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20 high school graduates preparing to head to military academies after send-off ceremony at MacDill

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Published  May 28, 2025 9:28pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News
Send-off ceremony for Bay Area cadets

Send-off ceremony for Bay Area cadets

Jordan Bowen reports.

The Brief

    • Twenty high school graduates are deploying into their next chapter as they head to their chosen military academy.
    • Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Laurel Lee held a special send-off ceremony at MacDill.
    • Each cadet had to get a nomination from their congressperson to gain acceptance.

TAMPA, Fla. - Twenty Bay Area high school graduates will soon head to their military academies. Congresswomen Kathy Castor and Laurel Lee held a special ceremony Tuesday night at MacDill to officially send them off.

What they're saying:

"I want to commission as a United States Naval pilot. That'd be awesome," Cadet Gregory Murashkin said.

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They’ve made the ultimate decision to serve their country, which is no small feat.

"I'm thinking of being a pilot, either F-15 or the PAVE Hawk for the Air Force," Cadet Anthony Murashkin said.

Each received a nomination from their Congressperson, granting them admission to their chosen military academy.

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"I'd like to get my helicopter pilot's license and hopefully serve in either the Coast Guard or maybe the Navy," Cadet Ava Booker said.

Big picture view:

Tuesday night, U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor and Laura Lee hosted a special ceremony and send-off with their families at MacDill Air Force Base to congratulate them on their acceptance.

Local perspective:

"It's definitely nervous, but it's the excitement. It's that anticipation. Everybody here has volunteered, raised their right hand, and chosen to serve the United States of America and the Constitution. And I think that's really impressive," U.S. Air Force Major Kaitlin Butler said.

Major Butler knows exactly what it's like for these cadets, because 10 years ago today she was at her cadet send-off ceremony before heading to the Air Force Academy.

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"It's a really hard place to be at. It's tough, it's challenging, it is meant to be that way, but it's really a great place to be from. The amount of pride you have when you graduate is really second to none," Butler said.

Identical twin brothers, Anthony and Gregory Murashkin, are first generation Americans.

"Both my parents are from Ukraine. They grew up in the Soviet Union and kind of seeing what life was like in a dictatorship really wasn't pretty," Gregory said.

They said their parents story inspired them both to serve their country.

"I'm really proud of them, and I'm really happy that they've gotten the opportunity to live here," Anthony said.

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Ava Booker is following in the footsteps of her dad, who served in the Army, and her grandpa, who served in the Air Force.

"My dad encouraged me to try out the service academy, and I worked really hard for it, and now I'm here," Booker said.

Major Butler message to the cadets as they head to academy: "Stick it out, stick with it. It's worth it in the end."

The Source: FOX 13's Jordan Bowen gathered the information in this story from MacDill Air Force Base. 

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