13 May Daily Shipmate

Wednesday, 13 May 2026

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As you reach your final week as Plebes, you took on Sea Trials yesterday and you conquer Herndon today, culminating a year defined by grit, growth and transformation. From I‑Day to this moment, you pushed your limits and emerged stronger, more resilient and more confident in yourselves and one another. Your Another Link in the Chain (ALINC) Class of 1979 has proudly stood by you since you raised your hand on your Induction Day and will continue to support you throughout the next three years by the Severn and well beyond your Commissioning Day. Bravo Zulu ’29!

1846 - The United States declares war on Mexico. The Secretary of the Navy directs Commodore David Conner to blockade Mexican ports and seize any enemy vessels attempting to enter the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The blockade commences the following day and becomes the main focus of U.S. Navy operations during the Mexican War. Secretary of the Navy and founder of the U.S. Naval Academy George Bancroft also orders Commodore John D. Sloat to blockade California and detaches ships from Chinese and Brazilian waters to strengthen Sloat’s Pacific Squadron.

 

1908 - The U.S. Navy Nurse Corps is established. Called the “Sacred Twenty,” the initial nurses are the first women to formally serve in the Navy.

 

1969 - 2LT Theodore Vivilacqua ’68, USMC was killed in action with North Vietnamese forces. He had only arrived in Vietnam in March; he was a platoon commander of Company H, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. “Ted” was a native of Los Angeles, California. From the Lucky Bag: “Here at the Naval Academy, Ted, better known as “Vivi”, excelled in football, rugby, German, and friendliness.” Ted was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action”. He was survived by his mother and a brother. (The Alumni Association has lost contact with the family. If you know how to contact them please email [email protected].)

 

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

Wargames, tug-of-war, log lifts, mud pits, pugil stick jousting, ground fighting, an endurance run across the Naval Academy Bridge with Superintendent LtGen Michael Borgschulte ’91, USMC, and the O-course were just a few of the many stations the Class of 2029 took on yesterday as they competed in the U.S. Naval Academy’s Sea Trials. Fourteen hours of intense physical and mental training tested the Plebes and marked the beginning of the end of their first year as midshipmen. Some alumni would tell you Plebe year was one of the harder years at the academy, but also the most important. The day began with wargames in Alumni Hall, crossed into the Severn River and ended back on Rip Miller Field, where 13th Company took the win. BZ, 13th Company! Tomorrow, the Plebes will compete once more, together, as they scale the 21-foot Herndon Monument slathered from top to bottom in 200 pounds of vegetable shortening “grease.” One goal: replace the Plebe “Dixie cup” cover with an upperclassman’s cover and proclaim, “Plebes no more!”

2026 Trident Scholar Prize awarded to Kelly ’26

The Trident Committee has selected MIDN 1/C Thomas Kelly ’26, an Aerospace Engineering major from the 26th Company, as the Trident Scholar Prize winner for this year. His Trident project is entitled "Experimental Study of Degree of Polarization Invariance in Vectorial Structured Laser Light Propagating Through Underwater Optical Turbulence". He was advised by an all-star team of faculty mentors: Professor Svetlana Avramov-Zamurovic (Weapons, Robotics and Control Engineering), Professor Charles Nelson (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Professor Robert Niewoehner (Aerospace Engineering). The Trident Prize is awarded to the best Trident Scholar project in a given year. It is sponsored by the USNA Class of 1979, and presented at the Prizes and Awards Ceremony during Commissioning Week. The committee would like to also recognize MIDN 1/C Olivia Achenbach ’26 (Astrophysics major) and MIDN 1/C Rory Smith ’26 (Robotics and Control Engineering Honors major) as honorable mentions, for their excellent research work this year.

The Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao ’96 returned to his Naval roots May 2, 2026 when he visited and toured the Kauffman Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Complex. The Navy Secretary was the guest speaker for the 57th annual EOD Memorial ceremony, but also took time to remember his time at the school house. Cao, who graduated the EOD officer course Sept. 13, 2001, found his graduation photo among the hundreds of imagery and artifacts that line the walls of the facility. Before the memorial ceremony, Cao met with EOD gold star families including the parents of Navy LTJG Paul Fowler ’18, a fallen sailor whose name was added to the Memorial's wall in 2023.

Government & Military News

Long-awaited homecoming begins for USS Gerald R. Ford strike group, Navy announces

The U.S. Navy announced Monday that the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is officially heading home, bringing an end to what has been described as the Navy’s longest aircraft carrier deployment since the Vietnam War. In a social media post on Monday, the Navy said squadrons from Carrier Air Wing 8 have already started returning to their home bases, while the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and ships assigned to Destroyer Squadron 2 are expected to arrive in the coming days to conclude the deployment officially. The Norfolk-based carrier strike group deployed in June 2025 and spent nearly 11 months overseas supporting U.S. national security and maritime operations.

The U.S. Navy released its fiscal 2027 ship building plan Monday, laying out the possibility of the service turning to allied nations to build its vessels. The confirmation of potential outsourcing comes after President Donald Trump reportedly rejected previous Navy Secretary John Phelan’s suggestion to build Trump-class battleships abroad to meet the president’s desired delivery of 2028. “Building and maintaining ships in America is central to the president’s vision and strengthens the nation’s industrial base,” the budget document said. “While American shipbuilding remains the priority, the Navy will evaluate overseas options and whether allied and partner shipbuilding can supplement domestic production if U.S. industry cannot meet required timelines.”

New Navy shipbuilding plan: Trump-class battleship nuclear powered, carrier design under review

The new Trump-class battleship will be powered by a nuclear reactor and is not a successor to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, the Navy revealed Monday in its annual 30-year shipbuilding blueprint. The Navy’s shipbuilding plan officially acknowledges for the first time what naval observers have suggested for months – that the potentially $17.5 billion battleship could be nuclear-powered. “The nuclear-powered battleship is designed to provide the fleet with a significant increase in combat power by longer endurance, higher speed, and accommodating advanced weapon systems required for modern warfare,” reads the plan, published Monday.

Local, Education & other academy news

The USS Iowa (SSN 797), commanded by CDR Greg Coy ’06, dropped anchor off USNA in late March to provide tours to Midshipmen, and while in town LTJG Dan Shen ’23 was pinned with his warfare device Dolphins in T-Court. Shen was supported by Coy, LCDR Max Wiechec ’16, LT Trevor Stefanski ’17, LT Laurel Jaunich ’20, LTJG Natalie (Graham) Valentino ’23, various Iowa crewmembers and a large USNA Dolphin Club contingent. The venue greatly surpassed a submarine's crew's mess in terms of splendor, and was followed immediately by a King Hall meal and later on by an incredible evening of liberty in DTA.

USNA Band's Armed Forces Day Alumni Concert & Parade

Get ready to celebrate and enjoy some spectacular music! The U.S. Naval Academy Band is thrilled to invite you to join them for a very special Alumni Concert in celebration of Armed Forces Day. This year's event will be truly unforgettable, as the band will be joined by former enlisted vocalists and instrumentalists from across the decades! The Wind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble and Electric Brigade will perform an inspiring program of patriotic and popular music to celebrate and recognize the service and sacrifice of active-duty U.S. military members and their families.

 

A limited number of seats will be provided. Patrons are highly encouraged to bring lawn chairs to ensure seating! In the event of bad weather, the concert will go on in Mahan Hall.

Naval Academy Athletics News & Results

Yesterday's results:

USNA and AA&F Events

USNA AA&F resources & Links

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