
 
“This week, I was proud to be with our troops in Iraq. As I visited with service members from Georgia and around the country, I was constantly reminded during my time overseas of how important it is for our all-volunteer force to have the best and the brightest sign up and pursue a career in the military,” Isakson continued. “I’m honored to represent the great state of Georgia and to live in the greatest country on the face of this Earth, and I thank our service members, past, future and present, for their service and sacrifice to keep the United States of America safe and free.”
 
Isakson joined a bipartisan congressional delegation this week on an official trip to Baghdad, Taji and Erbil, Iraq, where he met with senior State Department officials and U.S. military commanders to receive updates about operations in the region.
 
On multiple occasions, Isakson’s trip to the Middle East served as a reminder of the importance of educating Georgia students about the nomination process to attend one of the nation’s military service academies. On his first day in Iraq, Isakson’s military aircraft was piloted by one of his own U.S. Air Force Academy nominees. He later met with another academy appointee from Georgia at a lunch at the Baghdad embassy who had attended Isakson’s annual academy day in 2007 and received a nomination for West Point from then-U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga.-06, in 2008.
Isakson’s Military Service Academy Day is the largest of its kind in the United States, bringing hundreds of students from across the state in grades eight through 12 and their parents.