U.S. Senator Mark Udall is pleased to announce that he nominated Josiah Fuller of Eckert and Brendan Kortz of Delta for possible appointments to U.S. service academies.

Fuller, the son of Craig and Leanne Fuller, is homeschooled and was nominated to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Kortz, the son of Valerie and Jack Kortz, is a senior at Delta High School and was nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.

"As a U.S. Senator, one of my favorite opportunities is to provide nominations to young people in Colorado interested in attending our military service academies," Udall said. "Throughout American history, these academies have developed and produced some of our finest military and civilian leaders, and as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I take very seriously the responsibility of nominating the most highly qualified applicants."

Udall received 450 applications for the nominations, which were reviewed by his Merit Selection Committee. The applicants were evaluated based on academic aptitude, leadership potential, determination and overall character. Nearly 250 of those applicants were chosen for interviews, and from those interviews, 43 were selected to receive nominations. Nominated students will now compete with other nominated students from around the country for appointments to the Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, Merchant Marine Academy and Military Academy.

"I'm hopeful that many of the nominated individuals will receive appointments to the U.S. service academies," Udall said. "I'm confident that these young men and women will serve ably and proudly, embodying the values represented by the officers in our armed forces."

The application process for 2012 nominations will begin with the annual Academy Information Day on April 14.