15 September Daily Shipmate

Tuesday, 15 September 2026

Ask Tim Ogden '95 about Blue Ivy Partners, the company he founded in 2016, and the story begins with naming the company, starting with Navy’s namesake color. After the Academy and five years as a Marine, Tim led technical teams at two world-class technology companies for 15 years. In 2016, he started Blue Ivy Partners to serve Defense and National Security customers through new technology procurement with speed and precision.

Each May, Blue Ivy hosts an appreciation event for their team and technology partners in Annapolis to enjoy the flight show of the Blue Angels, whose culture of excellence, performance and communication have been inspirations. And every week on Fridays, each Blue Ivy teammate ties his or her work back to four core values: partnership, service, integrity, and innovation.

 

today in u.s. navy and marine corps history

1918 - While serving with the 6th Marine Regiment during an advance on German positions at Thiaucourt, France, Hospital Apprentice First Class David E. Hayden observes a Marine fall wounded. Disregarding his own safety, Hayden dresses the man’s wound under fire and carries him to safety. For his actions, he is awarded the Medal of Honor.

 

1950 - In one of the most daring operations in military history, the ships of Task Force 90 under the command of RADM James H. Doyle ’20, USN, pass through a narrow channel and land the First Marine Division at Inchon, South Korea. The first action occurs at heavily fortified Wolmi-Do Island, which had been shelled by destroyers and bombed by carrier aircraft during the previous days, and the Marines plant the American flag after 45 minutes of fighting. In the afternoon, the Marines begin the assault against Inchon, with tank landing ships supplying them through the night as they secure the city. Writes General of the Army Douglas MacArthur in a message to Commander Seventh Fleet VADM Arthur Struble ’15, USN, “The Navy and the Marines have never shone more brightly than this morning.”

 

1966 - Seventh Fleet Amphibious Ready Group vessels put Marines ashore in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, as part of Operation Deckhouse IV.

 

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.

In Memoriam from usna memorial hall

Other alumni lost on this day are listed at Virtual Memorial Hall.

Academy & Graduate happenings

USS Hampton Change of Command

On 11 September, CDR Grant Wanier ’06, USN, completed his command tour aboard USS Hampton (SSN 767) and turned over command to CDR Ryan Gieleghem, USN, during a change of command ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine. Under Wanier’s leadership, Hampton’s crew completed the ship’s service life extension program in just 143 days, 27 days ahead of schedule. This impressive accomplishment is a testament to the dedication of the Hampton crew, the shipyard team and the leadership that brought them together to achieve such an accelerated timeline. Several of Wanier’s brothers from the Class of 2006, (fellow 5th Company Rocks) joined him to celebrate including: John Doherty ’06, CDR Jacob Yanofsky ’06, USN, CDR Matthew Hezel ’06, USN and Paul Magnuson ’06.

Landon Robinson ’26 showed up to his NFL debut making a statement. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Robinson was a seventh-round draft (226th overall) pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in April. He stuck with the team throughout training camp and impressed enough during the preseason to make the team's initial 53-man roster as depth along the defensive line. Robinson, 23, arrived at Paycor Stadium for his team's Week 1 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Marine Dress Blues, which featured a blue jacket, white pants and a white captain's hat.

Join us for an evening of networking and connect with fellow alumni. Welcome to the **USNA Entrepreneurs - Fall Speaker Series & Happy Hour**! Join us for an evening of networking and connecting with fellow alumni entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, and those just interested in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We will be hearing from successful business leaders and investors during the Speaker Series Interview. This in-person event will take place on

Don't miss out on this opportunity to meet like-minded business professionals and grow your entrepreneurial network. We can't wait to see you there! Drinks and heavy hors d'oeuvres will be provided.

From the Podcast Fleet

Mid-September brings the return of your favorite Alumni Association & Foundation Podcast. Chris and John break down the first road game of the year. The football result wasn’t what we wanted, but the tailgate was 200+ strong. We had astronauts and Thriving as Leaders awardees in attendance…and that was just the Class of ‘77! Either way, great connections down in Boca. Next up…Birmingham. We also wrap up our historic 9/11 coverage last week, which included our multi-media features which provided the alumnus a sneak peak of the new shipmatemagazine.com. ANd our featured interview this week is with Jeff McLean ‘04. Jeff joins us from “Sconny” and chats up his time as a fighter pilot, his transition to the civilian world of leadership and his role as a new member of the Alumni Association Board of Trustees. Jeff has amazing leadership lessons and stories. Be sure to listen in! That and more on the best Alumni Association & Foundation podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

Listen on

Government & Military News

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic reported that Iranian threat actors used its Claude AI platform between December 2025 and August 2026 to gather intelligence on U.S. Navy forces operating in the Middle East. According to the company, the actors used publicly available information, including military photos, ship and aircraft transponder data, satellite imagery tools and Navy-tracking websites, to compile targeting handbooks and identify naval positions. Anthropic also said the group sought information on potential vulnerabilities in Navy shipboard systems. The company banned the account, implemented additional safeguards and notified government agencies.

The Pentagon is seeking an artificial intelligence system capable of rapidly analyzing data from satellites, radar, sensors, intelligence reports and other sources to identify missile and space threats. The effort, known as the Space Threat Intelligence Synthesis Engine, aims to help operators distinguish emerging threats, track objects and generate actionable alerts in near real time. Defense officials say current systems struggle to keep pace with increasingly complex battlespaces. The Defense Innovation Unit is accepting proposals through Sept. 24, with the goal of creating an open-source platform that can support both human decision-makers and automated command-and-control systems.

Family members, survivors and first responders gathered Sept. 12 to break ground on the new $100 million Pentagon 9/11 Memorial Visitor Education Center in Arlington, Virginia. The facility, expected to open in 2029, will feature exhibits and educational programs about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, along with event space, a café and bookstore. Organizers say the center will help preserve the stories of the 184 victims killed at the Pentagon and educate future generations about the attacks and their aftermath. Fundraising for the project began in 2015, with additional federal and private support still being sought.

Local, Education & other academy news

The enormous fireball covered almost the entire width of one end of the USS Midway after an airplane crashed into the aircraft carrier’s deck. One look at the flames, and it defies logic that someone could survive an accident of that magnitude. But someone did. On June 23, 1951, USS Midway crew members got CDR George Duncan ’39, USN out of the damaged cockpit of his F9F-5 Panther fighter jet. They brought him directly to medical personnel, who treated Duncan’s injuries. They assessed him with two scorched ears and other burns, but he miraculously did not sustain any broken bones or a concussion. Duncan returned to the air in six months, a remarkable accomplishment considering what happened to him. A highly decorated U.S. Navy aviator during World War II, Duncan survived combat. Now he made it through an accident that was captured on video for training purposes. As a result, millions of viewers—most probably not even alive when it occurred—have watched the terrifying incident on social media. A native of Washington state, Duncan was born in 1917 and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy after graduating high school. He graduated with the Class of 1939 and started flight training in Pensacola, Florida, in 1941.

More than 115 artists filled Annapolis with music during the 2026 Annapolis Songwriters Festival, turning venues across the city into stages for four days of live performances and storytelling. The festival, which celebrates the songwriters behind the music, featured artists from across the country, including Chris Nurthen ’15, better known in the music industry as SweetNur. Nurthen performed at two festival venues, adding a Naval Academy connection to a weekend defined by creativity, collaboration and memorable performances.

Annapolis is moving forward with a broad review of its parking system, with proposed changes that include converting the Mills Hillman Garage to pay-on-exit parking, eventually using a single parking vendor and payment system citywide, and overhauling how parking citations are reviewed and enforced. The City released the Phase I Progress Report from City Manager Yolanda L. Lewis’ Parking Reform Workgroup, which began meeting in June. The group’s long-term goal is to create a parking system that is easier to use and less punitive while maintaining revenue needed for public transit, parking facilities, and other infrastructure. The effort began after the City’s Ombudsman reported that nearly 40 percent of the complaints handled by her office involved parking.

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