21 August Daily Shipmate

Friday, 21 August 2026

This week's editions of Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation Morning Paper are brought to you by Otterson Wealth Advisors and Naval Academy graduate Caleb Cronic '11. Otterson Wealth Advisors of Raymond James is not just a team. It's a vast resource of financial knowledge, with each member bringing their unique expertise to your financial success. Caleb Cronic '11, financial advisor and Naval Academy graduate, is a CIMA-certified pro. His strategic prowess is your asset working towards your financial goals. Ready to begin to your journey? Otterson Wealth Advisors … your goals, our expertise.

Swotivating!  Former Navy QB Tai Lavatai '24 earns surface qualification pin on USS Cooperstown (LCS 23)

From Cooperstown Commanding Officer: “OUTSTANDING day for COOPERSTOWN! My SUPPO just earned his warfare qualification pin 🤗. LTJG Tai Lavatai '24, USN, went from quarterback at the Naval Academy to ROCKSTAR on the water front! He has been such an amazing leader who cares for his Sailors and I am proud to serve alongside him. His Hall of Fame effort day in and day out is a perfect example for ALL to emulate! GO NAVY, beat Army.” Congrats to Tai!

1950 - Signaling the intensification of the air war over Korea, aircraft from the carriers Valley Forge (CV-45) and Philippine Sea (CV-47) set new records for operations, completing 202 sorties in one day in the Pyongyang, North Korea, area.

 

1956 - An F8U Crusader piloted by Commander Robert W. Windsor sets a new national speed record of 1,015.428 miles per hour over a 15-kilometer course at the Naval Ordnance Test Station in China Lake, California. The F8U becomes the first operationally equipped aircraft to exceed 1,000 miles per hour.

 

2003 - LT Kylan Jones-Huffman '94, US Naval Reserve was killed in action near Hillah, Iraq, by Iraqi insurgents while serving as an intelligence officer with I Marine Expeditionary Force. He was the first mobilized reservist to be killed in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Fluent in Arabic, Farsi, French and German, Kylan had also earned a master's degree in history from the University of Maryland. Following surface warfare tours in a Frigate and Mine Countermeasures Ship, he taught history at the Naval Academy for about two years. He worked for a year with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; his first day of work was 11 September 2001. He had been accepted to a doctorate program at George Washington University, but had not yet started. Kylan was survived by his wife. Other alumni lost on this day are listed at Virtual Memorial Hall.

 

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

The U.S. Naval Academy is proud to announce a generous donation that will transform the historic Mahan Auditorium and secure its future for generations of midshipmen. In recognition of this kind gift from the Volgenau Family, the auditorium within Mahan Hall has been officially renamed the Volgenau Auditorium at Mahan Hall (Dr. Ernst Volgenau is Class of 1955 and RADM Douglas Volgenau (deceased) was Class of 1959). This gift will modernize the historic venue's infrastructure, update seating and interiors, and install cutting-edge audio-visual capabilities to expand opportunities for midshipmen and staff.  A portion of the gift will also establish a permanent endowment that will safeguard the auditorium's future by funding ongoing maintenance, routine repairs, and state-of-the-art technological improvements.

 Shield AI, the defense-tech company building the world's best AI pilots and next-generation aircraft, today announced its X-BAT has been named the Official Autonomous Aircraft of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA. Shield AI also joins as an Associate Sponsor of America's Game. The 127th Army-Navy Game will take place 12 December 2026, at MetLife Stadium. X-BAT is an AI-piloted, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fighter jet designed for expeditionary and maritime operations in contested environments. "There's no game like Army-Navy," said Brandon Tseng '08, Shield AI's president and co-founder. "I started Shield AI because I deeply believed in the mission of our Armed Forces and that technology could be better leveraged to help accomplish that mission. With 15% of our workforce made up of veterans and dozens of service academy graduates on our team, supporting this game and Army and Navy athletics is a natural extension of who we are. Being part of America's Game is an honor."

LTJG Lillian Freeman '24, USN, earned her Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) pin aboard USS Preble (DDG 88) in Yokosuka, Japan, on 3 August 2026. The SWO qualification is a major professional milestone for Navy surface officers, recognizing extensive knowledge of ship systems, navigation, combat operations, damage control and leadership at sea. Freeman completed the rigorous qualification process while serving aboard the guided-missile destroyer. Earning the coveted warfare insignia signifies that she has demonstrated the competence and leadership expected of Navy surface warfare officers. The accomplishment marks an important step in her naval career and reflects months of training, study, and practical experience aboard ship. Freeman was awarded her SWO pin by fellow alum and her Commanding Officer, CDR Andrew Vann '09, USN, and by the ship's Main Propulsion Assistant.

Recently serving as the backdrop for the Class of 2028's 2 for 7 signing ceremony, the transformed space is both stunning and deeply meaningful. More than just a beautifully restored venue, Memorial Hall stands as a place of reflection, remembrance and honor, paying tribute to Naval Academy graduates who gave their lives in service to the nation. Whether you're returning to campus for the first time in years or visiting regularly, Memorial Hall offers a powerful reminder of the values, sacrifices and legacy that connect generations of alumni.

From the Podcast Fleet

Anchor's Aweigh Podcast: The Anchors Aweigh podcast previews the Navy women's soccer season by talking to legendary head coach Carin Gabarra and junior defender Lauren Toms. The Midshipmen return a ton of talent and are looking to bounce back after failing to qualify for the Patriot League Tournament in 2025. Coach Gabarra likes what she sees out of this squad, which has great depth and competitiveness at every position. 

Government & Military News

Carrier USS George Washington Now in the Middle East

USS George Washington (CVN-73) arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility yesterday, the combatant command announced on social media. The aircraft carrier, which was accompanied by cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62) and destroyer USS Shoup (DDG-86), transited the Arabian Sea on Thursday, according to the CENTCOM post on social media site X. It is not clear how close GW is to the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is expected to relieve the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, but a Navy official could not say when USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and its escorts would head home. It could take a month or longer for Lincoln to travel back to the U.S. West Coast, based on previous carrier transits.

President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum allowing qualified foreign shipbuilders to construct certain U.S. Navy vessels overseas as part of an effort to reduce production delays and accelerate fleet growth. The plan would allow foreign companies to build the first two ships of selected classes abroad, provided they acquire or partner with a U.S. shipyard, transfer technology, establish domestic supply chains, and build subsequent ships in the United States with an American workforce. The framework is aimed at light surface combatants, fleet replenishment tankers, and sealift vessels. The move has drawn criticism from lawmakers and industry leaders who argue it could shift jobs and investment away from American shipyards. The memorandum also calls for a fifth public naval shipyard, reforms to Naval Sea Systems Command, and changes to future aircraft carrier launch systems.

The U.S. military has quietly established a protected shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz to help maintain the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf despite ongoing regional conflict. According to U.S. officials, the operation has been underway for several weeks and allows oil tankers to transit through a southern route along Oman's coastline during nighttime hours. Officials say between 15 and 20 tankers are using the corridor each night, carrying approximately 10 million barrels of oil per day, about half of the volume that moved through the strait before the conflict. The effort is helping stabilize energy supplies and reduce pressure on global oil markets, even as broader fighting in the region remains unresolved. U.S. officials described the operation as a significant success in ensuring maritime commerce can continue through one of the world's most strategically important waterways.

Local, Education & other academy news

Isaac Hubert, as the lone exhibit introduced, could be entered as evidence of the attitude and toughness within Air Force Football's defense. The senior outside linebacker, bloodied in the process, beat national boxing runner-up Thomas Kensinger and captured the Wing Open heavyweight title when the referee stopped the fight in the third round in February. “What a dude,” football coach Troy Calhoun said. **Hubert is the son of Amy Hubert USNA '95 and Rob Hubert USNA '96.

LTG James B. Bartholomees III '95, USA, officially became the 62nd Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point during a change of command ceremony on 17 August succeeding LTG Steven W. Gilland. A West Point graduate, Bartholomees most recently served as Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles with the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), and U.S. Army Pacific, with deployments to Haiti, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Gilland retired after 36 years of Army service, concluding a tenure as superintendent that began in 2022.

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