Committed to service: Residents attend military academies
- Mark Jahne
- Aug 1
- 7 min read
by Mark Jahne
Editor
Many high school graduates go off to college after graduation to further their education and prepare for a career.
A select few attend prestigious military academies with the understanding that after they earn their undergraduate degrees they will serve their country in its armed forces.
One of them is Eva Artioli, the daughter of Joe Artioli and Christie Carpino. A member of the Cromwell High School Class of 2026, she’s off to Colorado Springs to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Eva grew up in town and attended Hilltop Nursery School and Daycare followed by all four public schools. She was always on the honor roll at the middle and high schools.
“I am in the top 10 percent of my class,” she said.
Her accomplishments and recognition include National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Tri-M Music, president of the CHS Student Council Executive Board and yearbook staff member. She also earned a seal of Spanish literacy.
She’s also an athlete and participated in cross-country running, indoor track and softball during her high school years. Eva was captain of those teams for two years each and was named a CIAC scholar athlete for her accomplishments in the classroom and sports.
But that’s not all. This alto saxophone player was in the high school concert band all four years and joined the concert choir as a senior.
“I chose the academy because so many members of my family have served” in the military, she said. They include both of her grandfathers and a great-grandfather.
“It’s something I’ve been brought up with,” she added.
She could have attended many other colleges and universities and taken the Reserve Officer Training Course. But Eva was drawn to the academic rigor and sense of pride and accomplishment one gets upon earning an academy diploma.
Both the Air Force and U.S. Navy academies appealed to her. She spent a week at the latter in Annapolis, Md., this past summer and greatly enjoyed the experience.
I feel in love with everything,” she said. “In September my dad and I toured the Air Force Academy.”
They were able to meet and talk with two new graduates. She was accepted at both, and when it came time to make a choice, the Air Force won out because it best fit her career goals.
“I want to be a pilot,” Eva said.
If all goes to plan, she would also like to proceed further. Attending Space Camp in Alabama made her dream beyond the stars.
“I want to be an astronaut. It’s been my dream my entire life,” she said.
Attending an academy involves making a serious commitment to military service.
“Most jobs are five years of active service and reserves,” she said.
One thing she doesn’t have to decide is what course of studies to pursue.
“Everyone gets a bachelor’s of engineering.”
She reported for duty as this issue of Cromwell LIFE was being printed. Her first day there was June 24 and the first stage of the process is physical training.
Her life will quickly change. Cell phones are prohibited during basic training. Her only allowable means of communication with her parents and younger brother Matteo will be written letters.
They won’t get to see her in person until parents’ weekend at Thanksgiving time. When she’s home, she can enjoy her favorite activities including ice skating and baking.
It’s not easy to get into any of the five military academies but the thought appealed to her and she was willing to go through the long and trying process involved. There are multiple hurdles to clear and one of them is approval from a member of the U.S Congress.
“ Each member of Congress has a slightly different approval process,” Carpino said.
She called it fair and professional and not influenced by partisan politics. In addition to academics, each candidate must pass a medical review.
Eva is not the only military academy student in town. There are at least two others, including Karsten Peters, who recently graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.
Born and raised in town, Karsten graduated from Cromwell High School in 2022. He was a member of the cross-country and track teams and was captain of his college track team.
“I originally wanted to go to the Naval Academy,” he recalled, but he was not granted admission. Many family members have served in the military and he was motivated to do the same.
“I did Boy Scouts growing up. I was an Eagle scout,” he said. “That got me interested in the service component. My dad [Tim] went to SUNY-Maritime” and works for an ocean-going chemical tanker company.
Karsten decided to give the Merchant Marine Academy a try. Like the other academies, it presents young men and women with a challenging curriculum and physical fitness regimen.
The first year was tough, especially during the summer. It made him question his decision. He smiled at the thought.
“Why did I do this?”
But he hung in there and is pleased with the results. Karsten loves being around the water and enjoys swimming, kayaking and canoeing. That’s good because he’s going to see a lot of water while sailing the high seas.
He agreed with Eva that the application process is grueling.
Now that he has earned his degree Karsten is committed to five years of service. The Merchant Marine Academy is somewhat different from the other four academies because its graduates, if they so choose, can opt to serve in any military branch.
“About 30 to 40 percent of the class goes active duty,” he said.
The other option is to serve in the Merchant Marine. That was his choice.
This is a civilian organization and its mariners operate commercial ships and government-owned sealift vessels under the oversight of the U.S. Maritime Administration. It also serves as a vital auxiliary to the military and during times of war or national emergency the president can place Merchant Marine vessels under the command of the Department of the Navy to transport military personnel and supplies.
“Merchant mariners run tankers and cargo ships,” he said. “Most of the officers come from my school” or the colleges that specialize in maritime education.
He said the Navy relies heavily upon the Merchant Marine to function as its supply arm. It played a crucial role during World War II transporting supplies across the oceans under the threat of submarine or other forms of attack. Cadets were assigned to active duty and 142 of them died during that war.
“The world is our campus. We’re the only service academy among the five that carries a battle standard” in memory of those fallen cadets, he said.
Karsten has also had the opportunity to serve on a massive cargo ship and with the Military Sealift Command. He sailed aboard a dry cargo ship and a car carrier.
“I’ve been to South America, the Middle East and the West Coast” of the United States, he said.
He expects to see a lot of the world over the next five years and will perform the duties of a third-class engineer.
“Everyone at my school graduates with a bachelor’s of science. We have a Navy Reserve obligation for eight years” as a strategic sealift officer, he added. His science degree was in marine engineering systems.
“I’m hoping to go to the Great Lakes and sail on the bulkers up there.”
Bulk tankers, or “bulkers,” are merchant vessels specifically designed to transport unpackaged dry cargo in bulk. Common cargoes are iron ore, coal, grain and cement.
Kevin Russ attends the U.S. Navy Academy. He was not able to speak with Cromwell LIFE because of his service commitments, so his mother Kathryn filled in for him and provided the following information.
Kevin grew up in town and graduated from Xavier High School in Middletown in 2024. He was heavily involved in Boy Scouts while growing up and became an Eagle scout. He had an excellent academic record and played football, lacrosse and ran indoor track.
“He took a lot of AP [Advanced Placement] classes,” his mother said.
His father Donny jokingly suggested that he consider the Naval Academy for college. That resonated and they decided to take a tour.
“He loved it. He thought it was great,” Kathryn said. “He and Karsten are close friends.”
Kevin went through the application process and visited the academy on what is called Candidate First Weekend. His appointment was approved by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and U.S. Rep. John Larson.
He recently completed his sophomore year and is now committed upon graduation to a minimum of five years of military service. All graduates receive the rank of ensign. Kevin has already participated in SEAL screening training and spent a week at Navy stations in Coronado, Calif., a hub for SEAL operations.
He plays club lacrosse and is a member of the parachute team. Kathryn said he thrives on the structure that the academy provides.
"We’re really excited for him. He’s happy. He loves what he’s doing,” she added.
Kevin had the rare opportunity of being one of eight midshipmen selected to attend Army training at West Point, N.Y.
There’s no summer vacation waiting for him. Kevin is scheduled to head out on a sea trial. Military service is part of family history. He has a cousin serving in the Navy and an uncle previously served. Both grandfathers fought for their country in World War II. CL