Joseph DiRenzo IV, son of Joseph DiRenzo, III and Commander Karen DiRenzo, NC, USN of Suffolk, Va., will be presented his appointment papers to the United States Coast Guard Academy by Coast Guard Vice Admiral Vivean Crea, Coast Guard Atlantic Area Commander in a ceremony to be held Dec. 29 at 11:30 a.m. at the Coast Guard Atlantic Area Headquarters in Portsmouth, Va.
DiRenzo and his fellow cadets in the class of 2010 will report to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London CT on July 3rd, 2006 to begin Swab Summer, an indoctrination into academy, cadet and Coast Guard life. Following Swab Summer, DiRenzo will study mechanical engineering and work toward a Bachelors of Science degree. DiRenzo plans to compete for the Varsity Swim team while attending the Academy.
Located on the banks of the Thames River the Coast Guard Academy commissions approximately 175 ensigns during graduation exercises in May. Following graduation, newly commissioned ensigns report for duty aboard cutters home ported nationwide. Graduates of the academy are obligated to serve five years.
Thousands of applicants interested in becoming Coast Guard officers seek appointments to the academy each year. Many of those applications come from the service's enlisted ranks. Acceptance to the academy is based on a national merit based search, there are no Congressional appointments. The Coast Guard Academy remains one of the most selective colleges in the country.
DiRenzo, is following in the footsteps of both his parents. His father, a 1982 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, retired in 2003 after 21 years of military service in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and frequent contributer to MarineNews and Maritime Reporter. His mother, is a Commander in the United States Navy Nurse Corps and currently serves as the Officer in Charge of three Navy Medical clinics located at Sewells Point, the
Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Yorktown Weapons Station
DiRenzo, who is an Eagle Scout and National Honor Society member at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
High School in Suffolk, Va, where he is Chairman of the Honor Council and Captain for three Varsity Sports, will graduate in June 2006.