Northeast South Dakota News

Landon, who serves as Military and Veteran Services Representative for Congressman Dusty Johnson, shared his journey from joining the Army National Guard at age 17 to graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He recounted how the events of September 11, 2001, motivated him to serve in the military.

After serving as an infantryman in the Iowa National Guard and seeing combat in Afghanistan in 2011, Landon began considering his next steps. “I had already spent a year at South Dakota State University, and I wondered if I would go back there. But I felt it would be hard for me to go back to a ‘normal’ school environment after my experiences in Afghanistan. I wanted more purpose and direction in my life,” he said.

Landon applied to West Point with support from his commander and pursued additional nominations from congressional offices. He was accepted into the Class of 2016 before completing those applications. “Attending West Point was the greatest adventure of my life. I was pushed to my limits and grew in many ways. I met other determined and driven people like me and gained confidence as I accomplished things I didn’t know I could do,” he said.

Following graduation, Landon became an Infantry Officer, completed Ranger School, led a platoon of soldiers during another deployment to Afghanistan, served as a Company Executive Officer, and later became a Ranger Instructor.

“My experiences at the Academy and in the Army shaped who I am today. It is a path that is not for the weak or fainthearted, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said.

Congressman Dusty Johnson’s office is currently accepting Service Academy nominations for several academies including West Point. Landon encourages interested students to apply: “For anyone who thinks they’re up to the challenge, I encourage you to apply to attend a Service Academy.”

Information on applications can be found at https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/services/service-academy-nominations or by calling 605-275-2868.

Dusty Johnson has represented South Dakota’s at-large district in Congress since 2019 after succeeding Kristi Noem (https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/about). Born in Pierre in 1976, Johnson lives in Mitchell (https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/J000301), and graduated from the University of South Dakota with a BA in 1999.