Duripant - Hundreds of off-duty Naval personnel and Federal Navy Academy cadets turned out for a rally to support Mannar presidential candidate Daren Fasio. A retired Rear Admiral, Fasio has received the enthusiastic endorsement of a large segment of military personnel from all of the armed services.
Commander Kevet Rivasse, an Academy astrogation instructor who served as an ensign under Fasio, said, "I have the utmost respect for the man and all he stands for. I know from personal experience that he is capable of making the difficult command decisions, andhe isn't afraid to tell it like it is."
An equally ringing endorsement was given by Cadet Calvine Fouchard. "Politicians got us into this war. It's going to take someone with real military experience to get us out of it. "
Cadet Whelan Jao, president of one of the academy's several pro-Fasio student organizations, has been active in getting the Fasio message heard. "Any time we have leave or downtime between classes, we're out there spreading the word. Be it GalNet or good old-fashioned door-to-door interactions, we want people to understand the threats facing the Federation and that Admiral Fasio's plan is the best way to use our chief strengths as a nation: our dynamic economy and our strong tradition of public service."
Concerns have arisen that public endorsements on the part of Academy faculty amount to the political indoctrination of the cadets. Academy spokesman Gerart Oulallen sought to address that issue directly, saying, "While the Academy itself does not officially endorse any particular candidate, our faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to participate in the political process. Everyone here has sworn an oath to protect our nation's free, democratic ideals. To forbid the teachers or cadets to voice their views would be counter to everything the Federation stands for."