Colby Bailey
Colby Bailey
Festus High School 2025 graduate Colby Bailey will attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the fall after U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-District 8, nominated him for the appointment.
Bailey, 18, of Festus said he initially intended to go to the U.S. Air Force Academy but changed his plans after a campus visit to West Point.
“At first I actually wanted to go to Air Force to be a pilot,” he said. “Then I got to shadow a cadet at West Point. I was really impressed with how kind everyone was, how interested they were in what I wanted to see.”
Bailey said he was scheduled to head to West Point on June 29 to start his military career.
“I’ll go through a shortened six-week basic training before school starts in August,” he said. “There’s a week where we reorganize before the start of school.”
He is the son of Crystal and Lukas Deimund of Festus.
Bailey said Lukas Deimund, his stepfather, is a veteran and enlisted in Army after 9/11.
“He was in the Army for 11 years,” Bailey said.
Bailey said he already has a military career path in mind.
“I want to major in defense and strategic studies and minor in French,” he said. “After graduating, I’d like to be a field officer in air artillery or field artillery.”
He said he could go into the defense industry after eventually departing from the Army.
At Festus High School, Bailey played on the varsity tennis team and ran on the cross country team. He is an Eagle Scout.
“I’m very thrilled,” Bailey said of his appointment. “A little nervous, too.”
Bailey was one of three students nominated by Smith from his district to receive an appointment to a military academy. Smith also nominated Fox High 2025 graduate Lois Pippin of Imperial for an appointment to West Point, as well as Poplar Bluff High graduate Michaley Krizman for an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.
“A great privilege of my job is nominating incredibly bright students from the 8th District to attend one of our U.S. Service Academies,” Smith in a written statement. “An excellent student-athlete, Colby was a member of the National Honor Society and captain of the tennis team. And as an Eagle Scout, alumnus of Boys State, and a member of the Model United Nations, he is a natural born leader with strong character. I admire his eagerness to serve our great nation, and I wish this impressive young man the best as he prepares to head off to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.”
Smith’s statement said applicants are considered on the basis of leadership skills, academic success, physical ability and extracurricular activities. A committee of Missouri residents reviewed each application and made nomination recommendations to the congressman.
Smith is currently accepting applications for 2026 nominations to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. To receive a nomination packet via email, contact Smith’s Farmington office at 573-756-9755 or email Donna.Hickman@mail.house.gov. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 24.
Students, parents and educators interested in learning more about academy life and the application process are encouraged to attend Academy Day, set for 9:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 13 at the Jefferson College Field House on the Hillsboro campus.
Attendees will have the chance to meet with representatives from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. To register, send an email to academyday2025@mail.house.gov.
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