4 Feb AA&F Morning Paper

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

1919 - Congress created two medals for the naval service, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Cross, which rank second and third, respectively, behind the Medal of Honor. The criterion for the decorations allows them to be awarded for both combat actions and distinguished service in the line of duty.

 

1958 - The keel for Enterprise (CVAN-65), the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was laid at Newport News, Virginia.

1997 - LCDR Mark Ehlers '84, USN was lost when the S-3 Viking aircraft he was piloting crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. Three other crewmen were also lost. They were members of Sea Control Squadron (VS) 22.

ACADEMY & GRADUATE HAPPENINGS

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's goal to get “woke” civilian professors out of military academies and replace them with military personnel would be a tall order. Experts note that recruiting problems are top of mind at the Pentagon, casting doubt on pulling more military personnel into the academies, where around 50 percent of instructors are civilians. “We need more uniformed members going back into West Point, the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy as a tour to teach with their wisdom of what they've learned in uniform instead of just more civilian professors that came from the same left-wing, woke universities that they left and then try to push that into service academies,” Hegseth said at his confirmation hearing. The United States Naval Academy told The Hill it has had roughly a 50-50 split between military and civilian instructors since its founding it 1845, when it began with four military teachers and three civilian ones. Currently, it has approximately 600 teaching faculty, 45 percent military instructors and 55 percent civilian ones.

Former Boeing Japan President Will Shaffer has been transferred to Seoul from Tokyo to oversee the U.S. aircraft manufacturer's Korean operations. Boeing said on Monday that the new Boeing Korea president will also oversee the company's strategy outside the United States, focusing on developing country strategies, assessing global geopolitical risks and identifying new growth opportunities. "It's an honor to join Boeing Korea to lead the operations during a crucial time for our business globally and in Korea," Shaffer said. Shaffer served for a decade as a lieutenant commander and P-3 pilot in the U.S. Navy, after earning a bachelor's degree in oceans engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1992.

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY NEWS

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy's deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Feb. 3, 2025, based on Navy and public data. In cases in which a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.

The U.S. Marine Corps released a revised aviation strategy Monday that focuses on using autonomous systems, drones and artificial intelligence-driven software to ensure its aircraft fleet can survive in a fierce war zone. And the Corps is also shifting its procurement plans for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to buy more carrier-based F-35Cs and fewer of the B variants that can hover and vertically land. The Corps billed its 2025 Marine Corps Aviation Plan, the service's first in three years, as a “roadmap to enhancing operational readiness and ensuring Marine aviation remains a lethal force.”

Veterans Affairs officials will require thousands of department staffers to return to in-office work by the end of February, part of a government-wide effort to eliminate remote duty assignments launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. About 20% of VA's 479,000 employees — nearly 96,000 individuals — currently have full-time or part-time telework arrangements, according to the department. It was not clear from VA's announcement how many of them will see changes in their status in the next few weeks. Officials insisted the move back to the office is about fairness and efficiency.

NAVAL ACADEMY ATHLETICS NEWS & RESULTS

Coming into the 2024 college football season, not much was expected out of the Navy Midshipmen. Heading into Year 2 under head coach Brian Newberry, the team was mired in a tough stretch. They had finished under the .500 mark in four consecutive campaigns and five out of the previous six. Replacing someone who was as successful as Ken Niumatalolo is certainly not an easy task, but the school was confident Newberry was the right man for the job. It turns out, they were right.

Presented by Navy Federal Credit Union, here is a summary of this week's Navy athletics activities.

USNA AND AA&F EVENTS

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

22 Mar - Distinguished Graduate Leadership Panel, Mahan, USNA

22 Mar - Annual Gathering for USNA Women - 1 p.m. @ Hopper Hall

22 Mar - Fencing (club) Alumni Meet - Dahlgren Hall

26 Mar - Alumni Mentoring Program (AMP) Class of 2025 enrollment

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

30-31 Mar - Volunteer Leader Summit

 

APRIL

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

5 Apr - Women's Lacrosse Alumni Appreciation Day (Home Game vs. Holy Cross)

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

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

11-12 Apr - Men's Soccer Alumni Weekend

12 Apr - Navy Letterwinners Association Army/Navy Men's Lacrosse Tailgate

23 April - Bonds of Gold Ceremony

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 BOD meeting, Fluegel

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

7-9 May - USNA Alumni Association Spring BOT 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 Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony, NMCMS

 

17-18 Jun - Entrepreneur Summit - Fluegel

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

26 Jun - USNA Induction Day, Class of 2029