Matlock picks Air Force Academy

Wa-Hi JROTC Battalion Commander selected to ALL FOUR U.S. Service Academies – By Wa-Hi JROTC

The Walla Walla High School senior who currently commands the "Blue Devil Army JROTC Battalion" will join the next class of cadets at one of the nation's four service academies shortly after graduating here in June ... after receiving appointment to them all.

Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet Lt. Col. Luke B. Matlock has elected to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colo. He had applied to all four U.S. service academies beginning more than a year ago and recently learned he had been selected for admission and had earned appointments to the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard academies. He enters the USAFA on June 25 and will be enrolled as a member of the Class of 2024. When he graduates, he'll be commissioned as an Air Force second lieutenant.

"That's pretty much a dream shot for applicants to the service academies because it's such a rigorous process just to be selected for even one. Cadet Matlock was simultaneously accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., which produces Army commissioned officers, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., which commissions Navy and Marine Corps officers, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at New London, CT and the USAF Academy," said a community veteran who learned of his four official appointments. "To be selected by all four academies is an almost unbelievable achievement."

Matlock says his path to the service academies began about six years ago when he joined the Civil Air Patrol (CAP).

"I knew by middle school that it was time to focus on the future and create a path to get there. I've been interested in aviation for a very long time. A couple years ago, as a CAP cadet, I got to attend a familiarization program in Mississippi and it was there that I saw the Air Force pilot culture and I was hooked immediately," Matlock said. "I knew then that my future would be centered on aircraft and flying in some way. I've kept the goal of becoming a military pilot for one of the services in focus ever since."

The commander of the "Twin-W Composite CAP Squadron," where Luke has been a member, recognized the drive and potential early in Matlock's CAP membership.

"Our Cadet Captain, Luke Matlock, came in like all of our new cadets. He knew he had a lot to learn. Recognizing that fact, he applied himself in an excellent manner. He was a really fast learner and within six months he was on his way to future leadership positions. As he advanced through sergeant and lieutenant, and on to CAP Cadet Captain, it was clear he was a driven young man," said Lt. Col. Ted Hanson, squadron commander. "We could all tell that he had a singular and definitive drive. He wants to fly airplanes! He always wanted to learn more and know more. To help get himself toward his goal, he learned to ask really good questions, always shared his really great ideas, and as a result, Luke has excelled at everything he does. Our squadron couldn't be happier for his achievement and his decision to attend the Air Force Academy."

Matlock attended Berney Elementary School and went on to Pioneer Middle School. It was at "Pi-Hi" he first met Ron Higgins, who was his assistant principal there. Luke later reconnected with Ron when he became the new principal at "Wa-Hi" where Matlock had become an Army JROTC cadet.

"When I was the  assistant principal at Pioneer Middle School, Luke was in 7th and 8th grades. Even then, he stood out because he had a tremendous drive and excellence was always his minimal standard. I always knew him to be focused on setting only the highest standards for himself, and achieving them. Later, as his high school principal, it was eminently clear that he was one of those students that you knew had a clear sense of purpose, he was someone who wanted to get somewhere and do great things," said Higgins. "I've had conversations with Luke and his family, and his JROTC instructors. At every turn, people have recognized his work ethic and the drive that sets him apart. His excellent academics and his role model positions in JROTC and CAP serve well as the kind of example for others here on campus to show they can attain their dreams, as well. Luke and other standout Wa-Hi graduates are testimony to what a student can achieve if they apply themselves here."

Luke must have been doing something right, he's taken five honors classes in mathematics, science and English, as well as 10 advanced placement classes in English, social studies, science, and mathematics. Between his classes, Civil Air Patrol, and JROTC he somehow finds time to be a competitive swimmer with a traveling league and has been a member of the Wa-Hi swim  team for four years. The team qualified for the state championship tournament for the past two years. Matlock has also been a volunteer tutoring reading and mathematics at Berney Elementary School where his mother, Annette, is an office administrator.

Luke credits the public schools for giving him the many tools he needed to find academic success and his path to a future career. That educational excellence is the goal of the Walla Walla school system.

"Luke's accomplishments are a testament to his hard work and commitment," said Walla Walla Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wade Smith. "He is a role model for future students and a shining example of our vision of 'Developing Washington's Most Sought-After Graduates.'"

Matlock certainly was sought after, to be sure. In addition to the service academies, he was offered Navy and Air Force ROTC scholarships at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in Daytona Beach, Fla. ERAU is described as the largest, fully accredited university system specializing in aviation and aerospace.

After advancing from Pi-Hi, he came to Wa-Hi and discovered the Army JROTC program.

"As soon as he joined our program, we could tell he had the potential to be someone very special. He learned fast, was a deep thinker, excellent planner, and had an aptitude for leadership roles," said Sgt. 1st Class Mark Mebes, WWHS Army JROTC Instructor. ”As a cadet here in the program, he held every leadership position you can get, up to and including commanding the battalion. Like nearly a dozen battalion commanders before him, he also won the Scottish Rite Achievement Award for cadet excellence. In our battalion, that has become one of our most sought-after awards.”

Mebes thinks he knows why Matlock chose the Air Force Academy, after working with him for four years.

"While Luke has been a member of the battalion, our program won top honors as a 'Junior ROTC Honor Unit with Distinction.' The standards to achieve that Army-wide recognition are incredibly demanding. The fact that he commanded a company when the unit earned that recognition, and then earned the battalion command, gave him a big leg up when applying to the service academies," Mebes said.

"Sarge is right, that unit recognition was a big factor in my selection by the Air Force. My final decision came to several points. I elected to attend the Air Force Academy especially for the aviation-centered opportunities and the mission support activities. In the Air Force, I hope to become a pilot and fly, or even work with our country's satellite programs. But, getting to that took getting accepted to the Academy. I was amazed to get invitations to all of them," Matlock said.

Excellence and military service run in his family, according to Matlock. His father, Glenn, is a West Point graduate who went on to federal civil service after completing his time in the Army. He is currently an engineer at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in Walla Walla. His sister is an Army ROTC cadet at the university she attends.

"I hope all these wonderful people know just how much I appreciate them. I want to become a pilot and I have to thank them for helping me get this far," Matlock said. "I hope I can somehow motivate and inspire others to do their best with the opportunities we can all find if we work hard for them. I hope to make everyone proud of me who invested something of themselves in me."