Appointments to fill vacancies from this category are made from candidates in order of merit. One hundred appointments are authorized each year.

(a) The child of a Regular or Reserve member of the Armed Forces of the United States is eligible for nomination if:

(1) The parent is on active duty and has completed 8 years of continuous active duty service (other than for training) by July 1 of the year that the candidate would enter the U.S. Air Force Academy; or

(2) The parent was retired with pay or was granted retired or retainer pay (children of reservists retired and receiving pay pursuant to 10 U.S.C., chapter 67, are ineligible); or

(3) The parent died after retiring with pay or died after being granted retired or retainer pay (children of such reservists who were retired and receiving pay pursuant to 10 U.S.C., chapter 67, are ineligible); and

(4) The applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements for the Children of Deceased or Disabled Veterans (CODDV) nomination category. (By law, a person eligible for appointment consideration under the DOCCV category is not a candidate in the Presidential category.)

(b) An eligible individual applies to USAFA/RRS, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 80840-5651. A suggested letter format is included in the precandidate packet. The nominating period opens on May 1 and closes January 31. Applicants do not write directly to the President of the United States, since the applications are processed by the Air Force Academy.