21 Jan AA&F Morning Paper

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

1915 - In the aftermath of a boiler explosion on board San Diego (Armored Cruiser No. 6), Ensign Robert W. Cary, Class of 1914, calmly directs evacuation and damage control efforts, while Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad rescues two crewmembers from fire rooms. For their actions, both sailors receive the Medal of Honor.

 

1918 - The 1st Aeronautical Company arrived at Ponta Delgada, Azores, for anti-submarine duty. That unit was one of the first completely equipped American aviation units to serve overseas in World War I.

1943 - RADM Robert English '11, USN, CAPT Robert Smith '20, USN, CDR John Crane '26, USN, CDR Francis Black '26, USN, CDR William Myers '26, USN, LCDR John Coll '27, USN, and LCDR George Stone '31, USN were lost when the flying boat they were aboard crashed near Ukiah, California while enroute from Pearl Harbor to San Francisco. The aircraft, a Pan Am Clipper, was being operated by Pan Am employees but was a contracted Navy flight, and all ten passengers were Navy officers. RADM English was Commander, Submarine Forces, Pacific Fleet; CAPT Smith was Commander of Submarine Squadron 2. The others seem to have been mostly if not entirely members of RADM English's staff.

ACADEMY & GRADUATE HAPPENINGS

This issue will feature former President Jimmy Carter on the cover and multiple features about our Vietnam War alumni in our Legacy of Valor series. Do you prefer reading Shipmate online? Opt out of the print version. In our quest to be the best stewards of our resources, we're continually seeking ways to minimize costs and environmental impact. This includes efforts to reduce paper and ink expenses which have risen dramatically in recent years. If you prefer a digital version of Shipmate and would like to opt out of the print version, login to https://www.usna.com/my-account/my-account-email-subscriptions-2 and click the box to opt out of receiving physical copies. We will be pushing more info out in the coming days, but we are very excited to introduce a sleeker, more user-friendly online reader functionality with this next issue of Shipmate.

In 1966, the Army partnered with the Navy to form Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HA(L)3. This squadron-nicknamed the Seawolves-would only exist in Vietnam and helped U.S. forces better police the 2,500 miles of waterways in the Mekong River delta. Taks Force 116 consisted of river boats, SEALs, and Seawolves with 97 Naval Academy alumni (from the classes of 1949 through 1969) serving in HA(L)3. During its six years of fighting, HA(L)3 members were awarded five Navy Crosses, 31 Silver Stars, 219 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 156 Purple Hearts and 101 Bronze Stars. Learn more about our brave Vietnam War alums in our Legacy of Valor series … running in this coming issue of Shipmate Magazine and on our social media channels. 

Additionally, our Korean War Legacy of Valor content can now be viewed online.

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY NEWS

The U.S. Navy is hoping that new upgrades can let the troubled littoral combat ships can help protect American forces from enemy drones. This week the Navy announced that it had upgraded the Freedom-class littoral combat ship the USS Indianapolis to fire radar-guided AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles for counter-unmanned aircraft system use. The decision comes specifically after months of back and forth fighting between American and Houthi forces in the waters around Yemen, including the Red Sea. Along with those attacks, U.S. troops throughout the Middle East have been repeatedly attacked by drones and rockets fired by pro-Iranian forces since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023.

The U.S. “will have to out-think” Russia and China to prevent them from using nuclear weapons to resolve a future crisis, the outgoing head of the National Nuclear Security Administration said last week. Answering an audience question at the Hudson Institute, Jill Hruby said, “just building a lot of weapons over the long run does not seem like a winning strategy” for deterrence. She added, “we're going to be in a big competition with Russia and China” in the decade ahead. As she leaves office, Hruby pointed to the modernized and variety of weapons in the Kremlin's arsenal and to Beijing's accelerated nuclear weapons procurement and deployment, aided by “its gigantic economy.”

LOCAL, EDUCATION & OTHER ACADEMY NEWS

With the inauguration of a new Administration, Steve Brock '90 departed as the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy Del Toro '83. Steve received the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the highest civilian service honor the Secretary of the Navy can bestow.  Brock previously served in a variety of capacities within the U.S. Department of Defense, the White House, security focused think tanks and corporate advisory boards. On active duty, Brock served in a number of senior capacities in the Navy, where he retired with the rank of Captain. He served, among other roles, Director for Asian Security Affairs on the National Security Council, as Deputy Director for Intelligence (DDI) while assigned to the Joint Staff, Assistant Chief of Staff -N2 (Information Dominance) for Strike Group Eleven (NIMITZ Group), Officer in Charge at the DOD Field Operating Base Europe – Berlin, and Senior Analyst for the United States Seventh Fleet. He also served as Military Advisor to the US Mission to the United Nations. He holds masters degrees from Georgetown University and National Defense University, and a bachelor's degree in Marine Engineering from the United States Naval Academy.

One of Army's former players is enjoying a successful campaign in the NFL. Brett Toth, one of the best offensive lineman in program history, will be competing in the NFC championship game this weekend as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Toth was active in a reserve role, but did not get into the contest.  During his time with the Army, he became a first lieutenant before he received a waiver to pursue his NFL career while serving as an active-duty soldier. That allowed him to sign with Philadelphia in 2019 after he was the last Black Knights player to represent the program at the Senior Bowl.

USNA AND AA&F EVENTS

JANUARY

23 Jan - AA&F Women's Health Webinar - Zoom - 7 p.m. EST

 

FEBRUARY

6 Feb - USNA Ship Selection

15 Feb - Commissioning Week 101, Fluegel

21 Feb - 85th Brigade Boxing Finals

21 Feb - Louisville Chapter + NAPC of Kentucky Roadshow – Louisville, KY (**in support of Navy Men's Gymnastics competing at the Winter Cup Feb 21-23)

22 Feb - Indianapolis Chapter + NAPC of Indiana Roadshow – Fishers, IN)

23 Feb  Cincinnati Chapter + NAPC of Greater Cincinnati Roadshow – West Chester, OH

24 Feb  Columbus Chapter + NAPC of Central Ohio Roadshow – Dublin, OH

27 Feb - Naval Academy Entrepreneurs event, Fluegel, 5 - 9 p.m.

27 Feb - Astronaut Convocation, USNA

 

MARCH

7-16 Mar - USNA Spring Break

12-13 Mar - SACC Atlanta

21 Mar - Distinguished Graduate Award Ceremony and Dinner, USNA (T)

22 Mar - Distinguished Graduate Leadership Panel, Mahan, USNA

27-29 Mar - Naval Academy Minority Association, (NAMA) Leadership Forum

30-31 Mar - Volunteer Leader Summit

 

APRIL

5 Apr - Annapolis Cup - USNA v St. John's Croquet Match

10-12 Apr - Class of 1955 - 70th Reunion

11 Apr - Athletic & Scholarship Programs Spring Meeting - Fluegel Alumni Center

24 Apr - AA&F Vietnam Legacy of Valor Series Speaker Event - FAC

24-27 Apr - Class of 1970 - 55th Reunion

25 Apr - Council of Class Presidents Spring Meeting, Fluegel, TBD

25 Apr - USNA Dedication Parade, Worden Field

30 Apr - USNA Capstone Day

30 Apr - USNA Foundation Spring Board of Directors Welcome Reception

 

MAY

1 May - USNA Foundation Spring Board of Directors Meeting, Fluegel

6-8 May - Class of 1957 - 70th Reunion

7-9 May - USNA Alumni Association Spring Board of Trustees Meeting, Fluegel

8-9 May - SACC Washington DC

14 May - Class of 2028 Herndon Climb

21 May - Blue Angels CFR Event - Hospital Point, USNA

22 May - Color Parade, Worden Field

22 May - USNA Prizes & Awards, Alumni Hall, 2 p.m.

23 May - Class of 2025 Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony, NMCMS

 

25 Jun - Athletic & Scholarship Program Pre-I Day Reception, Fluegel

26 Jun - USNA Induction Day, Class of 2029