- April 20, 2024
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Rep. Ron DeSantis nominated 18-year-old Jonathon Gebbia for the U.S. Naval Academy last week.
BY EMILY BLACKWOOD | STAFF WRITER
Ormond Beach teen Admiral Jonathon Gebbia was one of 35 candidates honored with a congressional nomination for the U.S. Naval Academy from Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis Friday, Jan. 17.
The 18-year-old senior at Seabreeze High said it's his goal to become a doctor in the Navy.
“I’m excited,” he said. “It was just a lot of work. It was strenuous, but it paid off.”
In DeSantis’ opening speech, he not only congratulated the young candidates but talked about how he would fight to stop the government from cutting veteran’s pensions.
“The only place where (Congress) actually found a place to cut was on veteran’s pensions,” DeSantis said. “ The only thing in the whole spending plan. It wasn’t something that I supported.“
He went on to talk about the small percentage of people willing go into military careers and how the candidates who received nominations had a long road ahead of them.
“You don’t have all of society invested in this,” DeSantis said. “Eighty percent of the public really has no personal connection with any of (the military). We don’t know what is going to happen four of five years from now. I’m lucky to be able to nominate people who are going to do a good job in the academy and as officers in our services.”
