6 Mar Daily Shipmate

Friday, 6 March 2026

1913 - Flying a C-1 flying boat, naval aviators LT John H. Towers '06, USN, and ENS Godfrey DeC. Chevalier '10, USN participate in tactical maneuvers at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, successfully spotting approaching battleships and enabling an attack by destroyers. This successful demonstration of naval aviation's potential to influence sea battles is a high point of aviation's first participation in the fleet's annual winter maneuvers in the Caribbean.

 

1954 - LT Gordon Farmer '48, USN was lost when the airplane he was piloting crashed near USS Essex (CVA 9) while operating in the Pacific Ocean. He was most likely a member of Fighter Squadron (VF) 23. He had enlisted in the Navy in June 1941, and served in the early years of World War II as a carpenter's mate with Torpedo Squadron (VT) 3 aboard USS Enterprise (CV 6) and USS Saratoga (CV 3). He was discharged in June 1943 as a 3rd class petty officer to attend the Naval Academy. As a graduate of the class of 1948-A, he was commissioned in 1947; he was married the same day to his wife Rita, with whom he had a son. His post-graduation career is unknown.

 

1967 - While serving as a machine gunner on board the river patrol boat PBR-124, Seaman David G. Ouellet observes suspicious activity along a bank of the Mekong River. His boat moves in closer to shore and a grenade is thrown at it. Ouellet leaves his machine gun, dashes to the rear of the boat and pushes the boat captain aside, placing his body between his skipper and the grenade. The subsequent blast kills him. For his devotion to his shipmates, Ouellet is awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.

Academy & Graduate happenings

U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Will Stallworth is currently serving as brigade commander for the 2026 Spring Semester. Leading more than 4,400 midshipmen, the brigade commander is responsible for maintaining the highest state of readiness and professionalism, ensuring brigade efficiency, addressing deficiencies to the Commandant of Midshipmen, and, when necessary, recommending corrective action. Stallworth is a robotics and controls engineering major, has service-selected Navy Pilot, and will head to Pensacola, Fl., for flight training after graduation and commissioning. As a Hoover, Ala. native, he didn't have any direct family ties to USNA, but felt called in the direction of a service academy.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, ADM Brad Cooper '89 holds a master's degree in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University and has studied international relations at Harvard and Tufts. On Tuesday, Cooper provided an operational update, detailing the ongoing strikes that have already made significant inroads into Iran's military infrastructure. Cooper said the operation has brought together over 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets and two aircraft carriers to target Iran's ability to project force in the region. The operation, which began last Saturday (28 February), has already seen 2,000 targets struck, including key ballistic missile facilities, Iranian naval assets and air defenses.

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 changed command on 5 March during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., where CDR Robert Beauchamp '07 assumed leadership from CDR Jessica Barrientos '05. Beauchamp assumes command after serving as VX-20's chief test pilot. Barrientos, who led the squadron since October 2024, is set to retire after 21 years of naval service. Beauchamp, a Phoenix native and U.S. Naval Academy graduate, has over 1,600 flight hours in 25 aircraft. Commissioned in 2007, Beauchamp earned a Master of Science in systems engineering analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2008. Barrientos, a Chicago native and U.S. Naval Academy graduate, has accumulated more than 2,800 flight hours in 20 aircraft. Designated as a naval flight officer in 2007, she flew the E-2C Hawkeye 2000 with Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Chaos erupted during a Senate hearing Wednesday when Sen. Tim Sheehy '08, R-Mont., jumped in to help Capitol Police remove a protester — an encounter that may have left the man injured. Video of the incident showed Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, stepping in as officers struggled to remove Brian McGinnis, a Marine Corps veteran running as a Green Party candidate for Senate in North Carolina. Sheehy said in a statement that "Capitol Police were attempting to remove an unhinged protester from the Armed Services hearing."

Government & Military News

After being rerouted to support operations in the Middle East against the Iranian regime, the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford is expected to remain at sea for 11 months, according to Vice Chief of Naval Operations ADM Jim Kilby '86. While the Navy's carrier deployments are slated to last seven months, the Ford's current deployment has been extended and could break previous records set during the Vietnam-era. “That extension will ultimately be about an 11-month deployment, so there will be an impact on her return and the schedule for her maintenance availability so she's ready to go again,” Kilby told lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. “The good part about our public shipyards is they're adjusting that schedule, they're ready to bring back our carrier and maintain her.” The Ford got underway from Naval Station Norfolk on 24 June 2025.

The U.S. Senate voted on legislation that would have required congressional approval to continue U.S. military operations against Iran. The measure, known as a war powers resolution, aimed to halt ongoing hostilities unless Congress formally authorized them. The resolution failed in a 47–53 vote, meaning it did not advance. The vote marked Congress's first major legislative action related to the current conflict with Iran. Because the resolution did not pass, U.S. military operations in the region can continue under existing authorities.

The History Channel has dropped the first look at its upcoming World War II documentary starring America's favorite actor-turned-Second World War documentary voiceover extraordinaire: Tom Hanks. The History Channel is set to drop its whopping 20-part series over Memorial Day weekend. The film is set to uncover “new dimensions of the conflict.”

Local, Education & other academy news

Naval Support Activity Annapolis (NSAA) has issued a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) alert for Norman Thomas George, 51, after he was reported taking multiple photographs outside the U.S. Naval Academy's Gate 3 entry control point on 4 March 2026. According to the alert, the man was observed around 9:50 a.m. photographing the closed gate area, including empty security personnel spaces, along with gates and locks. Officials said he left the area quickly after a Naval Academy civilian employee took photos of him and reported the activity to base police. Base police were unable to locate him in the area, but investigators said a check of the Georgia registration on the vehicle led to a positive identification of George.

Waymo is hoping Baltimore will become the 11th U.S city where its self-driving ride-share program operates, but first the company needs Annapolis lawmakers to pass legislation allowing it to operate in the state. Ethan Teicher, a Waymo spokesperson, said the company is already working in Baltimore ahead of a potential approval. "We need to seek the state's permission and then once we get that, we go through a fairly methodical process of getting up to public operation so," Teicher said.

Naval Academy senior Brock Murtha has sued the NCAA over its denial of his waiver request to play a fifth season of college baseball. A federal court in downtown Baltimore is set to hear arguments Thursday afternoon as Murtha and his attorneys seek a temporary restraining order motion. During a status hearing held last week United States District Judge Julie Rebecca Rubin indicated her intention to rule on the TRO motion from the bench Thursday. Murtha argues that the NCAA refusal to reconsider the appeal harms him not only as a current athlete but as a future military officer. If granted, pending approval by the Patriot League, Murtha would be able to rejoin the Navy baseball team as a player as soon as Friday for the start of a four-game home series against Dartmouth. “This case is about a broken waiver and appeals system within the NCAA,” Murtha told The Capital Gazette on Wednesday evening. “I believe the NCAA acted arbitrarily and in bad faith with regard to my appeals process.”

Naval Academy Athletics News & Results

Spring is at our doorstep, which means USNA spring sports are already underway. Don't miss your chance to see your Navy team on the road. The link below gives you quick access to every Navy Athletics away event throughout the year. Each matchup is organized by major city or state, making it easy to find games near you or plan ahead for future travel. Keep this resource handy so you never miss an opportunity to support Navy Athletics on the road. This is a current listing of preseason and regular season away sporting events in major cities for 2025-2026.

Men's Basketball vs Bucknell - W 74-69

USNA and AA&F Events

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