Gadsden Times | Twin brothers to join sibling at U.S. Military Academy

When twin brothers Jonah and Micah Mills were kids, they told their parents they wanted to be in the military when they grew up.

Their father had been in the Air Force, and their family had a lot of military history. Four of their father’s six siblings as well as their grandfather had been in some branch of the military.

“They were always playing soldier,” the twins’ mother, Loey Mills, said.

Now the twins will fulfill their dream and join their brother, Canaan, at West Point.

The 18-year-old seniors at Coosa Christian High School received their certificates of appointment last Monday.

Canaan Mills, 19, is in his first year at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

They are the sons of Matthew and Loey Mills. The Mills’ oldest son, Alex, is 20 and a junior at UAB, studying pre-med.

Canaan first thought about attending a military academy when the family went to Washington, D.C., for vacation and visited the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.

“He loved the campus and started thinking about applying,” Loey Mills said. “Then he decided he might as well apply for West Point, too.”

When Canaan found out he had been accepted in December of his senior year at Coosa Christian, he was excited.

“I was really shocked,” he said.

Canaan went last summer to cadet basic training and began classes in the fall. He didn’t know anyone when he arrived at West Point.

He is excited his brothers will have the advantage of having him there already. They also know some of Canaan’s friends.

“It will be pretty cool having my little brothers here,” he said last week in a phone interview from West Point.

Micah went to the Naval Academy for summer seminar last year, while Jonah represented Coosa Christian at Boys State.

Jonah was invited to shadow at West Point, and Micah was considering the Naval Academy.

However, Loey had hoped the twins would choose the same college and was thrilled when Micah decided West Point was his first choice as well.

He talked to Canaan often and decided he wanted to be with his brothers.

“I decided I’d rather be in New York with Jonah and Canaan than be by myself in Maryland,” he said.

All three boys had full academic scholarships to Auburn University. West Point not only provides them with scholarships, but pays for other expenses, too.

Admittance to West Point is based a lot of different criteria.

“You can’t just blow the test off the chart and get in,” Loey said.

Letters of recommendation from congressmen are necessary. They had recommendations from U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt and Sens. Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby.

Leadership abilities also play a big role.

Both boys were team captains in baseball and cross country, and Micah played basketball and football. Jonah also played football.

Both were selected to attend the Etowah County Sheriff’s Leadership Academy last summer.

Jonah is senior class president, Key Club president and an officer in the Beta Club. Micah is an officer in the Key and Beta clubs and is a class officer.

Micah and Jonah participated in dual enrollment through Gadsden State Community College and have 4.0 grade-point averages. Micah scored 29 on the ACT and Jonah scored 30.

“They look at the physical requirements,” Jonah said. Once at West Point, a Division 1 college in several sports, students must participate in a sport of some type.

Loey, a teacher at Coosa Christian, got home from school on Monday before the boys and found their acceptance, inside a case similar to a diploma, scattered in the yard. The postman had left the packages, too big for the mailbox, on the steps and the dog had strewn them.

She could hardly contain her excitement, but had the certificates of acceptance displayed on the counter when the boys got home.

“I was thrilled they both were notified on the same day,” she said.

Jonah and Micah knew notifications had gone out from West Point and were relieved when they found out they were accepted.

“I was just glad to not have to worry about it anymore,” Micah said.

They even got a call of congratulations from Aderholt.

“At first I thought the call was a prank,” Jonah said.

Both boys will go in July for cadet basic training and begin classes in the fall.

“When the kids were little, we always told them they have to get scholarships,” Loey said. “So far they all have.”

The Millses have two daughters, Georgia, 15, and Ashton, 12.

“This is just exciting for our whole family,” Loey said.

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