By Rett Nelson

    IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) -- After months of filing paperwork, Crew Belnap couldn’t be happier that his United States Naval Academy application was approved.

The 18-year-old Hillcrest High School graduate is headed to Annapolis, Maryland, on June 26 to begin basic training. The academic year will begin this fall, setting him on a four-year path to a career in the Navy.

In an email to EastIdahoNews.com, Belnap’s father, Devin, says more than 10,000 students apply to the United States Naval Academy every year, but only about 1,200 are accepted.

“The highly competitive selection process requires applicants to demonstrate academic excellence, physical fitness, leadership potential, and a strong commitment to serving the nation,” Devin writes. “Admission to the USNA is a remarkable achievement, reserved for the nation’s most outstanding students and future military leaders.”

In a school where the acceptance rate is just under 11%, Crew tells EastIdahoNews.com, “it’s overwhelming to have all my hard work pay off.”

“It’s so fulfilling and I’m so excited,” Crew says.

A request to U.S. Senator Jim Risch led to an endorsement that played a key role in Belnap’s application being approved. He’s grateful for Risch’s help in getting this appointment.

When asked why he chose this career path, Crew cited numerous opportunities to serve his community throughout his life. Devin says some of his son’s experiences in high school included helping to build classrooms for an overcrowded public school in Kenya, serving Ukrainian war refugees in Romania, and working in an orphanage on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.

These experiences helped shape Crew’s desire to serve others, but his interest in joining the Navy was clinched last summer when he attended a weeklong USNA seminar. Devin explains that the program gives high-achieving high school students a taste of life as a midshipman.

“After that experience, Crew knew without a doubt that the Naval Academy was where he wanted to be,” Devin writes.

Outside the classroom, Devin describes Crew as a “distinguished athlete” playing soccer for Hillcrest High School and the Idaho Falls Futbol Club.

Crew’s patriotism and love for America were fueled by his experiences living in the heart of the nation’s capital for several years of his childhood. Throughout Crews’s life, Devin says the walls of his son’s bedroom were covered with posters of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the American flag.

Crew enjoys improving himself and working with like-minded people, which is what drew him to a naval career.

“I wanted to make sure I used those (experiences) to the fullest potential,” he says. “After doing a lot of research and figuring out what my options were, I decided that going into the military would be the best route. Once I narrowed it down to that, I realized that the service academies, if I could get accepted, would be the best way to develop myself further and help more people.”

The idea of working with others who also want to develop themselves mentally and physically and serve their country is the noblest cause Crew can think of being a part of. He’s proud to be joining their ranks soon.

When he graduates in 2029, Crew will be a commissioned officer in the Navy or Marine Corps with a rank of ensign. He hasn’t made a final decision on his area of focus, but he’s considering studying engineering and becoming a pilot or SWO (surface warfare officer).

Crew is excited to begin this new adventure and looks forward to representing the state of Idaho and his hometown as he pursues this career.

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