A Lifelong Dream Fulfilled

Every kid has a dream. Some want to be firefighters and others want to be astronauts. Andrew Obst wanted to be a fighter pilot.

Of course, most kids change their minds about their future aspirations by the time they graduate high school. But Obst isn’t like most kids. In sixth grade, he told one of his teachers that he wanted to attend the United States Naval Academy.

Now, after years of work, the 18-year-old is about to realize that dream. On May 27, Obst received his formal appointment to the Naval Academy during a ceremony at Flathead High School. But for Obst, or any other student accepted to the distinguished the officer’s academy in Maryland, getting into the institution is much more complex than just mailing an application. Obst had to go through a rigorous interview process and gather support from at least one member of Congress.

Simply put, getting into the naval academy is an extraordinary process, but Obst isn’t a normal teenager.

Growing up in Libby, Obst was interested in the military, and in sixth grade, on an assignment asking him what he wanted to do with his life, he wrote that he was going to be a fighter pilot.

“The paper was probably full of bad handwriting and misspellings,” Obst said. “But that assignment really got me thinking about seriously going into the military.”

Later, his family moved to Kalispell and in high school he excelled at academics and sports, partaking in football, wrestling and track. He also stayed connected with his hometown by working with David Thompson Search and Rescue in Lincoln County, where he still works as a swift water rescue instructor.

In high school, he met with an advisor who told him to maintain his grades and partake in extra curricular activities so that he could apply to the Naval Academy. However, he also needed a nomination from a Congressman before he could apply. He approached Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines, former Sen. John Walsh, and Rep. Ryan Zinke and received nominations from all of them. To receive those nominations he had to go through an intense interview process where Montanans who have attended various service academies pepper the candidate with questions. Obst apparently had the right stuff and was informed earlier this year that he had gotten into the academy, though it was not official until a retired naval officer presented him with the formal appointment last week.

“I’m so excited to watch his dreams come true,” Obst’s father Jon said just before the ceremony.

Obst said he still hopes to be a pilot, but eventually wants to be in a leadership role. He said while the U.S. military is among the best in the world, he believes there are ways to improve it and he wants to help institute that change. When he graduates in four years he will be a naval officer.

Although Obst said the next few years would be full of hard work, he is confident he will succeed.

“I know I’m going to do well because of all the great people who have helped me get here,” he said.