2 Jun Daily Shipmate

Monday, Jun 2, 2025

1845 - The annual board for the examination of midshipmen convenes at the Naval Asylum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a school conducted by Professor William Chauvenet. By the direction of Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft, the board considers the suitability of Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland, as the site for a naval academy, the contents of a suitable course of instruction, and the selection of three officers to assist in planning for the establishment of an academy.

 

1918 - At dawn on this date, the crack German 28th Division attacked along the axis of the Paris-Metz road hitting the American 2d Division, including the 4th Marine Brigade. The Marines opened with deadly rifle fire and helped hand the German troops a setback which set the stage for Marine victory at Belleau Wood which would soon follow, although at great cost.

1975 - LT Michael Zurfluh '71, USN was lost when the aircraft he was piloting crashed in Hawaii. He was a member of Composite Squadron (VC) 1. A native of Tacoma, Washington, “Zurf” was a member of the flying club and champion boxer in the 127-pound class while at the Naval Academy. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and parents.

Academy & Graduate happenings

Metcalf takes the helm as Program Executive Officer, Ships. 

Rear Adm. Brian Metcalf '94 relieved Rear Adm. Tom Anderson as Program Executive Officer, Ships (PEO Ships) during a change of office ceremony held at the Washington Navy Yard's Leutze Park, May 30. Charged with nine shipbuilding program offices, PEO Ships is responsible for the design, construction and delivery of the majority of the Navy's surface ships. Relieving Anderson, Metcalf assumes the role of PEO Ships after most recently serving as the acting NAVSEA Vice Commander. “I accept this responsibility with great pride, humility, and determination, said Metcalf.  “And I am grateful to serve in this role alongside my fellow PEOs, entrusted with building the Navy that our Nation needs. Our collective efforts help to protect the Nation's interests, keep the oceans safe and open for commerce, and ensure our way of life.” Metcalf is a 1994 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Craig Symonds' new naval history, tells the story of the Naval Academy Class of 1940. They arrived in Annapolis as teenagers the year Hitler re-occupied the Rhineland and graduated as young men the week the British Army evacuated Dunkirk. Annapolis Goes to War tells the story of their four transformative years at the Naval Academy, and then four more annealing years in the cauldron of war. Over the next four years, these former Midshipmen participated in virtually every significant engagement in both the Atlantic and the Pacific, from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, from North Africa to Normandy. They were at the front edge of the war in battleships, carriers, destroyers, submarines, and airplanes, and led Marine Corps units ashore. Some experienced the war as prisoners of the Japanese. Fifty-six of them died in the Second World War, the greatest wartime loss any service academy ever experienced. Discover their stories in this powerful new history.

Pete deJonge (4x400m relay), Jacques Guillaume (4x400m relay), Nathan Kent (400m, 4x400m relay), Murphy Smith (10,000m) and David Walker (4x400m relay) each qualified for the 2025 NCAA Div. I Outdoor Track & Field Championship following standout performances at the NCAA East Region First Round at the Jax Track on the campus of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The week was highlighted by three school records set in the 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay. "It was a great day for Navy track and field," said Director of Track and Field Jamie Cook. "This is what you prepare for, and you've got to be at your best when it matters most.” deJonge, Guillaume, Kent, Smith and Walker will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Championship on June 11th (noon) and 13th (11:45 a.m.) in Eugene, Ore.

Capital Gazette

Joseph Cullen Crowley, a Naval Academy graduate and Marine, died May 25 from desmoplastic small round cell tumor — a rare and aggressive form of cancer that targets the abdomen — at his family's home in Annapolis. He was 25.

 

Mr. Crowley was the son of Joseph and Kasey Crowley. He was born on Aug.19, 1999, in Queens, New York, and was the oldest of three children. Mr. Crowley earned a bachelor's degree in science at the U.S. Naval Academy in 2022 before moving to Quantico, Virginia, to train for the Marine Corps. He retired as a first lieutenant in June 2024 and aspired to be a ground officer in the Marine Corps.

 

Mr. Crowley's father, Joseph Crowley, represented New York's 7th and 14th districts in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2019. His 20-year political career came to an end in 2019 after current U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated him in the Democratic primary. His mother, Kasey Crowley, worked as a registered nurse for 31 years before retiring in 2018.

 

When Mr. Crowley was about 2 years old, his family moved to the Washington, D.C. area to allow his father to spend more time with them while he worked in Washington.  He graduated from Gonzaga College High School in Washington in 2017, and a few months later, enlisted in the Naval Academy Preparatory School.

 

Mr. Crowley knew he wanted to attend the academy since he was 12 years old, his father said.

 

“Who he was was the perfect embodiment of what it means to be selfless,” said Colin Brennan, Mr. Crowley's academy roommate. “And I think that's kind of a core value of the Marines, putting others before yourselves.”

 

Whether it was a “funny quip” or a “more heartfelt word of encouragement,” Mr. Crowley was very emotionally intelligent, Brennan said.

 

In his personal life, Mr. Crowley loved spending time outdoors. He hunted in Montana with his maternal grandfather. He also enjoyed time on the water, but most of all, he had an affinity for music. He listened to bands like The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and Avicii. He also played the guitar and sang Irish songs. His guitar travelled with him everywhere.

 

“Music just made him move,” Kasey Crowley said.

 

A two-day wake will take place between 4 and 8 p.m. June 4 and 5 at Murphy's Funeral Home in Arlington, Virginia. His funeral will take place at 11 a.m. June 6 at Gonzaga College High School . All services are open to the public.

 

Mr. Crowley is survived by his father, Joseph Crowley; his mother, Kasey Crowley; his sister, Kenzie Crowley; and his brother, Liam Crowley.

Government & Military News

Military members should be moving less frequently for greater stability — and to save taxpayers' dollars, according to defense officials who have set the process in motion for those reductions. In a memo announced Wednesday, Pentagon officials ordered the military service branches to cut in half the amount of money they spend on permanent change-of-station, or PCS, moves by fiscal 2030. DOD spends about $5 billion a year on these moves, which include the physical moves of household goods as well as allowances and other entitlements related to moving. The services are required to develop plans within four months to reduce the moves, so it's not yet clear how many actual moves will be cut to achieve those savings.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a stark warning Saturday about China's threat to the status quo in Asia. He said the U.S. is refocusing its strength and policies on deterring China, and coaxed China's neighbors and U.S. allies to help. "It has to be clear to all that Beijing is credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific," Hegseth told civilian and military officials at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top defense summit. The U.S. does not seek conflict, nor intend to "dominate or strangle China, to encircle or provoke," Hegseth insisted. "We do not seek regime change."

The Marine Corps recently rolled out a sprawling aviation plan stretching across 15 years and every aircraft in its arsenal. The plan is a framework seeking to balance readiness and modernization, but the glue that will hold it all together is a fundamental concept in need of its own update: sustainment. While sustainment traditionally brings to mind steel wrenches and grease-smeared coveralls, the Marine Corps is exploring how emerging technologies can contribute to aircraft maintenance and sustainment.

Local, Education & other academy news

Members of the military get free admission into four Annapolis museums this summer. Blue Star Museums, a nationwide program that provides free admission to active-duty military and their families, now includes The Museum of Historic Annapolis, William Paca House and Garden, the Annapolis Maritime Museum and the Hammond-Harwood House. The program started on Armed Forces Day, May 17, and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 1. The program offers free admission to active-duty military personnel, National Guardsmen regardless of status, reservists, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps and their families.

The Air Force Academy's newest graduates endured four years of homework, exams, and military drills. But tougher challenges lie ahead, service leaders told the Class of 2025 at the school's May 29 commencement ceremony. The Air Force and Space Force are in the midst of a major transition that requires tenacity and innovation from even their youngest officers, Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink told roughly 900 graduates assembled at Falcon Stadium. Meink's commencement speech marked his first major address to the force since becoming its top civilian on May 16.

Three transgender senior cadets earned their diplomas from the Air Force Academy on Thursday, but they did not commission as officers with their peers. Hunter Marquez is among the three, earning degrees in aeronautical engineering and applied math and meeting the Air Force's physical standards for men. The cadets can't commission because of a U.S. Supreme Court order that allowed a Trump administration ban on transgender troops to be enforced ahead of a resolution of legal challenges to it. A follow-up policy issued May 23 specifies that if cadets chose not to voluntarily leave the Air Force, they could be forced to repay their educational benefits. They must apply to voluntarily leave by June 6. While all cadets attend the academy for free, the education is valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, Marquez said he heard from the headquarters of the Air Force on graduation day that he will not have to repay his tuition, if he is involuntarily separated.

A United States Military Academy mission statement swap from "duty, honor, country" to "Army Values" is coming under fire again — this time by a conservative judicial and government watchdog group who claims the school engaged in a "cover up" scheme when it altered its mission statement in 2024 as part of an effort to advance a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda. On March 11, 2024, West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland publicly announced that West Point would update its mission and insert the term "Army Values" in lieu of "duty, honor, country." Even so, Gilland stressed that "duty, honor, country" would remain West Point's motto as it has been since 1898.

USNA and AA&F Events

JUNE

2 Jun - Colorado Chapter & NAPC of CO & WY Roadshow - Alpha Charlie's Tap & Tavern - 5:30 p.m.

7 Jun - Naval Engineers & STEM Advocates SIG “Women Can Fly” event - Warrenton-Fauquier Airport

10 Jun - USNA Women Trauma Survivor Webinar - 7-9 pm ET. Virtual event: Major (USAF) Latetia Bland-Thergood, MSW speaking on the topic: "Exploring Moral Injury"

16-22 Jun - Anchorage, Alaska Navy Week

17-18 Jun - Entrepreneur Summit, Fluegel Alumni Center

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

26 Jun - USNA Induction Day, Class of 2029

30 Jun-6 Jul - Duluth, Minnesota Navy Week

 

AUGUST

4-10 Aug - Sioux Falls, South Dakota Navy Week

7 Aug - Class of 2029 Plebe Parent Mixer, Fluegel

18 Aug - USNA Classes begin

18-24 Aug - Columbus, Ohio Navy Week

21-22 Aug - SACC San Diego

22 Aug - Friends of Navy Sailing Starting Gun Reception: Severn Sailing Association - 6 p.m.

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

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

25-31 Aug - Springfield, Missouri Navy Week

28 Aug - Navy Football Brotherhood Weekend Kickoff Dinner w/ Football Coaching Staff

28-31 Aug - Class of 2010 15th Reunion

28-31 Aug - Class of 1960 65th Reunion

29 Aug - Navy Football Brotherhood Fallen Brothers Golf Classic & Evening Social

30 Aug - Navy Football Brotherhood Weekend Tailgater, NMCMS

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

 

SEPTEMBER

4 Sep - Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) Medal Ceremony - Alumni Hall, 4:30 p.m.

4-6 Sep - Class of 2000 25th Reunion

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

13 Sep - Navy Football vs Tulsa, Tulsa, OK

14 Sep - Annapolis Travis Manion 9/11 Heroes Run

15-21 Sep - Wichita Falls, Texas Navy Week

18-19 Sep - McMullen Naval History Symposium - USNA

18-21 Sep - Class of 1985 - 40th Reunion

22-28 Sep - Hartford, CT Navy Week

25-27 Sep - Class of 2020 5th Reunion

26 Sep - Council of Annual Giving meeting - Fluegel Alumni Center

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

 

OCTOBER

2 Oct - President Circle Welcome Reception, Fluegel

2-4 Oct - President Circle Weekend

2-5 Oct - Class of 1990 35th Reunion

2-5 Oct - Class of 1995 30th Reunion

2-5 Oct - Class of 2015 10th Reunion

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

10 Oct - USNA Founder's Day

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

13 Oct - U.S. Navy Birthday

13 Oct - Surface Navy Museum Grand Opening - Battleship Iowa - Los Angeles

23-26 Oct - Class of 1965 60th Reunion

23-26 Oct - Class of 1975 50th Reunion

23-26 Oct - Class of 2005 20th 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

25-31 - Eugene, Oregon Navy Week

 

NOVEMBER

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

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

6-9 Nov - Class of 1980 45th Reunion

8 Nov - Navy @ Notre Dame, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN - 7:30 p.m.

10 Nov - Marine Corps Birthday

10-16  Nov - Santa Fe, New Mexico Navy Week

14 Nov - Run to Honor's annual pre-Honor Our Fallen Heroes Gathering (FAC)

14 Nov - US Naval Academy Athletic & Scholarship Program Fall Meeting, NMCMS

15 Nov - Navy vs University of South Florida, NMCMS

15 Nov - Honor Our Fallen Heroes - Location TBD

17 Nov - Council of Class Presidents Fall meeting, Fluegel

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

19-20 Nov - SACC Chicago

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

 

DECEMBER

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