Rep. Derek Schmidt Announces Members of Service Academy Selection Board

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (October 29, 2025) – Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) today announced the members of his 2025 Service Academy Selection Board. This weekend, the Selection Board will conduct interviews of Kansas students seeking nominations to attend the United States military service academies for the Class of 2030.

“One of the greatest honors I have as a member of Congress is nominating young Kansans to attend our nation’s military academies,” Schmidt said. “I appreciate the distinguished Kansans who have agreed to assist in the selection process this year and look forward to receiving their recommendations.”

The members of the Selection Board are:

• Maj. Gen. Vic Braden (Ret.), U.S. Army and Kansas Army National Guard veteran, former Kansas Deputy Attorney General (Sawyer, Kansas)
• Capt. David Buehler (Ret.), U.S. Navy veteran, Kansas State Representative District 40 (Lansing, Kansas)
• Brenda Dietrich, former superintendent of Auburn–Washburn USD 437, Kansas State Senator District 20 (Topeka, Kansas)
• Col. Pat Proctor (Ret.), U.S. Army veteran, Kansas State Representative District 41 (Leavenworth, Kansas)
• Coffey County Undersheriff Eric Smith, former Kansas State Representative District 76 (Burlington, Kansas)
• Lt. Col. Dave Young (Ret.), U.S. Air Force and Kansas Air National Guard veteran, Kansas Deputy Homeland Security Advisor (Topeka, Kansas)

More information on the service academy selection process can be found on Schmidt’s website at https://schmidt.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations.