7 May Daily Shipmate

Thursday, 7 May 2026

1945 - In the last sinking of a German submarine by American forces in World War II, the destroyer escort Farquhar (DE-139) sinks U-881 in the North Atlantic. The following day, Germany surrenders to the Allies, and Victory in Europe (VE) Day is declared on 8 May.

 

2007 - LT Richard Andersen, Jr. ’02, USN was lost when the SH-60F helicopter he was co-piloting crashed in Nevada during an exercise. Four others aboard were also killed. Richard was the son of a Navy officer, born in Hawaii but calling Virginia Beach home. From a classmate: “Richard was always quiet and thoughtful. He kept mostly to himself and always kept his nose clean. He was always quick to laugh at your jokes, but it was a quiet, almost snickering laugh that seemed to involve his shoulders heaving up and down a good deal. He enjoyed running – both for the exercise, but also I think for the time to be alone with his thoughts. He had a tall, somewhat lanky body to match his running habit. When he talked, it was in full sentences of clear, proper English. He was respectful of everyone he met and I honestly can’t remember him saying a mean word about anyone.” Richard was survived by his parents and two sisters.

 

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Academy & Graduate happenings

We stopped by McGarvey's Saloon & Oyster Bar to hear from alumni battling it out for the top spot—and let’s just say, the competition (and the commentary) is strong.

 

Watch, enjoy the toast, then make your move. One day left.

Lieutenant Bendik is a native of State College, Pennsylvania and graduated with honors from the United States Naval Academy in 2020 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at the Naval Academy, Bendik served as Company Commander, Regimental Commander, Brigade Honor Investigative Officer, two-time Plebe Detailer, two-time Summer Seminar Detailer, member and the designated pianist for the Men’s Glee Club, and member of the Barbershop Quartet.

 

Bendik previously served aboard the USS Wyoming as the Tactical Systems Officer, leading Fire Control, Torpedo and Sonar Divisions. He has previously served as the Reactor Controls Assistant, overseeing key reactor safeguarding equipment as well as Electrical Assistant, leading his team through repairs and routine maintenance of any and all electrical equipment aboard the warship.

 

Another link in a long chain of military service, Bobby follows proudly in the footsteps of his father, Frank Bendik ’90, who currently serves as Class President. His brother, MIDN 2/C Brady Bendik ’27, carries the Bendik family legacy onto the baseball diamond as a starting pitcher for the Naval Academy Baseball Team. Whenever Bobby has the chance to attend one of Brady’s games, you’ll find him in the stands—cheering on his NCAA Pitcher of the Year brother with unmistakable navy blue and gold pride.

Spearmint Energy appoints Weinstein ’88 Executive Vice President, Corporate Development

Spearmint Energy has appointed Michael Weinstein ’88 as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development. Weinstein, who joined the company in 2025, will lead strategic partnerships, capital formation, M&A, and growth initiatives. He has over 25 years of experience in banking, fund management, and investor relations across the energy sector. Spearmint credits him with strengthening investor relationships and supporting its expansion in battery energy storage. Previously, he held senior roles at SunPower, Credit Suisse, UBS O’Connor, Zimmer Lucas Partners, Allegheny Energy, and Goldman Sachs. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, he also served in Operation Desert Storm.

From the Podcast Fleet

Navy women's lacrosse repeated as Patriot League Tournament champions and earned automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Ingrid Boyum, Navy Women's Lacrosse Insider for the Anchors Aweigh podcast, breaks down the convincing victory over archrival Army in the tournament final and looks ahead to Navy hosting first- and second-round games in the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Gavin Hickie joins the pod to talk about the Navy men's rugby loss to California-Berkeley in the national championship game.

Government & Military News

BlackSea Technologies announced Wednesday that it was awarded a five-year, $256 million contract to build and support the Seabased Petroleum Distribution System (SPDS) program. Under the contract, BlackSea will construct up to five SPDS units and support equipment from May 2026 through March 2031. Primary production will be centered in Baltimore with additional work supported by partners along the Gulf Coast. Managed by Navy PMO 314, Logistics Over the Shore, SPDS is a critical expeditionary fuel distribution capability designed to move bulk fuel from sea to shore in locations where traditional infrastructure does not exist. The President of BlackSea is Bob Pudney ’98, a former U.S. Navy officer who spent 21 years in the service's surface and special operations forces before transitioning to corporate leadership in 2019.

The United States Navy Memorial is pleased to announce the appointment of three distinguished leaders with deep ties to the Sea Services to its Board of Directors: Hon. Nickolas H. Guertin - Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RD&A); Founder, Guertin Transformation Associates, LLC; and Senior Research Fellow at Virginia Tech’s National Security Institute. MCPON James Honea, USN, (Ret.) - 16th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy; Relationships Principal & Senior Policy Advisor, USAA. Dr. Jennifer London, PhD. - Advisor and leader of multiple maritime leadership and heritage organizations advancing naval education, history, and public engagement; published author and radio host of The E Pluribus Unum Show. “At a time when connecting Americans to their Sea Services has never been more important, we are proud to welcome these exceptional leaders to our Board. Their depth of experience, from the highest levels of defense leadership to the voice of the enlisted force and the power of strategic storytelling, will challenge us to think bigger, reach further, and ensure that the service and sacrifice of our Sea Services are understood for generations to come,” said VADM John B. Nowell Jr. ’84, USN (Ret.) President & CEO of the U.S. Navy Memorial.

Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is now in the Atlantic

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is now operating in the Atlantic Ocean after sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar on Wednesday, according to ship spotters. As of Wednesday, Gerald R. Ford has been deployed for 315 days, the longest carrier strike group deployment since the end of the Cold War. Since the start of the Vietnam War, only USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) in 1964 and USS Midway (CVA-41) in 1972 have deployed longer for national tasking. Ford, the Navy’s newest carrier, was initially set to operate in Europe and the Middle East before being sent to U.S. Southern Command as part of a massive naval buildup in the region that culminated in the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Gerald R. Ford then was retasked to the Middle East as part of the lead-up to Operation Epic Fury strikes against Iran.

Local, Education & other academy news

On Saturday, 23 May the National Baseball Hall of Fame turns Doubleday Field into something rarer than a legends game. The Hall of Fame Military Classic: A Tribute to Service and Sacrifice brings seven Hall of Famers and two dozen former major leaguers to Cooperstown for a seven-inning game built around one idea — the players on the field carry direct or familial ties to the United States Armed Forces. Wade Boggs, Rollie Fingers, Todd Helton, Fergie Jenkins, Tony La Russa, Scott Rolen, and Joe Torre manage and coach. The roster underneath them is where the day earns its title. LT Mitch Harris ’08 went to the Naval Academy and served five years of active duty before debuting with the Cardinals. Lt. Chris Rowley went to West Point, served, and pitched for the Blue Jays. Nick Ahmed is the grandson of two Army veterans. Jeremy Affeldt is suiting up for his own military family.

Naval Academy Athletics News & Results

Junior starter Brady Bendik winning 2026 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year headlined the Navy baseball team's seven All-Patriot League honorees, as the league office announced its major award winners and all-league selections on Wednesday. Leading the team to its first 30-win season since 2019, the Midshipmen saw Bendik, fellow junior starting pitcher Matt Archibald, freshman infielder Tyler Cripe and outfielder Chris Klug selected to the All-Patriot League First Team while senior infielder Victor Izquierdo, junior infielder Evan Brown and freshman Patrick Walsh were all named to the All-Patriot League Second Team. Becoming the first Navy hurler to take home the league's top pitcher award since Noah Song in 2019, Bendik's honor is also the 12th time the Navy program has had a Patriot League Pitcher of the Year awardee.

The Naval Academy varsity sports programs were recognized once again for their outstanding Academy Progress Rate released yesterday by the NCAA. Only NCAA sponsored sports were eligible. Every Division I program across the nation calculates its APR (academic progress rate) each academic year, which is similar to a report card. Recruited student-athletes each semester earn one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years. National aggregates are based on all teams with usable data at the time of analysis. Men's gymnastics, women's golf, women's soccer and women's rowing all received perfect scores.

The American Football Coaches Association is recommending changes to the college football calendar that would end the season by the second Monday in January, while also pushing for increased access to the College Football Playoff. The AFCA board announced Tuesday four proposed calendar changes: ending conference championship games; reducing open weeks in seasons from two to one; preserving an exclusive window for the Army-Navy game in December but allowing postseason games to be played on the same day; and reducing the minimum number of days between games to no fewer than six. The proposal comes two weeks after the NCAA's Football Oversight Committee recommended that the regular season begin earlier, on the Thursday of what is now known as Week Zero, starting with the 2027 season.

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