12 Mar Daily Shipmate

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

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.

1904 - With the Russo-Japanese War raging in the Far East, the Marine detachment from the cruiser Cincinnati lands and evacuates U.S. citizens from Seoul and Chemulpo, Korea.

 

1914 - The battleship Texas (BB-35) is placed in commission, joined the following month by its sister ship, New York (BB-34). Texas will unleash salvoes on beaches at Normandy and Iwo Jima during World War II and survives as a war memorial in San Jacinto, Texas.

 

2002 - LT Terri Fussner '96, USN was lost when the SH-60B Seahawk helicopter she was co-piloting crashed in the Mediterranean Sea. The two other crew aboard were also killed. They were members of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 46, operating from USS Hayler (DD 997).

ACADEMY & GRADUATE HAPPENINGS

Welcome to another great episode of the Sing Second podcast. We bring you the stories and happenings at the Naval Academy and the Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation (AA&F). We emerge from the Hooley at the Fluegel Alumni Center ready to officially put the dark ages in our rearview. Chris and John chat about the St. Patrick's Parade, the upcoming Pete Medhurst fundraiser, the Annapolis Cup and other opportunities we have to share the amazingness of the Fluegel Alumni Center with a larger audience. We also chat with Brandon Maas '17. Brandon didn't think being a submariner and then working for Johns Hopkins Applied Physics lab was a busy enough optempo. So he started a small business! SubNautical Maps. Check it out on Etsy here: SubNauticalMaps - Etsy And we finish off the pod by talking about the excitement around the Men's Basketball program. Is this the year we make it back to the NCAA Tournament since 1998? Chris and John discuss. That and more on the best Alumni Association and Foundation podcast there is. Give a listen. Beat Army ... always.

LISTEN ON

Join the Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation for a roundtable discussion moderated by ADM Robert Natter '67, USN (Ret.), centered on the emergence of the SEAL community in Vietnam and their unique ability to operate in a guerilla warfare environment. Panelists include: ADM Robert Natter, who was the officer in charge of a SEAL boat support detachment in the lower Mekong Delta. In 1971, he earned a Silver Star for his actions following an ambush in the Nam Can region of Vietnam while supporting a Vietnamese SEAL platoon. CAPT Tom Murphy '66, USN (Ret.) – Silver Star recipient who served with Seal Team two in Vietnam and whose post-war commands included SEAL Team One and SEAL Team Six. He authored Beyond the Trident which documents some of his experiences as a SEAL team member in Vietnam and tips for overcoming life's trauma. CAPT Dick Couch '67, USN (Ret.) – As platoon commander with SEAL Team One in 1970, he led one of the few successful POW rescue operations of the Vietnam War. He has authored several books spotlighting SEALs including By Honor Bound and Navy SEALs: Their Untold Story. CAPT Sandy Prouty '67, USNR (Ret.) – Silver Star recipient who served with SEAL Team Detachment GOLF, MIKE Platoon in Vietnam. He joined the FBI in 1973 where he would become the agency's third in command. We are working with Naval Academy leadership to invite and host many of the 32 1/C Midshipmen who have been selected for Naval Special Warfare. We are also inviting more recent alumni to provide their perspectives on the SEAL community. Registration will open April 2, 2025. Don't miss this amazing event.

The Department of Defense (DoD) released the Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies (MSAs), Academic Program Year (APY) 2023-2024 (23-24) today. According to the report, the estimates in the Department's most recent survey found a decrease in the prevalence of sexual assault, which estimated 457 academy women and 327 academy men experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact during APY 23-24, compared to 2022. Estimated rates of sexual harassment have also decreased for academy women and men since 2022. However, the rate of reporting stayed about the same, with about 13 percent of cadets and midshipmen choosing to report their sexual assault incident to the Department.

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY NEWS

Choreographing TikTok dances with your quarantined family. Using so much hand sanitizer that it cracks your skin from the dryness. Bingeing six seasons of a show you never knew existed while feasting on home-baked sourdough and banana bread. Waiting in a socially distanced line just to get into the supermarket (for more bananas), then wiping down every item your grocery bag when you get home ... just in case. The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic might seem like two years ago — or 10. Tuesday marks five years since the start of the health crisis that prompted lockdowns and shutdowns in New Jersey and across the globe. March 11, 2020 was the day the World Health Organization declared the pandemic.

A stop-gap spending bill that would fund the government for the rest of Fiscal Year 2025 cuts money for frigates and aircraft carrier programs while preserving money for submarines and boosting guided-missile destroyers, according to the proposal unveiled on Saturday. The Fiscal Year 2025 continuing resolution would keep the government funded through September.

The Defense Department effectively barred its civilian employees from using their government-issued travel charge cards, according to a DOD memo. The new spending rules, spelled out in a March 5 memorandum signed by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Darin Selnick, came a week after President Donald Trump issued a Feb. 26 executive order outlining government cost-saving initiatives, including some that targeted federal workers' spending habits. “DOD civilian employees must cancel all future non-exempted official travel reservations, and those currently on non-exempted travel must return to their respective permanent duty stations as soon as feasible,” the DOD memo read.

LOCAL, EDUCATION & OTHER ACADEMY NEWS

The 2025 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® (MSOY) Branch Winners have been selected, honoring the outstanding leadership, resilience, and service of military spouses across the nation and overseas. Now in its 17th year, the AFI MSOY® program continues to recognize spouses who go beyond the homefront—leading advocacy efforts, strengthening communities, and driving meaningful change for military families. Since 2008, the AFI Military Spouse of the Year® program has celebrated spouses who turn challenges into opportunities, launch initiatives that improve military life, and use their voices to shape policy and support service members and their families in profound ways. This year's branch winners exemplify the unwavering commitment, innovation, and leadership that define today's military spouse community. Jennifer Barnhill, spouse of 2005 USNA alum and current USNA professor David Barnhill, was selected as the Navy spouse of the year.

The missions of the U.S. Coast Guard propel its members across changing and sometimes perilous waters, into neighborhoods damaged by ever-more-intense hurricanes and around the melting ice of the Arctic. But the academy that trains most of the officers of the nation's sea-going law enforcement and search and rescue force has eliminated “climate change” and related terminology from its curriculum in an effort to conform to President Donald Trump's policies. Amy Donahue, the provost and chief academic officer of the academy, confirmed the moves in a statement posted last week on the Coast Guard Academy alumni association's website. The association said in an online post that it had reached out to her office after receiving “several letters of concern” on how climate policy was playing out at the New London, Connecticut, institution.

NAVAL ACADEMY ATHLETICS NEWS & RESULTS

Today's Matchups

Women's Swimming & Diving at NCAA Zone A Diving Championship - Piscataway, N.J. - 9:30 a.m.

Women's Tennis vs Quinnipiac - Orlando, Fla. - Noon

Women's Lacrosse at Florida - Gainesville, Fla. - 1 p.m.

Men's Swimming & Diving at NCAA Zone A Diving Championship - Piscataway, N.J. - 2 p.m.

Baseball at Fordham - Bronx, N.Y. / Houlihan Park - 3 p.m.

Men's Basketball at American - Washington, D.C. - 7 p.m. **Patriot League Title Game**

Women's Tennis vs Middle Tennessee - Orlando, Fla. - 7 p.m.

Army Leads 11-8. (Navy - Men's Basketball, Men's Rugby, Men's Cross Country, Football, Gymnastics, Rifle, Men's Indoor Track & Field, Women's Indoor Track & Field; Army - Women's Basketball, Wrestling, Volleyball, Sprint Football, Golf, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Women's Cross Country, W Rugby, Men's Swim and Dive, Women's Swim and Dive)

 

 

5 Apr - Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Annapolis - TBA 

5 Apr - Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Annapolis - TBA

5 Apr - Women's Tennis - West Point - 10 a.m.

12 Apr - Men's Tennis - West Point - 1 p.m.

12 Apr - W. Lacrosse - West Point - 12:30 p.m.

12 Apr - M. Lacrosse - Annapolis - 2:30 p.m.

USNA AND AA&F EVENTS

MARCH

7 Mar - A&SP Policy Review Committee Meeting - Fluegel (Bastian Conference Room)

7-16 Mar - USNA Spring Break

12-13 Mar - SACC Atlanta

13 Mar - Survivor Advocacy Network Trauma Webinar - “Boundaries & Dealing With Shame”

17 Mar - SW Washington/Oregon + NAPC of Oregon Roadshow - Portland, OR

18 Mar - Hanford Tri-Cities Chapter + NAPC of Washington Roadshow - Richland, WA

19 Mar - Northwest ID Chapter + NAPC of Idaho Roadshow - Coeur d'Alene, ID

20 Mar - Southern ID Chapter + NAPC of Idaho Roadshow - Boise, ID

21 Mar -  A&SP Executive Committee Meeting - Fluegel (Bastian Conference Room)

22 Mar - Annual Gathering for USNA Women - Fluegel Alumni Center

22 Mar - Fencing (club) Alumni Meet - Dahlgren Hall

26 Mar - Alumni Mentoring Program (AMP) Class of 2025 enrollment

30-31 Mar - Volunteer Leader Summit - Fluegel Alumni Center

 

APRIL

3 Apr - Pete Medhurst Remembrance Event - Fluegel Alumni Center - 5-8 p.m.

4 Apr - Annapolis Cup Social - Cannon Shot Documentary screening - Fluegel Alumni Center

5 Apr - Annapolis Cup - USNA-St. John's Croquet Match

5 Apr - Women's Lacrosse Alumni Appreciation Day (Home Game vs. Holy Cross)

10-12 Apr - Class of 1955 - 70th Reunion

11 Apr - Athletic & Scholarship Programs Spring Meeting - Akerson Tower

11-12 Apr - Men's Soccer Alumni Weekend

12 Apr - Navy Letterwinners Association Army/Navy Men's Lacrosse Tailgate

23 April - Bonds of Gold Ceremony

24 Apr - AA&F Vietnam Legacy of Valor Series Speaker Event - FAC

24-27 Apr - Class of 1970 - 55th Reunion

25 Apr - Council of Class Presidents Spring Meeting, Fluegel, TBD

25 Apr - USNA Dedication Parade, Worden Field

30 Apr - USNA Capstone Day

30 Apr - USNA Foundation Spring Board of Directors Welcome Reception

 

MAY

1 May - USNA Foundation Spring BOD meeting, Fluegel Alumni Center

6-8 May - Class of 1957 - 70th Reunion

7-9 May - USNA Alumni Association Spring BOT Meeting, Fluegel Alumni Center

8-9 May - SACC Washington DC

14 May - Class of 2028 Herndon Climb

21 May -  Blue Angels CFR Event - Hospital Point, USNA

22 May - Color Parade, Worden Field

22 May - USNA Prizes & Awards, Alumni Hall, 2 p.m.

23 May - Class of 2025 Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony, NMCMS

 

25 Jun - Athletic & Scholarship Program Pre-I Day Reception, Fluegel Alumni Center

26 Jun - USNA Induction Day, Class of 2029

 

17-18 Jul - Entrepreneur Summit, Fluegel Alumni Center

 

22 Aug - FONS Starting Gun Reception - Severn Sailing Association - 6 p.m.

24 Aug - Annapolis 10 Miler - Run to Honor is a charity partner

23 Aug - Friends of Navy Sailing Supe brief, race and Sail Navy Banquet

28-31 Aug - Class of 1960 - 65th Reunion

30 Aug - Navy vs VMI, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

26 May - Run to Honor - Reading the names of the fallen alumni heroes in Memorial Hall

26 May - Run to Honor Nationwide Walk/Runs

 

 

6 Sep - Navy Football vs University of Alabama Birmingham, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

13 Sep - Navy Football vs Tulsa, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

27 Sep - Navy Football vs Rice, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

 

 

2 Oct - Presidents Circle Welcome Reception, Fluegel

2-4 Oct - Presidents Circle Weekend

2-5 Oct - Class of 1990 – 35th Reunion

2-5 Oct - Class of 1995 – 30 Reunion

4 Oct - Navy Football vs Air Force, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

11 Oct - Navy Football @ Temple, Lincoln Financial Stadium, Philadelphia, PA

14 Oct - Athletic & Scholarship Fall Board Meeting, Fluegel - TBD

23-26 Oct - Class of 1965 - 60th Reunion

23-26 Oct - Class of 1975 – 50th Reunion

25 Oct - Navy Football vs Florida Atlantic, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

25 Oct - United States Naval Academy Homecoming

25 Oct - Welcome Home Event, Fluegel Alumni Center

 

1 Nov - Navy Football @ University of North Texas, DATCU Stadium, Denton, TX

5-6 Nov - US Naval Academy Foundation Fall Board of Directors Reception/Meeting

8 Nov - Navy Football @ Notre Dame, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN

14 Nov - Fall A&SP Trustee Meeting - Annapolis

15 Nov - Navy Football vs University of South Florida, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

17 Nov - Council of Class Presidents, (Fall COCP Meeting), Fluegel

18-19 Nov - US Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustee Fall Meeting, Fluegel

27 Nov - Navy Football @ University of Memphis, Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN

 

 

5/6 Dec - American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game, TBD

6 Dec - Distinguished Graduate Selection Committee Meeting, Fluegel, TBD

13 Dec - Army-Navy, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD