5 May Daily Shipmate

Tuesday, 5 May 2026

The class of ’88 was ecstatic and well represented at last week’s BOT meeting as they joined the BOT in welcoming the new Vice Chairman and classmate MajGen Sparky Renforth ’88, USMC (Ret.) Pictured here are Steve Rasmussen, Joe Brenner, Dwight Fontilla, Matice Wright-Springer, Don Hughes, Sparky Renforth, and Darryl Smith.

1983 - In Beirut, Lebanon, a UH-1N helicopter carrying the commander of the American peace-keeping force, Colonel James Mead, was hit by machine gun fire. The six Marines aboard escaped injury. Colonel Mead and his crew had taken off in the helicopter to investigate artillery and rocket duels between rival Syrian-backed Druze Moslem militiamen and Christian Phalangists that endangered French members of the multinational force.

 

2009 - Capt Aaron Cox ’05, USMC was lost when the AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter he was copiloting crashed in California. “While at Little Rock Central High School, Arkansas, Aaron was a member of the cross-country track team, the all-state swim team, and the Little Rock Lasers swim team. He was an enthusiastic participant in the youth group at St. James United Methodist Church, and reveled in the time he spent at Aviation Challenge in Huntsville, Alabama, during the summers. Aaron is survived by his parents, his sister, Miriam Cox, his maternal grandmother, Velma Cormier Brown, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Also surviving Aaron are the friends he collected throughout his life. Wherever he went, Aaron met people with an easy smile and an open heart. He will be remembered for the kindness, honesty, loyalty and devotion he gave freely and consistently to his family, friends and country, and for a wisdom beyond his years. In addition, The Cox family would like to recognize Erica and Tom Kelly, and their children, of Annapolis, Maryland, for sponsoring and loving Aaron during his years at the U. S. Naval Academy and beyond.”

 

Content in “Today in Navy, Marine Corps and USNA Memorial Hall History” is generously provided by our partners and fellow alumni at the Naval History and Heritage Command and the Run to Honor SIG, which supplies the USNA Memorial Hall content. We are grateful for their partnership in preserving and sharing this history, and the Daily Shipmate is proud to serve as a distribution platform. You can learn more or provide feedback through their respective websites hyperlinked above.

Academy & Graduate happenings

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Members of Congress representing parts of Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina were part of a bipartisan delegation visiting the U.S. Naval Academy to discuss military readiness and training for future officers. Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia and Rep. Don Davis joined several lawmakers for the full-day Congressional Delegation, or CODEL, visit to the academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Lawmakers met with academy leadership, toured campus facilities, and spoke with midshipmen, including students from their home districts. The visit focused on topics such as officer training, infrastructure needs, and the future of military readiness.

Come June, Clinton Cornell ’01 will take the reins as the 92nd U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) commandant and is ready to "forge warriors" in current and future midshipmen. The USNA announced 28 April that the Dickson City, Penn., native and 2001 USNA graduate will officially step into the role during a graduation ceremony this June. He earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at the USNA prior to graduating from the National War College, where he earned a master's degree in national security studies. Cornell will oversee roughly 4,400 midshipmen, being compared to a dean of students at a civilian university who is responsible for day-to-day conduct, military training and professional development. Jennifer Tyll ’01 graduated alongside Cornell and served as the 2001 class president. Tyll said Cornell “certainly doesn’t seek the limelight but is truly a standard to which the future midshipmen should measure themselves against.” “He is a very solid and quiet professional,” Tyll said. “He is just an all-around wonderful person as you look at folks that have qualities that you want to emulate, I think he will be a phenomenal example of that for future leadership.”

Billy Hurley III and the Brave Golf Tournament is an annual charity event hosted by PGA Tour champion and U.S. Naval Academy graduate Billy Hurley III. The tournament is the flagship fundraiser for the Billy Hurley III Foundation, which aims to support and honor military families. The tournament offers a unique opportunity for active-duty service members to interact with Billy, who continues to give back to the veteran community now that he has long left the PGA Tour. The event typically hosts dozens of active-duty servicemen and servicewomen who are selected via raffle or application. Among the alums playing in yesterday’s tournament were Naval Academy Athletic Foundation Chairman ADM Bill Moran ’81, USN (Ret.), Jim Kelly ’77 and Scott Schuetter. The Alumni Association & Foundation was happy to continue to support Billy and the Tournament with a silent auction item from Fleet of Podcasts sponsor Dry 85. Learn more about the Billy Hurley III Foundation at the link below.

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 4 May 2026, 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.

Welcome to the CavasShips Podcast with Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello ’99…a weekly podcast looking at naval and maritime events and issues of the day – in the US, across the seas and around the world. This week…we dive into the week’s war headlines, as well as the Pentagon budget release with USNI News’s Sam La Grone and Mallory Shellborne.

President Donald Trump’s vow to shrink America’s military deployment in Germany has put a new spotlight on the U.S. role in Europe. There are usually 80,000 to 100,000 troops on the continent, with more than 36,000 in Germany. The Pentagon announced Friday that it would remove 5,000 troops from Germany, and Trump said the next day that he would go “a lot further” than that. The U.S. military presence is a legacy of World War II, when Americans helped stabilize and rebuild Europe, and the Cold War, when the troops served as a bulwark against Soviet expansion. More recently, the deployment has played a key role supporting operations in the Arctic, Africa and the Middle East including the current conflict with Iran.

The U.S. military said it destroyed six Iranian small attack boats and intercepted multiple cruise missiles and drones launched by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4. According to Adm. Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command, the attacks targeted U.S. naval vessels and commercial ships participating in “Project Freedom,” a new operation designed to reopen and secure one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. U.S. forces reportedly used layered air and sea defenses to neutralize every threat, and no American ships were damaged. The clash marks another major escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Local, Education & other academy news

This past week, Midshipman Brigade leadership turned over to the incoming staff led by the Class of 2027. From now on, ’27 will be in charge of the Brigade as ’26 prepares to commission into the Fleet. As Commissioning Week nears, we are excited to welcome family and friends of the Class of 2026 to the Naval Academy soon. Before you arrive, visit the Commissioning Week website for important information — event schedules, maps, transportation options, gate hours, security updates and more. Plan ahead and stay informed at the link below.

Graduating from United States Naval Academy connects you to a lifelong network, and myUSNA helps keep that connection strong. It is where alumni reconnect with classmates, company mates, teammates, Chapters, SIGs, parent groups and fellow graduates across the world. Members stay informed on news that matters to them like Academy news, events, and success stories from the Fleet to the C-suite while also discovering opportunities for mentorship, career networking, entrepreneurship and volunteer service. Whether you want to give back, grow professionally, need transitional support to civilian life or simply stay connected to the Yard, myUSNA keeps the bond alive long after graduation.

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