Incredible accomplishment: Akmal posing with his certificate during the send-off ceremony in Kuala Lumpur. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Cadet Akmal Musyrif Mohd Shariff is the sole Malaysian admitted to train with the United States Air Force Academy this year.
The 20-year-old from the National Defence University of Malaysia is among 15 international cadets from 45 countries chosen to head to the academy based in Colorado Springs where he will spend four years doing a degree in physics.
The challenging application process focused on physical ability, academic excellence and leadership traits, but Akmal said his biggest hurdle was mathematics.
“I was confident with my fitness assessment but the math test was tough, as I did not touch the subject for a year during my foundation studies.
“I revised everything and managed to pass!” he said during the send-off ceremony hosted by US Embassy Charge d’Affaires Manu Bhalla at his residence here yesterday.
Akmal said his motivation came from his family of army officers. “My father kept encouraging me to join the air force. He brought me to watch Top Gun, and I was mesmerised by the dogfight scenes,” he said.
The second of four siblings, he reserved special mention for his late mother whom he dedicated his achievement to.
Akmal, who departs for the US in two weeks, said he has packed and was prepared for the journey.
“This is my first time travelling abroad alone, but I am looking forward to meeting new people there,” he said, adding that he would miss the food and family and friends here.
“There will be no one that I know and I will have to start anew,” he said.
Bhalla said entering the US service academy involved a stringent process, with the Malaysian armed forces nominating their top cadets.
“They go through a few rounds of interviews with the embassy and the academies themselves.
“If you are chosen, it is a sign that you are truly a future leader, have achieved amazing things and have a lot of potential,” he said.
He described Akmal’s participation in the service academy as proof of the great collaboration between the US and Malaysia.
“When someone as amazing as cadet Akmal is joining, learning and contributing to us, it builds longstanding bonds between our countries.
“He is going to come back to be a symbol of those bonds and bring back memories and experiences that he will deploy here,” he said.
Also present at the ceremony was Maj-Jen Datuk Reizal Arif Ismail, an alumni of the US military academy at West Point, New York.“We are privileged to send one of our finest cadets to compete at the global level. The US service academy has always been esteemed in the Malaysian armed forces to build and nurture future military officers with knowledge and a deep sense of commitment,” he said during his speech.
Every year, the US service academies open applications for international military cadets. Last year, two Malaysian cadets were enrolled.
