25 August Daily Shipmate

Tuesday, 25 August 2026

VADM John Nowell '84, USN (Ret.) President and CEO of the Navy Memorial, donned the race car gear and helped host sea service members, veterans and their families, Gold Star Families and Fisher House Families this past weekend for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington DC.

1958 - Commander Forrest S. Petersen makes his first flight in NASA's X-15 high-speed research aircraft. Petersen is the only active-duty naval aviator assigned to the program.

 

1975 - LTJG Richard Been '72, USN was lost when an arresting cable aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV 42) snapped, sending his F-4 Phantom II into the sea off the coast of Florida. At the Naval Academy was a Battalion Commander and twice lettered on the football team. Richard is also included in the Navy Rugby Hall of Fame. He was survived by his wife, parents and three sisters. Other alumni lost on this day are listed at Virtual Memorial Hall.

 

1982 - Sixth Fleet amphibious ships land 800 personnel from the 32nd Marine Amphibious Unit at Beirut, Lebanon, where, for the following 16 days, they serve as part of a multinational peacekeeping force. While ashore, the Marines assist in evacuating some 12,000 Palestinians from Lebanon on board merchant vessels escorted by Sixth Fleet warships.

 

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

RADM Gary Montalvo Jr. '97, USN assumed command of Submarine Group 7 from RADM Lincoln Reifsteck, USN during an 17 August ceremony, according to a Wednesday news release from the group. The group, which functions as 7th Fleet's Task Force 74 and 5th Fleet's Task Force 54, oversees at least five fast-attack submarines and the submarine tenders USS Frank Cable and USS Emory S. Land, all homeported on Guam. Montalvo, of Santurce, Puerto Rico, most recently served as director of maritime headquarters and sustainment for the U.S. Pacific Fleet. “Let's buckle up and let's get to it,” he told sailors attending the ceremony, according to the release. Montalvo joined the Navy after high school in North Carolina and later graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy.

NASA has named Joseph R. Schuyler '93 as the next deputy director of the agency's Stennis Space Center. In this role, Schuyler will assist the center director in managing NASA's primary rocket propulsion testing capabilities, which help the agency's missions sustain American scientific, economic, and national security leadership and overseeing a diverse multi-agency federal city of more than 50 resident agencies. Schuyler, a native of Newburgh, New York, began his career as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, serving as the leader of Supply and Logistics at the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Schuyler earned a bachelor's degree in physics from the United States Naval Academy in 1993.

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 changed command on 20 August during an airborne ceremony at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, where CDR Michael Lindsey '08, USN assumed leadership from LtCol Aaron Okun '07, USMC. Lindsey assumes command after serving as HX-21's chief test pilot. Okun will join the Marine Aviation Detachment at NAS Patuxent River as the executive officer. Lindsey, a Palmdale, California native and U.S. Naval Academy graduate, has more than 1,700 flight hours in 24 aircraft. Okun, a Canton, Massachusetts native and U.S. Naval Academy graduate, has accumulated more than 1,900 flight hours in 35 aircraft. HX-21 is a component of Naval Test Wing Atlantic, the test wing under the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division.

From the Podcast Fleet

Season 6, Episode 3. Let's get after it. Chris and John talk about this past weekend's road trip to San Diego for Men's Soccer, the new Volgeneau Auditorium in Mahan Hall and our excitement for the upcoming football season. Don't forget our first “Alumni Pre-Game” 1130-1330 Sept. 5th before the Towson game! Our alum interview this week is with Stephen DiBartolomeo '16. Stephen graduated, served in the Intel/Crypto community and is now making his own way as an Entrepreneur and business leader in the tech space with Chiplytics. We have a great conversation about the challenges in that sector and how making that transition worked out for Stephen. And we shout it out to Run To Honor as we approach this weekend's big Annapolis 10 Miler.  That and more on the best Alumni Association & Foundation podcast in the land. We…are….OUT. Beat Army. Always.

Listen on

Government & Military News

Sailors, reserve members and civilian staff of the U.S. Navy are being asked to take extreme actions to protect themselves, their families and Navy assets against multiple threats that the military branch has deemed noteworthy. Hung Cao '96, acting Navy secretary, put the Department of Navy's (DON) 340,000 active-duty personnel, 58,000 reserve personnel and 210,000 civilian workers on alert, asking them in part to "remove any information that could identify your connection to the DON" as part of a new written notice titled "Epic Vigilance: Immediate Actions for Force Protection and Personal Security." “In the current global security climate, adversaries and hostile actors are executing a coordinated, multi-domain campaign against the DON enterprise,” the notice reads.

On 22 August 1941, the first U.S. Mine Disposal class graduated its inaugural group of technicians, marking the genesis of Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). These early operators created a standard of robust technical proficiency matched with deliberate, uncompromising bravery, and built a culture of constant learning and improvement. Eighty five years later, these remain the foundation for today's elite, multi-domain Navy EOD force. Since its inception, Navy EOD has focused on permitting the fleet and joint force to retain initiative and maneuver wherever and however needed, undeterred by explosive threats. The early technicians defused and collected intelligence on live enemy ordnance, both on land and underwater, across the Pacific and European theaters of World War II and the Korean War. 

F/A-XX: The U.S. Navy might pick the winner of its 6th-generation aircraft carrier fighter competition within days 

For months, the U.S. Navy (USN) has said it will select a final prime contractor for the 6th-generation F/A-XX carrier-capable fighter by the end of August 2026. Since that self-imposed deadline is coming soon, some handicapping of who will end up in the winner's circle might be useful at this point. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), ADM Daryl Caudle, USN, originally set the August date, with Northrop Grumman (NG) and Boeing/St. Louis. The U.S. Navy has not made a purchase of a fighter aircraft exclusively for its use aboard the carriers since the original F/A-18A/B aircraft was selected from McDonnell-Douglas (now part of the Boeing company) and entered into USN and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) service in 1983. 

Local, Education & other academy news

Steve Doocy visits the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Doocy meets with Lt Gen Paul D. Moga and Brig Gen James M. Valpiani at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cadets demonstrate their rigorous military, flying and athletic preparation, showing off glider operations and robotic defense dogs.

In one of the most significant moments of their cadet careers, more than 1,100 members of the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2028 officially swore allegiance to defend the United States and committed to their final two years at West Point and acknowledged a five-year active-duty obligation during the Affirmation Ceremony on 16 August at Eisenhower Hall Theatre. Honoring their motto, “No Calling Too Great,” the USMA Class of 2028 reinforced its responsibility to the academy and one day serving in the military as members of the Long Gray Line in this annual ceremony for second-class cadets. The event took place a day before the start of the academic year and began with remarks by the class president, Class of 2028 Cadet Xavier Bruchon.

The Annapolis Boat Shows will return to City Dock this October, bringing hundreds of boats, marine products, educational programs and boating enthusiasts back to downtown Annapolis as the waterfront continues to undergo major construction. The Annapolis Powerboat Show will run 8-11 October, followed by the Annapolis Sailboat Show from 15-18 October. The Powerboat Show will feature more than 250 new boats, including center consoles, cruisers, trawlers, inflatables and luxury motor yachts. The City Dock Resiliency Project will result in some changes to the traditional show footprint this year. Portions of the layout have been reconfigured as construction continues along the waterfront. Despite the changes, both shows will continue to include large in-water displays, educational programming and access to exhibitors while maintaining connections to downtown Annapolis restaurants, shops and businesses.

Geary is from Maryland and currently attends Loyola University Maryland, where he is studying Information Systems and Data Analytics. As he prepares to begin his sophomore year, he is focused on continuing to develop the technical and analytical skills that will prepare him for future career opportunities. This summer, Geary supported the team by applying his data and technology knowledge while gaining valuable hands-on experience in a professional environment. He was drawn to the internship because of the people he connected with before joining and because the role aligned well with his existing skill set. Outside of work and academics, Geary enjoys both watching and playing sports. Looking ahead, one of his goals is to travel internationally and experience more of the world beyond the United States.

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