USNA At Large Blog Yard

NAAAG to Appeal!

2008-06-05T13:26:00.001-05:00

USNA-At-Large, breaking news from our NAAAG friends --

NAAAG Log

June 5, 2008

Status of Legal Action (12)

As you know, on April 7 Judge Caroom dismissed our suit, basing his decision on acceptance of the claim by the Board's lawyer that the tenure limits imposed on the Chair, Vice Chair and Immediate Predecessor of the Chair by the Bylaws in effect during the 2006 election are ambiguous. Convinced that he is mistaken and that an appropriate reading of the Bylaws could not possibly support such a conclusion, on April 12 we filed a motion asking him to reconsider. In the motion we pointed out to the court that, among other things, he had justified his action by referring to language in the Bylaws dealing with the President and Board-appointed trustees, about whom no questions whatsoever had ever been raised.

As you also know, on May 15 the judge denied without comment our request. While this was not unexpected, motions to reconsider are rejected some 95 percent of the time, it was handed down more quickly than anticipated and came without reference to the arguments made in our motion. Further, it came without his having waited to receive our rebuttal to the Association's opposition to the motion and without the hearing on it he had earlier indicated he would hold.

Copies of these documents, the order dismissing our suit, our motion to reconsider, and the Judge's denial of that motion are posted on the NAAAG website, http://www.naaag.org , as documents NG46, NG47, and NG50 respectively.

On that same date, May 15, the Judge denied a "Motion to Sever, Certify as Final, and Stay the Request for Declaratory Judgment" we had filed at his invitation. He did so in an effort to resolve a legal question that had arisen out of an uncertainty regarding the court's authority to dispose of a declaratory judgment action without the entry of a declaration of the rights of the parties. After asking for a briefing on this technical procedural issue by way of a motion to sever and response, the court concluded it was authorized to dismiss the declaratory judgment action without entering a judgment declaring the rights of the parties, in effect clearing the way for an expeditious appeal of his original dismissal of our suit.

The actions by the court subsequent to the original – and in our view erroneous -- decision to dismiss our suit follow from that action. It is this decision that is at issue. We have said from the outset that our goal was to make our case in open court and have it decided on its merits; we have been denied that opportunity, principally on procedural grounds, grounds we are convinced are entirely at odds with the facts of the case and legal precedents applicable to it. What, then, are we going to do? On May 29 we filed a Notice of Appeal with the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County indicated our intention to appeal to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. A copy of the notice is posted on the website as document NG51.

The Court of Special Appeals is made up of 27 jurists from across the state who sit in three judge panels to hear cases. A second level to which appeal can be made is to the state's "supreme" court, the Maryland Court of Appeals. It is made up of seven judges, all of whom sit for each case. Usually cases move from the former to the latter, but the high court may take up a case directly if the legal issues it raises are deemed important enough.

The filing of the Appeal Notice has set in motion a process involving the preparation of reports, records and transcripts related to the case, the filing of briefs by both parties, and concludes with the hearing of oral arguments by the 3-judge Court of Special Appeals panel. Given that the court does not sit in August, it could take as long as eight months or more for a decision to be announced.

While they will be generally apparent from the documents referred to above and others posted on the NAAAG website, our grounds for appealing as well as why doing so is necessary and important will be the subject of more detailed treatment in future log entries. At this point we want simply to let you know of our intent to stay the course and to ask that you continue to support this effort.

Now more than ever we need your financial support to pay our legal bills and we need your help in getting the word out to other alumni regarding what has happened to our Association and what is riding on the final outcome of this lawsuit. Please contribute, either through the website or by sending a check made out to NAAAG, Inc., to NAAAG, Inc., P.O. Box 2709, Alexandria, VA 22301.

Stay tuned,

Bill Tate, '64

Jim Kenney, '58

Mike Tackney, '64

Stay informed, get connected and more with AOL on your phone.

Newest Supe: Admiral Jeff Fowler

2007-03-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

USNA-At-Large, --

Photo at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

From the Baltimore Sun

Academy leader nominated

Veteran submarine commander known for advocating diversity

By Bradley Olson
sun reporter

March 18, 2007

Bush nominates an advocate of diversity to lead academy

President Bush has nominated a career submarine commander with a reputation for valuing diversity to be the next Naval Academy superintendent.

Rear Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, whose appointment must be confirmed by the Senate, would replace Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, who rankled alumni as he sought aggressively to make the school more accepting of women.

Rempt is expected to complete his four-year term as superintendent in the coming months.

Friends and classmates said Fowler, an avid hunter from North Dakota, would be well-suited to follow Rempt, praising his commitment to diversity in the Navy and his handling of difficult sexual assault problems while leading the Navy's recruiting command in Millington, Tenn.

"As things go wrong, as they sometimes do in the Navy family, the human side of him comes right out," said Master Chief Petty Officer Evelyn Banks, a senior enlisted adviser to Fowler in Tennessee. "He never failed to put the sailor first and would never make decisions about people's lives without considering the multiple consequences they could have."

Fowler, reached last night in Italy, where he is stationed, said he could not comment before his nomination was approved by the Senate.

An academy spokesman declined to comment about the nomination, which was announced with little fanfare Friday afternoon by the Defense Department.

A lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Fowler has the sort of international background that the Naval Academy values in the training of its students. He has deployed to the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, as well as the Arabian Gulf, and commanded a squadron of fast-attack, nuclear-powered subs.

Fowler has been in Naples, Italy, since July, working as the deputy director of the U.S. 6th Fleet in Europe and commander of allied submarine forces on the Mediterranean.

As superintendent, he will face a community of outspoken alumni, some of whom have harshly criticized Rempt, accusing him of being overzealous in the charges he brought against former Navy football quarterback Lamar S. Owens.

"A lot of alumni would like to see an effort to get back to the basics," said John Howland, a 1964 academy graduate who distributes news and manages a blog for a network of more than 500 alumni. "A lot of us see this past few years as being a pretty rough time for a whole bunch of reasons. I think a lot of alumni are really anxious to see a pretty sharp change in direction."

The discontent of graduates highlights the complex nature of the superintendent's job, one that deals with sometimes competing constituencies: an active and vocal alumni, a body of bright and sometimes mischievous midshipmen; parents; civilian faculty who don't always tow the line; the Pentagon; and Congress.

Banks said Fowler would have no problem handling the job. When she arrived at the Navy Recruiting Command in 2003, sailors were concerned about a number of sexual misconduct incidents. She said she could not elaborate on those, but she praised Fowler's handling of the situation.

"He created an environment where everybody felt respected," she said. "He made them know that every woman in the Navy is someone's mother, sister or daughter, and he stood up in training and openly talked about the things that were on people's mind, things that people didn't want to talk about."

Fowler, whose wife, Katie, and three children accompanied him to Italy, loves to cook, Banks said. His skill with the grill rivals that of the "White House chef," Banks said.

Fowler is said to care deeply about diversity in the Navy.

Richard Butler, a senior manager at Career Communications Group Inc., which helps corporations and government agencies forge diversity strategies, said Fowler's leadership at the recruiting command, and his commitment to seeking out and valuing women and minorities, exceeded what he had seen in the corporate world.

"What he was doing and helping the Navy to do was head and shoulders above what other organizations are doing," Butler said. "He created awareness of opportunities amongst minorities and demonstrated the value of women and minorities in the Navy, above what my corporate clients are doing. He's a great man that I truly respect."

bradley.olson@baltsun.com

Dong Ha Bridge

2006-11-10T08:08:00.000-06:00

Posted fm http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

Re: [USNA-At-Large] Dong Ha Bridge - Sunday Night on Fox

USNA-At-Large, Emil DiMotta provides more detail on the show --

One of my classmates built this bridge and another, John Ripley blew it up. It is an honor to have them both as Classmates.

Emil

Subject: War Stories - The Furious Fight for Dong Ha.

I am sorry to announce the air date for the 'War Stories with Oliver North' episode THE FURIOUS FIGHT FOR DONG HA has been moved to November 12th to allow for pre-election coverage on November 5th.

This episode is now scheduled to air on that date - November 12th - on the 24-hour cable channel Fox News Channel (not local Fox stations) at 8PM Eastern Standard Time and will repeat at 11PM EST.

Until then, please visit www.foxfan.com, in the 'War Stories' section you can watch a 'behind the scenes' video and see a photo essay of the making of this episode. Also, program information for this episode, and all War Stories episodes, can always be found at www.foxnews.com/warstories

Apologies again for the pre-emption.

****************************************
Gregory Johnson
Producer
Fox News Channel
1211 Avenue of the Americas, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Tel: 212-301-3069

Memorial Hall Rededication Ceremony Report

2006-10-16T07:33:00.000-05:00

USNA At Large, this is a firsthand report re the Alumni Homecoming Weekend Memorial Hall Rededication Ceremony (originally posted to the CA chat list) --

PS At the link below, you will find a Visit Report that served as one of the catalysts to get this project underway some years ago. JH

http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/wCIyRUbAdQRkR7GMoFgPR6UVvNxvWjHlGcCXqxK8HFqEPRm1ZmYK4XIAmZvuu0nY-lkK0-ihmP8JCN6EdMwU/USNA/Memorial%20Hall%20Visit%2012%20July%201999.doc

Or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/ and follow the links to "Files" then to "USNA". JH

Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 9:21 PM

Subject: Memorial Hall Rededication Ceremony Report

Today I attended the noontime Rededication Ceremony for the completely renovated Memorial Hall and the Vietnam Memorial located on the Dorsey Creek side of Alumni Hall. I thought you might be interested in some of my impressions.

First of all, I was mightily surprised that only a couple dozen of us old timers put in an appearance. My instict tells me that the Word was not sufficiently communicated in advance. At least half that number consisted of the special planning committee members who were appointed by RAdm Ron Marryott several years ago. The committee was chaired by Col John Ripley. The only other committee members whom I recognized were VAdm Al Burkhalter, LtGen Jack Klimp, RAdm Bob McNitt, Captain Bob Hofford and Captain George Zeberlein.

While we were gathered in the Rotunda awaiting arrival of the Superintendent, Ross Perot entered unobtrusively (perhaps "mysteriously" is a more apt adjective), circled the Rotunda once without speaking to anyone, and disappeared inside the Commandant's office. I did not see him again and for some inexplicable reason, the Commandant did not appear at the ceremony.

Upon arrival of the Supe, we moved outside to the front steps of Bancroft Hall where Adm Rempt addressed the informally assembled members of the Brigade. He did a masterful job of explaining the historical significance of Memorial Hall, characterizing it as the spiritual heart of the Naval Academy--the institution's "Hallowed Ground". He explained that this is the first major renovation to Memorial Hall, it should last for another hundred years, and was financed by a combination of Congressional appropriated funds, the Alumni Association, The Naval Academy Foundation and supporting grants from the classes of 1939, 1954, 1968 and 1995. He concluded his remarks by dedicating Memorial Hall to the Brigade of Midshipmen, inviting them to spend some private moments there from time to time to reflect on our sacred heritage that was bequeathed to the Naval Service and the nation through the valor and human sacrifice of all Naval Academy graduates who died in the line of duty.

He then introduced Adm Carl Trost who spoke of our swearing-in ceremony for the Class of 1953 in Memorial Hall that unforgettable day in June 1949 when we all looked up at that flag proclaiming "Don't Give Up The Ship" and were made instinctively aware of the lifelong course on which we were embarking from that moment forward.

Adm Rempt then announced that the secondary purpose of the gathering today is to celebrate the birthday of the Navy and invited the oldest and youngest midshipmen (a male and female respectively) to do the honors of cutting the symbolic cake and eating the first piece. We sang together the first and last stanzas of Navy Blue and Gold, after which Adm Pempt invited as many midshipmen as space would allow to attend the Rededication Ceremony in Memorial Hall.

After we were assembled in Memorial Hall, George Watt extended a hearty welcome to all in attendance and introduced John Ripley who made the formal presentation to the Brigade.

Col Ripley explained the purpose of the renovation that was presented to the Committee in the form of a "charge" by then-Superintendent, Ron Marryott. The "charge", in essence, was to redesign Memorial Hall in a manner that focuses primarily on the valor and ultimate personal sacrifice of all graduates who have lost their lives while serving on active duty. The form in which the redesign would be drawn was left to the discretion of the Committee. They decided that Memorial Hall should constitute a permanent record of the names of all graduates who met the established criteria to be displayed prominently for all who should enter. The only question was the form in which to record and display the names.

The centerpiece is Captain Lawrence's immortal flag preserved in its glass case in its historic location at the center of the wall directly opposite the main entrance. Immediately beneath is the bronze plaque that declares that the names listed on the Memorial Honor Roll encased immediately below are those graduates who were "Killed in Action". I can't recall the exact number; but it is several hundred.

The issue remaining to be resolved by the Committee was how to record the names of all the other graduates who have died on active duty who were not officially certified by the Navy Department as being "KIA". Their decision was to record all of those names (I believe the total number is approaching 3,000) on separate stone plaques according to each successive graduating class. For whatever it's worth for you to know and perhaps consider, these graduates were deemed by the Committee to have died under circumstances declared as "Operational Loss". These plaques adorn the walls on both sides of Memorial Hall.

There is a profoundly distinctive oversize Bronze Plaque on the right side of the front wall that lists the names of all grads who were awarded the Medal of Honor.

The Vietnam Memorial is a bronze tablet that lists all known grads who died in theatre during the Vietnam War regardless of circumstances. Accordingly, some grads' names are recorded on both the "Operational Loss" plaques and the Vietnam Memorial plaque.

Altogether, my detailed examination of all the displays at the conclusion of the formal ceremony was profoundly moving. My emotions peaked when I read the names of my classmates listed in alphabetical order on the "Operational Loss" plaque. I knew most of them from our four years by the bay and their faces and memories leapt to mind as though it were only yesterday. I ran my hand over their names and said a silent prayer ending in "We love you guys".

In a word, Memorial Hall now has a new and profoundly personal place in my heart and spiritual being. Every time I have ever entered, I stop at the entrance for a moment, to catch my breath and attempt to gain control of my emotions. Henceforth from this day, I know it will become an even greater test of will power to enter this "Hallowed Ground". It is destined to serve all those future classes of Midshipmen perfectly for its intended purpose. And it serves all of us survivors and next of kin as an eternal reminder of what defending liberty and freedom for our great nation is all about. The dead pay the ultimate price.

The Renovation Committee deserves our gratitude for a task "Well Done".

Semper Fidelis,
Bruce Ogden

A Stanford Grad's Perspective

2006-09-20T09:49:00.000-05:00

Fm http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

Subject: Bad fans, bad band, good stadium (Stanford Daily)

Bad fans, bad band, good stadium

September 19, 2006

By Glenn Truitt

It¹s been over a year since I was last on campus, since I wrote for the

Daily and since I publicly proclaimed my hatred for the Band. Saturday, I

had the opportunity to see my two Alma Maters meet on the football field, an

occurrence rare enough to justify the six hour drive to see the game, and an

occasion which also coincided with the opening of Stanford¹s new stadium.

And while you have an AMAZING new stadium ‹ certainly, the class of the

Pac-10 ‹ you still have the worst football fans at any major university and

a band that remains an embarrassment to your school. At least you¹ve finally

gotten the cheerleaders right.

What kind of band is so screwed up that it misses an event like Saturday¹s?

And don¹t tell me that it¹s not the Band¹s fault. You mean, you couldn¹t see

this coming? It¹s an isolated incident? The fact is, the Band has been an

increasingly annoying eyesore for years, and now it¹s the subject of

national ridicule (See the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indianapolis Star,

the San Francisco Chronicle, etc.) Looks like I may have been the rule and

not the exception after all, (see my column 3/1/05) to which I¹m certain the

band will respond that we¹re ALL now fascists. Listen, that response is even

more tired than the Band¹s act. Just stop, you¹re only making it worse.

What fills me with joy is the fact that the world¹s worst fans and

corresponding band, got a chance to see what real fans and a real band look

like, right in the middle of their own brand new house. Because, amidst

Navy¹s sound beating of a stronger, faster and more experienced football

team, they also came with louder, more excited fans, a rowdier student

section, and a band that doesn¹t suck. There it is Stanford, that¹s the best

look you¹re ever going to get.

I overheard one Stanford fan lamenting ³We¹re stronger and faster than all

these guys, how can we possibly be losing?² I¹ll tell you something that I

learned while still a freshman at Navy: it¹s all about ³heart.² None of the

Navy players will play in the NFL, and none of them were likely recruited by

the major conference schools. They go through the same grind as all the

midshipmen at Navy, they get no special favors ‹ they stand

shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the Brigade. After graduation, many of

them will go to war ‹ a place where their touchdowns and tackles mean

nothing. So why do they play? Perhaps for love of the game, for pride in

their school, perhaps for the crowd who they know will stay to the end of

the game and cheer them, win or lose. For whatever reason they play, they

play; and they play hard. They play with HEART. And that¹s why I cheer for

them. There are very few pure things left in college football, and Navy is

one of them.

The Stanford football team has little reason to dig down deep. I¹ve seen

more excitement at a knitting convention. And at the first sign of

adversity, the so-called ³fans² filed for the exits like rats on a sinking

ship. That¹s right, in the THIRD QUARTER of the home opener in a BRAND NEW

stadium many cardinal-wearing spectators were already headed home. Better

things to do I guess. What¹s worse, when it came time to sing Stanford¹s

alma mater (after Navy sang theirs to a packed house), there wasn¹t even an

identifiable section of fans for the Stanford team to stand in front of to

sing ‹ the student section had long since gone off to their own parties.

Embarrassing.

For the men of the Stanford football team, here¹s something you might not

hear enough from your own crowd: Great game; you played hard; and better

luck next week. You guys deserve that great stadium.

As for the ³fans² and the Band, you don¹t even deserve to be let inside.

Glenn Truitt, Stanford Law School Class of 2005, USNA Class of Œ97 is now a

practicing attorney in Los Angeles, and still, even from a distance, hates

the Band. He welcomes comments at glennt97@gmail.com.

Paul Johnson for Superintendent

2006-09-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

USNA At Large,

OK, OK, I know the subject line above is a little overwrought.

But, I wanted to resend this post put out a few days ago by Dave Leather.

Yes, it's about football, but its also a bit about what the Naval Academy is supposed to be about.

For years and years, many of us were looking for a coach that could match up with our strengths and weaknesses. Paul Johnson is obviously the man.

Briefly, what are those strengths and weaknesses? (BTW, most Boat School grads know that strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin.) We'll begin with "weaknesses."

We are not going to be able to match up pound for pound with most of the teams we play.

We are not going to be able to recruit many players that have aspirations for the NFL.

We are not going to be able to allow our players to spend all day, every day with football.

I'm sure you can come up with lots more comparative weaknesses.

When you add them up, could there possibly be any strengths?

You bet!

OK, so we are lighter -- that means that we ought to be just a little quicker and faster and tricky.

OK, so we are not a farm team for the NFL. That means we can get players who love to play football AND aspire to be core combat leaders. I'll take those traits any day of the week when you are in a tight game and the clock is winding down, e.g., last night against East Carolina.

OK, so our players can't spend 24/7 with the playbook. No problem. First, our players are probably going to be a little smarter than the average CIVWORLD player on the other side of the line. Second, keep the play book a little simpler and put more emphasis on our guys thinking on their feet. How many more advantages could we possibly want?

Enter Paul Johnson and Bingo! we have a match!!

The Triple Option turns our weaknesses into strengths.

On second thought, I hereby withdraw the nomination of Paul Johnson for Superintendent. He's far too valuable just where he is.

One other area where we can turn a strength into a weakness -- our kicking game. We may not be able to recruit wannabe NFL kickers, but we annually bring aboard bunches of superb athletes, including a LOT of former soccer players. We have lots of plebes every year that we ought to be going through with a fine tooth kicking comb and begin to groom some of them from the git-go for football kicking chores.

I'm reminded of a bad example and a good example: The bad -- in the pre-Johnson years a Poor Plebe is put into the Army-Navy game to kick the all-or-nothing field goal. He misses. There were so many aspects of that one play that were unsat, we don't have enough space to delineate them all. Suffice to say, that if the coach at the time had been grooming kickers from Plebe Year HE WOULD HAVE HAD PLENTY OF SENIORS TO CHOOSE FROM (or Segundos or Youngsters). (Final BTW, that Plebe showed tremendous class subsequent to that dark moment and, last I heard, is doing just fine. God speed to him.)

The good example -- Admiral John Stufflebeem.

In any event ...

    ... Lots of BZs to Coach Paul Johnson, John Howland

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

Mids march in formation
Navy's version of the triple option puts a successful spin on an outdated offense
By Gary Lambrecht
Baltimore Sun Reporter
Originally published August 30, 2006

The Navy players do not hide confidence in their ability to move the ball.
They have seen what kind of damage this offense, with its unfamiliarity,
deception and numbing repetition, can do. And they have seen their share of
defenses give in to impatience and frustration while trying to solve the
Midshipmen.

"When [the offense] is clicking, a team comes out in one defense, and we run
them out of it. Then, they switch to another defense, and we run them out of
that," senior left tackle Matt Pritchett said. "Then, they just sit in one
defense and take [abuse]."

"Depending on what the defense does, we like to get 4 or 5 yards and march
down the field, but if you give us more, we'll take it," senior quarterback
Brian Hampton added. "In this offense, nobody can be selfish, but anybody
can have a breakout day."

Under fifth-year coach Paul Johnson, Navy has erased years of futility with
a 26-11 record over the past three seasons, including back-to-back bowl game
victories. Better players all over the field explain much of that.

But more than anything else, Navy's resurgent path is strewn with opposing
defenses that were bigger and quicker than the Mids, yet still unable to
counter Navy's trump card, which is basically a variation on a college
football relic.

When trying to understand Navy's spread offense, picture the triple-option
attacks that used to be staples at schools such as Nebraska, Oklahoma and
Ohio State. But subtract the power quotient that marked such run-heavy
formations as the wishbone and go with a one-back set without a tight end.
Add finesse, spacing, one or two receivers and the element of surprise, on
the ground and through the air.

Navy's success is wrapped in an offense Johnson has studied and refined
since he became offensive coordinator at Georgia Southern more than 20 years
ago.

The triple option remains the foundation from which everything else flows.
It is based on defensive keys the quarterback reads before either handing
the ball to the fullback, running it himself between the tackles, or moving
along the line of scrimmage before turning up the field to gain yardage or
pitching the ball to a trailing slotback.

How the defensive end reacts on the side where the play is called dictates
much about the decision by the quarterback, who also watches his own,
play-side guard before committing to an option. If the guard opens a hole,
the fullback probably will get the call. If the guard-tackle gap is closed,
the quarterback will keep the ball and move laterally while reading the
pitch key, before either keeping it or tossing it to his slotback, depending
on who is covered.

"We don't know on most plays who the fake guy is or who's the guy that gets
the ball. It depends on how the defense reacts," said Johnson, who as
offensive coordinator at Navy in 1996 used the spread to drive the Mids to
their first winning record (9-3) in 14 years. "The neat thing about the
option is even if [the defense] puts eight or nine guys in the box, it
doesn't keep you from running the ball. We don't have to block them all,
anyway."

The Navy option is based on simplicity, repetition and deception. The
playbook consists of merely seven or eight plays. Each play has at least
half a dozen variations, such as sweeps or counters, and each calls for a
different blocking scheme. Every running play has a play-action pass option.

Besides Air Force, Navy is the only school that still bases its offense on
the triple option, which began to fade out of vogue in the early 1980s, as
more programs incorporated passing into their systems and turned to the
pro-style set prevalent in the college game today. The option came to be
seen as an unattractive recruiting tool for quarterbacks and receivers
looking to hone NFL skills, and it was typically ineffective at overcoming
large deficits to win games.

Johnson, whose offense averaged 34.2 points last season, insists the option
is not dying, but is hiding in disguise. "You look at schools like Florida,
Utah, West Virginia. They're doing what we do, but they're doing it out of
the [shot]gun [formation]," Johnson said. "Most everybody has a little bit
of option in their stuff, but none of them want to be called option teams.
They're afraid of that taboo. You could take this offense and gear it toward
throwing the ball very easily. We choose to gear it toward the run. You play
to the personnel and the talent you have."

For Navy, the option is an equalizer. The Mids' defense usually is too
undersized to dominate its opponents. The offense faces the same problem,
and would not thrive with one-on-one blocking schemes. The option allows
Navy to control the clock, stay in close games and protect leads.

"There are some unique challenges that make it extremely difficult to
prepare for. We donate specific time periods going back to spring practice
to defending the option," said Massachusetts coach Don Brown, who will face
Navy on Sept. 9.

"You have to get your scout team to run it for you as fast as they can,
which is hard to do, because we don't see it much," Brown said. "You have to
get your defense to stay hard on their keys and let those take them to the
ball. And you have to limit their big plays, like the play-action pass."

The Mids will kill a defense softly with long drives - the 14-minute,
26-second epic that finished off New Mexico with a field goal in the 2004
Emerald Bowl stands out. Or, they will take the quick strike, should a
defense over-commit to the run and expose itself deep. Think of slotback
Reggie Campbell's 55-yard touchdown reception that set the tone for the
51-30 rout of Colorado State in last year's Poinsettia Bowl.

Navy has led the nation in rushing in two of the past three seasons, and
averaged barely 12 pass attempts in 2005. But Navy also averaged 20.3 yards
per catch and scored seven times through the air.

"What we start off with on Day One in camp will be the same things we'll be
practicing in Week 14 against Army. We keep it simple, and we keep doing it
over and over," said Ken Niumatalolo, Navy's assistant head coach, who
played quarterback at Hawaii in the late 1980s under Johnson, then the
offensive coordinator.

"We've added wrinkles to it, like the toss [or sweep], but we've never
revamped it or disregarded the core. It doesn't hurt our feelings that
nobody else is running it."

I want to be a Naval Aviator

2006-08-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

fm http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

From the perspective of a 5th Grade Student living at Pensacola, Florida.
Featured in a WW2 Cruise Book.

***********************************

A Naval Aviator

I want to be a Naval Aviator when I grow up because it's fun and easy to do.

Naval Aviators don't need much school. They just have to learn
numbers so they can read instruments.

I guess they should be able to read maps so they can find their way if they are lost.

Naval Aviators should be brave so they won't be scared if it's foggy and they can't
see or if a wing or motor falls off they should stay calm so they'll
know what to do.

Naval Aviators have to have good eyes so they can see through clouds and they can't be afraid of lightning or thunder
because they are closer to them than we are.

The salary Naval Aviators make is another thing I like. They make more money than they can spend.

This is because most people think airplane flying is dangerous, except Naval Aviators don't

because they know how easy it is.

There isn't much I don't like, except girls like Naval Aviators and all they all want to marry them so they always have to chase them
away so they won't bother them.

I hope I don't get airsick because if I do I couldn't be a Naval Aviator and would have to go to work.

Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free.

Lego Navy!

2006-08-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

USNA At Large,

See it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/usna-at-large/ with more photos at the link below.

Thanks to Chuck Norton for the link and the ditty.

    Fly Navy! John Howland

And it even floats...................GREAT !!

http://www.ezprezzo.com/crazypics/lego_aircraft_carrier.html

Phantoms and Skyhawks and little yellow tractors,
Correspondence courses and Practical Factors,
Arrested landings which make my ears ring,
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

Jets on the Cats with Afterburners blaring
The fly Off's in full bore with everyone caring
Windmilling in alongside the pier
Then it's ashore for some real cold beer.
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things!

Admiral Rempt is Between Rock and Hard Place

2006-08-07T15:34:00.000-05:00

USNA At Large,

Here is a very brief summary of where the Owens Case is now.

What a mess!

Setting aside for the moment the reality that much of this is a direct result of Admiral Rempt's misjudgments, one can feel a bit sorry for the predicament that now confronts our Superintendent.

I would suggest that the answer lies in coming home to the de facto mission -- to provide the core combat leadership for the United States Naval Sea Services. To start living it. Over and above the current common lip service.

Maybe that means the end of a career. But, I'd rather go out with a bang, doing the right thing, than a whimper.

    John Howland

From the Baltimore Sun

Academy may face fallout on Owens

Decision to expel or graduate him could draw anger
By Bradley Olson
Sun reporter

August 7, 2006

On the heels of Lamar S. Owens Jr.'s acquittal on rape charges, the Naval Academy faces a tough choice: Graduate the former Navy football star and give him a commission, or expel him for violating academy rules and saddle him with $140,000 in debt and no degree.

Either option could bring tremendous political fallout.

The former would anger women's groups and members of Congress who have long pressured the academy to crack down on sexual misconduct and reform a culture that has widely been described as hostile to women.

The latter would draw the ire of powerful alumni and possibly minority groups, some of whom object to what they say is a stark double standard in Owens' case.

Four witnesses - including current midshipmen and recent graduates - were granted immunity for agreeing to testify at last month's court-martial, according to court testimony. Two female midshipmen - Owens' accuser and her friend - admitted to underage drinking, renting an off-campus house and other possible rules violations. A recent graduate and former Navy football player testified to having a "social encounter" with the accuser at Bancroft Hall, potentially a rules violation for both. The fourth witness never took the stand.

If Owens is kicked out, it would be for violating academy rules. Owens is African-American; the four granted immunity are white.

"Will they be able to find a legitimate reason to differentiate his treatment from the witnesses who were immunized?" asked Charlotte Cluverius, a former academy law instructor who defends military clients in Washington. "They can do whatever they want and don't necessarily need to justify it. ... Hopefully, they will be as fair as possible with Midshipman Owens."

The prosecution of Owens in a highly publicized case followed sharp criticism in Pentagon studies of the academy's handling of sexual assault and harassment complaints.

Since 2001, two midshipmen of 39 accused of sexual misconduct have been convicted at trial. One was for a rape charge in civilian court; the other was for child pornography in a military trial. An academy spokesman said the school does not know of any case in which a midshipman has been convicted of rape at court-martial.

Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, the academy superintendent, has taken a zero-tolerance stance toward such conduct. He is bringing charges this month against an oceanography professor who allegedly made explicit sexual comments to a female midshipman and next month in another sexual misconduct case involving a male midshipman.

Defense attorneys for the two and Owens have alleged that Rempt is on a witch hunt to prove he takes sexual assault seriously.

Similar situation
Rempt, who will decide Owens' future, finds himself in a situation similar to one he faced three years ago when he came to the academy. Largely credited as an aggressive reformer of the school's macho culture, Rempt dealt in 2003 with a difficult rape case and a reluctant, psychologically troubled victim.

Rempt opted not to take the case to trial, instead expelling the accused midshipman for rules violations. That decision brought criticism from women's and victim advocacy groups.

Now, in Owens' case, he is being criticized for bringing the charges.

"You had the academy administration leaping into a ... fairly difficult 'he said, she said' case, providing immunity to witnesses and taping phone calls," said John Howland, a 1964 academy graduate who runs a nonprofit organization that distributes news to academy graduates. "That's the kind of stuff you do when you're after the mafia."

Several prominent alumni arranged for Owens' legal defense.

Owens was acquitted of rape last month but convicted of conduct unbecoming an officer and violating a protective order to stay away from his accuser. Although he was sentenced to "no punishment," Owens still could face expulsion for what he testified was consensual sex in the academy dormitory between him and the accuser.

Midshipmen caught breaking those rules often are expelled, according to lawyers who handle such cases.

Cmdr. Ed Austin, an academy spokesman, said he could not comment on any of the trials or Owens' future because the matter is under review. He said there is no timeline for Rempt to decide Owens' fate.

Air Force scandal
Temporarily immunizing accusers in rape cases from being punished for rules violations is not unusual and stems from procedures put in motion after a 2003 scandal at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A number of female cadets had come forward to say that their rape allegations were not taken seriously and that they were punished severely - even expelled - for rules violations. Since then, most accusers are temporarily granted immunity during any rape investigations and judicial proceedings against their alleged attackers but subsequently ordered to undergo counseling as punishment, according to victims' advocates and military lawyers.

But officially and permanently giving witnesses immunity from any punishment in exchange for testimony - as in the Owens case - is highly unusual at the service academies. A Navy official familiar with academy trials said that outside of Owens' trial, only two witnesses have been granted immunity at courts-martial in the past 10 years at the Naval Academy. The official said immunity was given in this case because the rules violations were less serious than the rape charge against Owens.

Congress, which ordered several investigations after the Air Force Academy scandal, has again begun to probe how sexual assaults are handled at the academies.

In a congressional hearing in June, Rep. Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican, lectured Pentagon investigators and top officials at all three service academies for their handling of sexual assault and promised to continue investigating the problem.

Victim advocacy groups say that the rape acquittal will discourage future victims from reporting rapes.

Delilah Rumberg, co-chairwoman of a Pentagon task force that investigated Naval Academy culture, said offering witnesses immunity is an important step for the service academies.

"In order to be able to hold people accountable and send a strong message, these offenses must be handled severely. Rape is a very different crime than underage drinking," she said, referring to one of the rules violations for which the midshipmen were given immunity. Rumberg, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, said that although people may object to giving witnesses immunity, "that's what happens when you try to make change - people have to come out of their comfort zone."

Still, there could be backlash if Owens is expelled.

Sources close to the case say minority groups and some members of Congress are concerned about whether Owens is being treated more harshly than the white midshipmen at his trial who were given immunity.

Carl O. Snowden, an Annapolis civil rights activist and NAACP member, said many African-Americans in the community were "pleasantly surprised" by the outcome of Owens' trial because none of the five academy officers on the jury was black.

"It would be a very unfortunate situation for the academy and its reputation if the decision was made to punish him," he said. "It would not be viewed well by African-Americans or in the community."

SBDs Over Midway

2006-07-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

USNA At Large,

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

This photo is from the Sixth Scale collection. You can find a link to them at Links to Photos and Art.

    Fly Navy! John Howland

Running Scared

2006-07-13T09:35:00.000-05:00

Post of Monday, 10 July,

to http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/USNA-At-Large/

USNA At Large, lots more summer fun begins this morning, keep your seatbelts fastened -- we are going to be getting lots of media exposure -- not going to be good, for core combat leadership, John Howland

Courts-martial cast spotlight on sexual abuse at Naval Academy

By Stephen Manning, Associated Press Writer | July 9, 2006

WASHINGTON --Three courts-martial over sex-related crimes at the Naval Academy -- including rape charges against the football team's star quarterback -- are set for this summer, as the school remains under pressure to reduce sexual assaults.

Lamar Owens Jr., who led the Navy football team to an 8-4 record last fall, faces court-martial Monday at the Washington Navy Yard on charges of raping a fellow midshipman in her dorm room in January. Courts-martial are set for later this summer against another football player accused of indecent assault and an instructor who is accused of making crude sexual comments to a female student.

In contrast with these three cases, the Annapolis, Md., school held only one court-martial for a sexual offense from 1994 to 2004, according to a Pentagon report released last year.

However, the academy and the nation's other public military schools have been under scrutiny since allegations of sexual assault arose at the Air Force Academy in 2003. On June 28, a cadet at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., was sentenced to six months in a military prison after being convicted of sex-related crimes, although he was acquitted of rape.

Some victims rights' groups say the cases show that the school, which was criticized in the Pentagon report for not doing enough to curb abuse, is demonstrating that it won't tolerate sexual offenders.

"Once they realize we have zero tolerance for sexual harassment, assault or violence, I anticipate we will see the numbers go down," said Delilah Rumburg, head of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. She co-chaired the task force that wrote the Pentagon report.

However, lawyers for some of the defendants say the increase in cases is driven by political pressure on the academy and its superintendent, Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt.

"Admiral Rempt is running scared," said Charles Gittins, attorney for Lt. Bryan Black, the instructor accused of sexual harassment. "He has been under pressure from the board and feminist organizations."

A spokeswoman for the academy would not comment on the cases.

The academy has struggled with charges of sexual abuse and harassment since it first admitted women in 1976. Women still comprise only about 17 percent of the 4,000 student body, but the numbers are increasing with each class.

The academy includes classes on sexual harassment and abuse prevention in its training beginning with "plebe summer" -- the first session with incoming students. A sexual assault intervention program provides resources for victims.

"I have consistently made clear to all our staff and midshipmen that the Navy does not tolerate sexual harassment, misconduct or sexual assault," Rempt testified last month before a House panel investigating abuse at the military academies.

The Navy can handle cases using administrative methods, which could lead to a midshipman's resignation from the academy, or through a court-martial, where conviction can mean prison time. The academy superintendent decides which method to use.

There have been 41 accusations of sexual assault involving midshipmen since 2001, according to academy statistics released last month. Eight were referred to trial. Two were convicted, one by court-martial last summer, the other in civilian court. Two await trial -- Owens and fellow football player Kenny Ray Morrison. The other four were expelled.

The academy has historically chosen the administrative option, allowing midshipmen to resign, said Anita Sanchez, spokeswoman for the Miles Foundation, which tracks cases of abuse in the military. The fact that some midshipmen are now facing criminal proceedings is encouraging, she said.

"It is hopefully indicative of the fact that the military will be able to provide justice for the victims in these cases," she said.

Attorneys for Owens, Black and Morrison have challenged Rempt's ability to oversee the cases, saying his decisions are swayed by politics, not evidence.

While the academy encourages reporting, there may still be a reluctance among midshipmen to report assaults. During a preliminary hearing for Owens, a friend of the accuser described the difficulty the woman faced over whether to report the incident, saying women who report men at the academy "get crucified" by their peers.

"If you don't like it, go home!"

2006-07-09T12:56:00.000-05:00

USNA At Large,

Yikes, looks like we are going to have a long hot summer of this stuff!

For core combat leadership, John Howland

Long Haul to Acceptance
30 Years On, Gains and Trials for Women at Annapolis

By Donna St. George
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 9, 2006; C01

The words were spoken 30 years ago, and yet they are as jarring as they were the day when Sharon Hanley arrived at the U.S. Naval Academy -- 17 years old and about to make history as one of the first female undergraduates.

"I don't like you here," she recalls an upperclassman telling her. "I don't like women at my school, and so I'm going to be on your butt every waking minute. . . . If my plan works, you're going to be long gone before I graduate. Is that clear?"

She remembers her shock and dismay, then her momentary confusion about how to answer. As a plebe, she was not allowed to object or comment.

"Yes, sir," was all she could say.

Now, on the 30th anniversary of the integration of women in the Naval Academy, Sharon Hanley Disher finds herself in history's view again, the first of the earliest female graduates to be followed to Annapolis by a daughter. She watched teary-eyed in the late June heat as her daughter and son, who are twins, stood solemnly in Navy whites for their swearing-in on the campus's tree-lined grounds.

They are part of an academy class that includes a record number of women -- 22.4 percent, compared with 6 percent in the beginning -- and comes together as the country is at war, with women serving on destroyers and in fighter planes.

But though much has improved since women first arrived -- and many female graduates express great loyalty to the storied 161-year-old institution -- a complex and sometimes troubling portrait of student life emerges from three recent studies sponsored by the Defense Department.

The most recent study found that in the 2004-05 school year, 59 percent of female midshipmen and 14 percent of men reported sexual harassment, defined as crude and offensive behavior, unwanted sexual attention or sexual coercion. Sexist behavior -- put-downs and offensive comments -- was reported by 93 percent of women and 50 percent of men.

What the academy experience is like for young women is coming into greater focus as Congress looks into the subject and as the quarterback on the academy's football team faces a court-martial trial starting tomorrow on a charge of raping a female midshipman.

All of this happens as three decades of gender integration are marked this month, with women recalling their unsettling early days in a college dedicated to the making of military men.

"The name of our game was survival," Disher said. The attitude was "boys will be boys and 'You're coming to an all-male school; what did you expect?' " At her home in Annapolis last week, Disher happened upon a C-SPAN broadcast of Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, the academy's superintendent, testifying before Congress.

"Sexual harassment and misconduct and assault should not be tolerated in the Navy-Marine Corps," he said, "and I can assure you that they are not tolerated at your Naval Academy."

To Disher, this was another sign of changed times. "You have to talk about the problem to fix it," she said.

Meagan Varley was 10 when she decided to become a fighter pilot. She had seen the movie "Top Gun" and set her heart on flying. Her father, a teacher, suggested the Naval Academy, and in 1998 she found herself on the Annapolis campus as part of a class that was 16 percent female.

"You're aware that the things you do are going to be watched more closely and that you could be stereotyped more easily," she said. But as time went on, she found that her sex "kind of faded into the background."

Flight school followed graduation, and now, four years later, she is a fighter pilot, having flown F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18F Super Hornets, opportunities not open to the first female graduates. "They really broke the way for the rest of us," she said.

In the early years, women had fewer job choices because, under law, they could not serve on combatant ships or aircraft. Those who did not want women at the academy often complained that they were taking men's slots but could not do men's jobs.

That complaint grew louder in 1979, when Washingtonian magazine published an article, "Women Can't Fight," by James Webb, a much-heralded academy graduate and Marine war hero who is now the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia. He wrote then that the presence of women poisoned the academy's mission and that the academy's massive dormitory was "a horny woman's dream."

"The men went crazy; they loved it," recalled Disher, who wrote a book, "First Class," about women's experiences.

Webb has said recently that the article was published a long time ago and that as secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration he tripled the number of jobs that were open to women and ordered a crackdown on sexual harassment.

An array of jobs opened to women in the early 1990s, and after that, said Georgia Sadler, a retired Navy captain and the academy's first female faculty member, women "didn't feel so much like second-class citizens."

As more women enter the academy -- 273 this year, up from 81 in 1976 -- they have come closer to achieving a "critical mass" that ceases to be seen as a minority, said Mady Wechsler Segal of the Center for Research on Military Organizations at the University of Maryland. She put the tipping point at 25 to 35 percent.

Meghan O'Mara, Class of 2002, was never sexually harassed, but she said she "certainly had people who said inappropriate things" to her.

O'Mara, 26 and honorably discharged from the Navy, said more openness is needed, recalling the time one of her friends reported a rape. Academy officials, she said, "were definitely trying to make her keep quiet about it. . . . I don't think the environment makes a lot of women feel they can come forward and there will be a fair response."

That kind of concern touched off a 2003 scandal at the Air Force Academy, amid revelations of more than 140 reported rapes and sexual assaults over 10 years.

Since then, government studies have looked into harassment and sexual assault at the service academies. A recent Defense Department survey of midshipmen found that more than half of women who said they had been sexually assaulted did not report it. In all, 83 of 652 women -- more than 12 percent -- said they were victims of sexual assault between 1999 and 2004, the report said.

It also noted that women "do not report sexual harassment because they live and deal with it daily; it almost becomes normal. . . . They fear being ostracized and abandoned by their peers, both male and female."

One woman wrote that the academy was "one of the most emotionally devastating places I can imagine. Most of the women came here expecting mental and physical challenges. We thought we'd have to put up with overdoses of testosterone. What we did not expect was to be looked down upon for being women -- to be suddenly less than human in their eyes."

Before Congress, Rempt spoke of efforts to improve training and reporting. He cited an academy survey that found that 5 percent of women believe they would be resented by peers for reporting harassment, down from 50 percent five years ago.

In 2001, surrounded by hundreds of classmates, Candice Sarlese climbed up a lard-slicked granite monument, called Herndon, at the end of her plebe year. It is a tradition, and Sarlese had heard about women being pushed off. For her, it was different. A fellow midshipman turned to her and said, "Don't worry. I'm not going to let you fall."

Sarlese, 25 and now a first lieutenant in the Marines, said she believes some women "look for things. Some guys will make a joke, and they will take it as hurtful."

Over 30 years, relations between women and men have become better and more complex.

Sandee Irwin, part of the first class, recalls the insult of a midshipman two years her junior. "Why are you here, anyway?" he sniped.

Irwin took the young man aside and told him squarely: "You knew we were here when you signed your name on that piece of paper. If you don't like it, go home!"

Disher, the 1976 plebe, recalls blatant hostility after she joined the cheerleading team.

Worst of all was an Army-Navy football pep rally, in her second year on campus, she said. As Disher and the other cheerleaders came bouncing out onstage, the crowd stopped clapping.

"Get off the stage!" she heard. Then boos. "Get out of my school!"

A generation and more than 2,770 female graduates later, Disher had no reservations about sending her twins to the academy, where they will be part of the Class of 2010, with women such as Ashley Houston, 18.

"I think women are just as capable as men," said Chelsea Wright, 18, of Valley Forge, Pa., getting her hair cut to above the collar -- not far from where men were being shorn to the nub -- as she imagined herself on a Navy ship or jet, possibly in combat.

"I'm sure the level of respect has changed" over 30 years, ventured Margaret Boyle, 17, of Leonardtown.

The young man next to her in line nodded in agreement.

"I'd rather have them here than not," said John Howser, 17. "I've grown up with them."

© 2006 The Washington Post Company

An aggressive reformer of the school's macho culture

2006-07-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

USNA At Large,

Disher strikes again.

And, of course, the obligatory Manning is trotted out.

As for the latest Rempt Preempt -- note that he has tuned himself down from the 25% goal to 20%.

    Sorry, Minor, not "moving on," John Howland

For Navy women, sailing has gotten smoother

By Jamie Stiehm and Bradley Olson
Baltimore Sun reporters

July 5, 2006

The young woman was almost there.
After a year of petty treatment and abuse from some men, one of the first 81 women to enter the U.S. Naval Academy was about to reach the top of a greased obelisk that represented the end of an arduous indoctrination process.
By lore, the midshipman who scales the Herndon Monument every year in the prized ritual will be the first admiral of the graduating class. But the woman who had almost made it, climbing on the shoulders of her fellow plebes at the end of their freshman year, was yanked down by some male classmates.

"It was disheartening," said Sharon Hanley Disher, who was among the first women admitted in 1976 and among the first 55 to graduate four years later. "If we had banded together as a team and put the lighter-weight gals at the top, we would have been able to do it faster. But a certain few were not playing that game.
"It was disheartening, but it was also motivating. It was a lot like those people on the first day you got there who told you: 'You're not going to be here when I graduate.' I said, 'Oh, yeah? Watch me.'"
Disher and several other members of that first class said they couldn't remember who was tugged from the pinnacle of the monument, but all remembered it as one of the many insults they would experience during four years at the Annapolis military college. The women entered the school July 6, 1976, after Congress mandated that the traditional male-only policy be scrapped.
Similar changes were under way throughout education: Title IX leveled the playing field for female and male sports programs in public schools and universities. Princeton and Yale, two of the last single-sex Ivy League universities, went coed, along with elite New England colleges such as Williams and Amherst.
But the rigors of breaking the gender barrier at the military college were especially hard on the first women midshipmen.

Hailed as 'heroes'
At their 25th class reunion last year, Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, the superintendent often credited with being an aggressive reformer of the school's macho culture, lauded the first women to wear Naval Academy class rings as "heroes" - a bouquet that brought tears to some eyes.
"That gave us dignity and respect. But for some, it was hard to go back there for the reunion," said Disher. "There were a lot of painful memories."
Thirty years ago, when the freshmen arrived for induction day - when heads are shorn, uniforms and rooms are assigned, and the crucible known as plebe summer begins - only 14 women were on the faculty. There were 17 male freshmen "plebes" for every one of the women, and once the rest of the midshipmen arrived in the fall, they were outnumbered by a margin of 50-to-1.
Their numbers were few, and their moves were watched. Their hair was cut to collar-length by barbers trained to shear men's heads like lambs. Their uniforms didn't fit well, and many of their male classmates made it clear that they weren't welcome, insisting that the school trains "line officers" for combat, not women who, under the law then in effect, couldn't serve on a Navy combat ship or plane.
In a demoralizing blow their senior year, James Webb, a war hero and novelist in the English department, cut a swath with an oft-quoted article in Washingtonian magazine, titled "Women Can't Fight."
But it wasn't all bad, said Capt. Katherine Shanebrook, who now heads the academy's division of mathematics and science. Now one of the highest-ranking officers at the school, serving in a position that would equate to dean at a civilian university, Shanebrook has mostly positive memories of her time at the academy.
"One thing I was really pleased about was the variety of things we got to do," she said, "whether it was hand-to-hand combat, swimming or sailing. We got to learn how to fence. We were introduced to so many different things in a short period of time, and I really enjoyed that."
Shanebrook came to the academy after three years as an enlisted corpsman, or Navy medic, in San Diego. After growing up in Pontiac, Ill., she joined the Navy to pursue a medical career and discovered it wasn't for her. Shanebrook was taking oceanography courses at a local community college when she found out that women could attend the Naval Academy.
She didn't see herself as a trailblazer, she just saw it as the right opportunity at the right time, she said.
Shanebrook's career in the Navy's oceanography and meteorology community took her to both poles of the Earth, working as a forecaster. Now back at the academy in a significant leadership position, she said the opportunities she received in the Navy were as good as what she might have found in the civilian world, if not better. The troubles the women Mids faced are all but gone, she said.
"Women have been here for 30 years," she said. "People here have not known it any other way. It's just not a big deal anymore. Women now go out to sea on our ships and fly out on our airplanes."
The daughter of a career Air Force officer, Disher said she and others weren't looking to be the center of glaring media and peer attention as the "firsts" to change the Navy - most were only 18 years old, after all, learning how to march in the hot sun and memorizing the bible of midshipman behavior, Reef Points, with the rest of the plebes.
Disher, 47, told their tale in First Class: Women Join the Ranks at the Naval Academy, a "fact-based novel" about her experiences as an engineering major at the academy. After 10 years in the Navy's civil engineer corps, she resigned her commission and now manages the Annapolis Pottery shop.
Her daughter and son entered the academy last week, in another first: twins whose parents are alumni. Her novel's sequel, she said with a wry smile, is up to her daughter Alison to write.

Without a clue
Disher dotted her book with vivid vignettes that paint a darker side of the first coed days, weeks and years on "the Yard," as the campus is called. Arriving with an eagerness to serve their country, the young women in the Class of 1980 were greeted with derision from many - though not all - in the brigade of midshipmen.
"What we [women] had in common was naivete," Disher said from her Annapolis home, where she lives with her husband, Navy Cmdr. Timothy Disher, and their younger son. "We had not a clue what was facing us."
She and her friends found out soon enough that many male midshipmen resented women - and not just for getting some of the best rooms and bathrooms in the so-called "ship" of Bancroft Hall, the brigade's living quarters. Some resented their mere presence.
The Webb article likely fueled that peer faction, said Lory Manning of the Women's Research and Education Institute in Arlington, Va. "It gave them permission to act out their feelings," said Manning.
Disher said the Navy's prohibition on women officers serving on ships at sea created discontent among her male and female classmates from the start.
While most of their male classmates spent summers on destroyers, carriers or submarines, the women stayed behind, some doing desk duty at the Pentagon.
Today, women can serve in combat positions on surface ships or jets, though they are still barred from duty aboard submarines or with the Navy SEALs. Disher said the ability to serve on a ship has fostered greater acceptance of women by men at the academy.
The academy continues, however, to struggle with the integration of women within its walls, after many high-profile incidents of rape and sexual harassment. Just last year, a Defense Department task force said the school's culture was "hostile" to women.
Rempt has made no secret that he would like to increase the percentage of female midshipmen to 20 percent, a figure that has almost been reached with the incoming Class of 2010. Last week, more than 270 women became plebes at the academy, the most in the school's history, bringing the total percentage of women in the brigade to 19.7 percent.
Manning said the academy culture toward women would change when they reach about 20 percent of the student body.
Thirty years later, opinion remains divided on high-ranking women.
"There still is opposition [to women] by the old guard," said W. Minor Carter, a Class of 1962 academy graduate and an Annapolis lawyer. "I think they're idiots. That ship has sailed. Accept it, and move on."

jamie.stiehm@baltsun.com bradley.olson@baltsun.com

A persistent eye in the sky

2006-06-29T12:36:00.000-05:00

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

USNA At Large, the photo is from a Northrop Grumman ad and is originally a Navy photo, MQ-8B Fire Scout -- Vertical Takeoff and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) -- provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for warfighters at sea and on the ground, Go Navy! John Howland

Annapolis: After Action Report

2006-01-28T13:08:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

Yup, saw the movie last night.

Bottom line -- save yourself dollars, time and GRIEF -- do not bother to see this movie.

It has taken its place as easily the worst movie about the Naval Academy ever.

Let's take a contrarian approach -- are there any compelling reasons why I SHOULD see this movie?

Maybe my neighbor is going to see it and then zap me with some smartass question or comment? I can assure you that this movie is very likely going to die off very quickly. It is pretty unlikely that your neighbor is going to be attracted to go see it, even if he is tempted to be looking for material to zap you with.

I'm a BGO and maybe my potential candidates are going to want to see the movie? For you folks, this may be required viewing. (This is the sort of thing that hazardous duty pay was created for!) You probably are going to have to see the movie so that you are prepared to do damage control. I'm not funning you on this, you will have to do LOTS of damage control. Applications may go down after this Hollywood depredation.

I'm a masochist? By all means, go see the movie tonight.

So, are there any socially redeeming values to the movie? NO, none, zero, zip, nada.

Firstie Cole has a couple of lonely lines that get at what the Naval Academy is supposed to be about, but they are quickly washed away with the next wave of junk.

It turns out that all of the movie reviews written over the last few days have been far, far too kind.

The Alumni Association folks who got the preview viewing this week should be receiving Form 2s from Black Jack Scoville for failure to sound GQ about this movie.

I've already run on here much further than this movie deserved.

Guess we'll have to wait for the next generation for a good current movie about the Naval Academy. But, as I implied before the movie, I don't think a good movie can be made about the Naval Academy in this day and age. As I guessed, on a certain level, the movie is too real. It portrays certain aspects that are reality in today's Naval Academy. It is not a pretty sight.

C'est la vie, John Howland

JOs and The American Experiment

2006-01-01T08:19:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

This article came to us from a variety of sources. Thanks to all who thought to pass it along.

The author, Robert Kaplan, makes some very important points that tend to get lost in the hoopla.

The article illustrates a variant of the law of unintended consequences. Mr. Kaplan is talking about the children of the Baby Boomers, a generation that failed in Vietnam. And, a generation that is fluttering now re Iraq. Yet the children of those Boomers are the ones that are giving us renewed hope every day that America might be able to create something good in collusion with ordinary, patriotic Iraqis. It is a profound dynamic to witness. And, the Boomers are well advised to get out of the way and let their children do their magic.

The article also illustrates a dynamic that to the extent we can share God's Gift to Man -- Freedom (a paraphrase from President Bush), we ourselves are rejuvenated in our understanding of and faith in The American Experiment.

Finally, the article illustrates one of the reasons why, as we enter our second year, USNA At Large exists. USNA At Large is devoted to trying to assist in the process of ensuring that Naval Academy graduates are as prepared for their roles as core combat leaders as they can possibly be.

This is an excellent article to start off the New Year.

    For The American Experiment, John Howland

A long read.   Worthwhile piece on what junior officers are
accomplishing in Iraq and what it may foretell for them and our
country in later life.

From my USNA classmates

Cheers
Bill Aston
************************************************************

The Future of America - in Iraq

Los Angeles Times, December 24, 2005 The Future of America -- in Iraq By Robert D. Kaplan

If you want to meet the future political leaders of the United States, go to Iraq. I am not referring to the generals, or even the colonels.

I mean the junior officers and enlistees in their 20s and 30s. In the decades ahead, they will represent something uncommon in U.S. military history: war veterans with practical experience in democratic governance, learned under the most challenging of conditions.

For several weeks, I observed these young officers working behind the scenes to organize the election in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. They arranged for the sniffer dogs at the polling stations and security for the ballots right up to the moment Iraqi officials counted them. They arranged the outer ring of U.S. military security, with inner ones of Iraqi soldiers and police at each polling station, even as they were careful to give the Iraqis credit for what they, in fact, were doing. The massive logistical exercise of holding an election in a city of 2.1 million people was further complicated by the fact that the location of many polling stations changed at the last minute to prevent terrorist attacks. Throughout Iraq, young Army and Marine captains have become veritable mayors of micro-regions, meeting with local sheiks, setting up waste-removal programs to employ young men, dealing with complaints about cuts in electricity and so on. They have learned to arbitrate tribal politics, to speak articulately and to sit through endless speeches without losing patience.

I watched Lt. John Turner of Indianapolis get up on his knees from a carpet while sipping tea with a former neighborhood /mukhtar/ and plead softly: "Sir, I am willing to die for a country that is not my own. So will you resume your position as /mukhtar/? Brave men must stand forward. Iraq's wealth is not oil but its civilization. Trust me by the projects I bring, not by my words."

Turner, a D student in high school, got straightened out as an enlisted man in the Coast Guard before earning a degree from Purdue and becoming an Army officer. He is one of what Col. Michael Shields, commander of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in Mosul, calls his "young soldier-statesmen." Regardless of whether you support or oppose the U.S. engagement in Iraq, you should be aware that that country has had a startling effect on a new generation of soldiers often from troubled backgrounds, whose infantry training has provided no framework for building democracy from scratch.

At a Thanksgiving evangelical service, one NCO told the young crowd to cheers: "The Pilgrims during the first winter in the New World suffered a 54% casualty rate from disease and cold. That's a casualty rate that would render any of our units combat ineffective. But did the Pilgrims sail back to England? Did they give up? No. This country isn't a quitter. It doesn't withdraw."

Not withdrawing means bringing stability and liberal values to a society in which people have been trained to be subjects, not citizens. Young commanders in Iraq are experiencing in the bluntest terms the intractable cultural and political realities of a world that the U.S. seeks to remake in its own image, even as their own life struggles ? as well as their religious faith, which is generally deeper than that of secular elites ? make them not only refuse to give up but to feel betrayed by those who would.

To label them conservative is to miss the point. Having ground-truthed the difficulty of implanting democracy in a place with no experience of it, Iraq has stripped them of any ideology they might have had. At the same time, they have become emotionally involved with building Iraqi democracy. They have developed a distrust of an American media that have not, in their eyes, recorded advances they feel they have made in reducing the level of combat or getting a nascent electoral system started.

In a vast country of 23 million people, they rarely see the car bombings that kill a few dozen every day and are reported on the news at home. But they daily see the progress in front of their eyes. What these officers represent is the frontier ethos of applied wisdom, the combination of pragmatism and idealism that allowed for 19th century westward expansion, the clearing of land and the building of towns.

Military men, with their impatience with ideas that cannot be field tested, are a vibrant illustration of this ethos, especially as so many of them have grown up in rural America (and many I spoke to came from family farms). Now their deep engagement in civilian development matters in nation building has extended the meaning of the continental frontier overseas.

They are not imperialists, if by that we mean that they would support unilaterally invading a country again with a large number of troops. But they are absolutely committed to U.S. success in Iraq, no matter the cost to themselves. And as they trickle out of the service in coming years and rise to prominence in civilian life, the ability of the home front in these difficult days not to pity them, but to sustain them in their mission, could have enormous consequences for the future of American politics.

Robert D. Kaplan is author of "Imperial Grunts" (Random House, 2005).

The Midshipman Prayer

2005-12-18T08:07:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

Apparently at the BOT meeting, just prior to the vote on the Strawman Restructure Proposal, Chairman Carl Trost led the assembled Trustees in the Midshipman Prayer.

It seemed appropriate for my own edification to go back and refresh my memory.

Here it is from the USNA site.

    Live for Life, John Howland

The Midshipman Prayer (Traditional version)

Almighty Father, whose way is in the sea, whose paths are in the great waters, whose command is over all and whose love never faileth; let me be aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and in deed, and helping me so to live that I can stand unashamed and unafraid before my shipmates, my loved ones, and thee. Protect those in whose love I live. Give me the will to do my best and to accept my share of responsibilities with a strong heart and a cheerful mind. Make me considerate of those entrusted to my leadership and faithful to the duties my country has entrusted in me. Let my uniform remind me daily of the traditions of the service of which I am a part. If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again. Guide me with the light of truth and keep before me the life of Him by whose example and help I trust to obtain the answer to my prayer, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Click here for Interfaith version.

US Naval Academy - Chaplain Center - News / Resources

Gate One Reconfiguration Project Unveiled

2005-12-17T09:12:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large, sounds like a good thing, Go Navy! John Howland

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.gate16dec16,0,3498986.story
A makeover at the gate

A $3.8 million reconfiguration of the Naval Academy front entrance will include visitor security measures

By Bradley Olson
sun reporter

December 16, 2005

The Naval Academy will begin a major reconfiguration of its front entrance next month that will lead to stepped-up security measures for visitors.
While increased security was the impetus for the $3.8 million project, Navy and Annapolis officials said the improved entrance would free up traffic at Randall and King George streets, where vehicles often back up on weekends when midshipmen are coming and going from the academy.
Under the plan, which was unveiled Monday, a pedestrian entrance will be built just west of the existing one on Randall Street and a walk-in entrance will be added at Craig and Prince George streets. Both are close to City Dock. Vehicles will continue to enter from King George Street, where a turning area for buses and a small parking lot will be added.
Annapolis preservationists have endorsed the plan because it will provide for an entryway more fitting for the academy, a historical landmark that is Maryland's most visited tourist destination with more than 2.2 million visitors a year.
The added security measures - which are similar to procedures added at military bases nationwide in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and will include metal detectors - were planned for late 2002 but were derailed when funding was diverted to major renovations after Tropical Storm Isabel caused heavy flooding at the campus.
The addition of the second walk-in entrance near City Dock will make the academy easier to find, said Cmdr. Tom McKavitt, who manages operations at the 160-year-old institution.
"This is going to be a really positive change," McKavitt said. "This will funnel people right to us from congregating points downtown."
Tuckman-Barbee Construction Co. of Upper Marlboro will begin construction Jan. 3 and is to finish in mid-May just before commencement ceremonies. During construction, Gate 1 may be closed to vehicles.
The renovations will knock out a section of the 8-foot-high wall along Randall Street and create a pedestrian entrance. A new wall will replace an existing fence along Prince George Street next to Halsey Field House, where the new pedestrian entrance will be. McKavitt said the new wall near the water's edge, designed in consultation with the Army Corps of Engineers, would protect the academy from flooding in the future.
The construction also will create a small parking lot and rotunda where buses and vehicles can park temporarily to unload or pick up passengers, or where visitors can stop to obtain entrance passes.
Upon entering, visitors will come into a landscaped parklike area with walkways that will lead to a visitor access center, where they will go through a security process not unlike that at an airport, McKavitt said.
They will most likely have to show identification and go through a metal detector, a big change from existing procedures that merely require visitors to display identification and walk onto the Yard.
At Gate 3, at Maryland Avenue and Club Road, visitors will not be screened and will only have to show identification as they do now, he said, unless a security threat causes the academy to shut the entrance to the public.
In a separate project, the academy will extend an internal fence on the Yard that may restrict access to Bancroft Hall - the midshipmen's enormous dormitory - and other academic buildings not open to the public, although the location of the fence has yet to be decided, McKavitt said.
The inner fence, as well as the Gate 1 changes, will allow the academy to continue operating and allowing visitors even if the threat level is raised, he said.
Mike Miron, the economic development coordinator for the city of Annapolis, said he didn't believe the added security measures would be a deterrent to visitors, and he hasn't heard any rumblings in the business community about the plans.
"The Naval Academy is such an attraction, people will visit there anyway," Miron said. "It's such a draw."
Historic preservationists in the city said they were enthusiastic about the plans.
William Schmickle, chairman of the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission, said he looked forward to seeing a beautified entrance and hoped the academy would preserve the large oak trees that shade the Randall Street walkway.
McKavitt said the large oaks would remain.
Gregory A. Stiverson, president of the Historical Annapolis Foundation, said the plan was a "terrific idea" because it would provide more pedestrian access, reduce traffic and replace an unsightly fence along Prince George Street with a brick wall.
"For such a small amount of geography that they had to work with, I thought they came up with a really brilliant solution," said Stiverson, who was briefed on the plan last week. "It will be a dramatic improvement to the overarching aesthetic appeal of the primary entrance at Gate 1. ... Right now, it's not a welcoming entrance to the Naval Academy. You don't have the sense that you've entered some place of national importance."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/about/bal-reporterfeedback,0,4526743.htmlstory?recipient=bradley.olson@baltsun.com

Copyright © 2005, The Baltimore Sun |

Admiral Rempt Reports

2005-12-14T15:03:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

Trustee Wass continues to do the superlative job he performs for his constituency in the Central Region.

Here he passes on detail re the Superintendent's report to the Board of Trustees.

This will be posted on our blog at http://USNA-At-Large.blogspot.com/

Sure, we have things that we need to work on, but never forget that the Naval Academy continues to do the superb work that it was created to perform -- generating core combat leaders for the United States Naval Sea Services.

    For The American Experiment, John Howland

U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association
Central Region Trustee
Leonard R. Wass, CAPT (Ret.)
USNA Class of 1964

Subj: December 2005 Superintendent’s Report

Refer to: Central Region Letter 22-05; December 13, 2005
***
PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY TO E-MAIL ME. I WILL NOT GET IT. E-MAIL ME DIRECTLY AT MY USNA ALUMNI CLASSMAIL ADDRESS, len.wass@1964.usna.com
***
Chapter Officers - Please give this e-mail the widest possible distribution among your members and other alumni in your area.

****

VADM Rod Rempt ’66, the Supe, gave a comprehensive report on USNA during the BOT meeting on December 1. I’ll highlight his address in the points that follow in this newsletter.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT (Rod Rempt ’66)

·       Pleased with the superb faculty—Asst. SECNAV (Dev & Acquisition) was an EE professor at USNA until recently

·       Fine staff from the fleet and USMC—he wants only the “best picks” for USNA

·       Believes our Mids are the finest young men and women in the country

·       President Bush spoke to the Mids the day before on the Iraq War; national TV

·       The margin of excellence at USNA is made possible by alumni help and contributions—praised and thanked alumni

·       Strategic plan for USNA:

o       Mission: Maintain the mission as stated

o       Vision: Prepare combat leaders & leaders in peace; Mids to have highest degree of personal integrity & ethical behavior

o       Guiding Principles: Executing mission (“Mid’n are our mission”); It’s about how we live and work together

o       Goals & Objectives: 12 goals are revisited each month; Operating USNA is part of the plan (facilities, security, business processes, etc)—in the implementation phase of all this

·       Academic program review (curriculum, schedule/process, faculty/staff, & facilities)

o       Might need to reinstate some Saturday AM classes

o       Linking requirements of Navy & USMC to USNA academic requirements (ADM Blair’s report on this topic is due 2/06)

o       Will preserve general core education, but accelerate academic focus of Mids

·       2006 College Rankings

o       7 Rhodes scholars in 2 years (4 this year alone; selected from 900 applicants from 32 universities)

o       Best undergraduate engineering program

·       10 internal reviews looking into physical education mission (an outside review by ADM Bob Natter as well)

o       Club and varsity sports under review (Right mix? Right sports?)

·       Ice rink and tennis facility being built across the river (lighted Rugby field planned there too)

·       Wants to build a parking garage at USNA—high priority

·       Leadership review produced recommendations to improve

o       Created Officer Development System plus 10 other projects

o       First year of implementation

·       Facilities:

o       Chauvenet, Michelson, Sampson, Luce, & Maury are all rehabbed

o       Plan to rehab museum next year

o       Looking at library for future, e.g., impact of computer automation on library of future

o       Levy Center complete (Jewish chapel & assembly center)—excellent facility—all from donated funds

o       HVAC plant on line (unobtrusive building in the yard across from Ricketts and Lejune Halls)

o       Wesley Brown Field House groundbreaking in March 2006—140K sq. ft. –next to 7^th wing

·       Military smartness & discipline being re-stressed

·       Honor system is back in Mids hands (encouraged by progress—emphasizing development & growth)

·       Renaissance in sailing near complete—all Mids participate

o       30 new 26 footers (knockabout replacements)

o       5-49 foot ocean racers

o       Wants to get 6-65 foot sailing boats

·       Emphasizing YP training

·       Concerns remain sexual harassment, drugs, and alcohol

o       Got 44 recommendations from a DOD sexual harassment review

o       Drugs are not a problem

o       Teaching Mids to drink alcohol responsibly and eliminate binge drinking (Hubbard Hall has been converted to 1/C beer drinking facility—avoids driving back from DC or B-more after drinking)

·       Religious tolerance

o       Right of Mids to worship as they choose (freedom of religion)

o       We have a responsibility to train Mids to support sailors & Marines in their religious needs (hence noon meal prayer will continue)

·       NAPS—redefining guidelines for NAPS—need less “Plebe Year” and more emphasis on academics

·       Major initiatives:

o       Center for ethical leadership

o       Hockey & tennis center

o       International program

o       Chapel centennial

o       Athletic excellence

o       Museum displays

o       Baseball stadium

o       Endowed chairs

o       Hubbard Hall

·       Solicited alumni input/feedback to him—cannot answer all emails but will read and absorb them-- rempt@usna.edu

****************************************
GO NAVY!! BEAT CSU!!!

Very Respectfully,
Leonard R. Wass '64
Captain, USNR (Ret.)
Central Region Trustee, USNAAA
len.wass@1964.usna.com
(W) 630-947-0145 x223
Fax: 630-947-0144

***
PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY TO E-MAIL ME. I WILL NOT GET IT. E-MAIL ME DIRECTLY AT MY USNA ALUMNI CLASSMAIL ADDRESS, len.wass@1964.usna.com
***
Chapter Officers - Please give this e-mail the widest possible distribution among your members and other alumni in your area.
***
All Central Region Letter's are archived at http://www.wcginc.com/usnaaa/index.htm
***

Central Region:
AL,AR,IA,IL,IN,KS,KY,LA,MI,MN,MO,MS,ND,NE,OH,OK,SD,TN,TX,WI
and the CARIBBEAN, SOUTH AMERICA, & CANADA

Commandant's Impressive Background

2005-12-11T08:12:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large, this makes for good Sunday morning reading to get the batteries recharged, Go Navy! John Howland

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.grooms10dec10,1,5359277.story?coll=bal-pe-maryland
Commandant's leadership could take him to the top

By Bradley Olson
Sun reporter

December 10, 2005

Bruce Grooms' first love was basketball.
"I kind of hoped that maybe I would be a great basketball player," he said. "I think a lot of youths feel that way, but my mom certainly made it clear to me that I could be as good a basketball player as I wanted to be, but I had to be something else on top of that. The light bulb flashed when the pro scouts weren't looking for me."
But the Naval Academy was looking for him, and they recruited him to the Annapolis military college, where he became a captain of Navy's basketball team. That began a naval career that has taken Grooms to the No. 2 position at the academy, making him the highest-ranking black leader in its 160-year history.
He is also one of the so-called Centennial Seven, a group of seven African-American officers who have commanded a submarine during the first 100 years of U.S. submarine forces.
Still, Grooms, 47, was reluctant to focus on his race during recent interviews on his Navy career.
"Sometimes there was a sense that 'I don't know this person' or that 'He's different,'" Grooms said. "And for me, the challenge was just showing that I was no different and that I was just trying to do the best I could."
Friends say Grooms, who stands just over 6 feet, is a gifted leader who cares deeply about sailors, winning praise as a listener and mentor. His role as commandant is similar to that of a dean of students, responsible for the leadership and ethics training of 4,200 midshipmen, as well as indoctrinating them into the rigorous life of a Navy or Marine Corps officer. Grooms, who has been married for 18 years and has two sons, is widely viewed as a rising star who could someday become a four-star admiral, the Navy's highest rank in peacetime.
Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt, the academy superintendent who picked Grooms after interviewing a half-dozen naval officers, called him the "very best officer based on leadership and the right fit for the academy and the brigade of midshipmen."
Since arriving in June, Grooms has come in and imposed new restrictions on Mids after increased scrutiny about how U.S. service academies deal with sexual assaults and alcohol use. The restrictions have been unpopular with some Mids, but Grooms says they're a necessary part of creating future officers.
Experts say Grooms' appointment is a major step at the Naval Academy, which was not always hospitable to African-Americans. The first cadre of blacks to enter the academy, in the Reconstruction era, were all ostracized despite the tepid support of the school's administration.
The same happened at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., but several cadets nonetheless managed to graduate in that period, the first being Henry O. Flipper in 1877. The Naval Academy did not have its first black graduate until Wesley Brown in 1949. West Point appointed a black commandant in 1987, though two African-American deputy commandants preceded Grooms in Annapolis. This year, blacks make up about 6 percent of each school's student totals.
"Capt. Bruce Grooms becoming commandant is a good thing," said Robert Schneller, a Navy historian who has written extensively on African-Americans at the Naval Academy. "By now it's not quite routine but a symbol that the academy's equal opportunity policy is working."
Grooms grew up in suburban Cleveland, the son of an Air Force veteran and postal worker. His home was on a country road and his was the only black family in the neighborhood, said his father, Gilbert Grooms. The young Grooms was a standout basketball player in high school but also did well in math and school projects, his father said.
Gilbert Grooms said his wife "always was a driving force in his life."
"She was proud of him because he was such a good kid," he said.
The elder Grooms also played down the significance of race and said, "Race doesn't matter if everyone has the right chance."
After graduating from the academy, Bruce Grooms completed nuclear power training and served in a variety of roles in the submarine forces. While away from subs, he returned to the academy as a company officer, attended Stanford University and the Naval War College, and served as a top aide to former Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith.
But Grooms' rise has largely come as a submarine commander, first at the helm of the USS Asheville in 1997 and then leading a squadron of attack submarines based in Norfolk, Va., immediately before reporting to the Naval Academy.
The world of submarines is largely unknown outside the military. They perform missions that include intelligence gathering on solo deployments, mine-hunting, guarding a carrier group at sea and launching land-attack Tomahawk missiles. Because of the myriad missions and the technical expertise required to operate a nuclear reactor underwater, submarine crews are heavily trained and are expected to be able to perform just about any function on the ship. Grooms served on nuclear-powered attack submarines, often dubbed the "sports cars of the sea" by sailors.
During that time, he earned a reputation for great technical ability, according to several admirals and junior officers who worked with him.
Rear Adm. Mark Kenny, commander of Submarine Group 2 and Grooms' commanding officer until last year, recalled how Grooms quickly found a way to put a submarine back in action after a yearlong overhaul, rather than have the crew endure an additional year waiting for deployment.
"He took a risk. ... He was always trying to find ways to improve our operational availability, crew morale and readiness," he said.
But Grooms also became known for honesty and for regularly interacting with his sailors, occasionally sitting down with an enlisted sailor during a 3 a.m. walkabout or playing pickup basketball games.
Retired Vice Adm. Albert Konetzni, a former submariner who retired as deputy commander of the Atlantic Fleet, recalled encountering Grooms while he was skipper of the Asheville, an attack submarine.
Konetzni was struggling with attrition in the submarine forces, losing as many as one of every four sailors in the late 1990s. To "stop the bleeding," he said, he encouraged individual submarine commanders to change the culture and provide sailors with good working hours and allow them to better meet their family needs. Grooms drove that home, he said.
"I always say that if you want to lead for the future, your legacy will always be the people you train," Konetzni said. "Bruce really got that -- that leadership is not only about the technical acumen needed to succeed in deployment, but providing a Navy of tomorrow."
The Asheville eventually was recognized for having the lowest attrition rate of any sub in the Navy.
Grooms said he learned during his training to always listen to his sailors. Once, on the Asheville, the crew was conducting a "once-in-a-lifetime" intelligence operation and had a small window of opportunity to gather information in a dangerous mission. Grooms would not say what the intelligence was, but recalled that after a great deal of preparation, a senior analyst advised him to end the mission. He did.
As he was going to bed, he got a knock on the door from a young fireman who had been in the Navy for a year. The enlisted sailor told Grooms he had been preparing in the control room and felt disappointed that the mission was scrapped.
"I couldn't believe the courage he had, as an 18-year-old that was new to the Navy," Grooms said. He had the sub turned around and put back into position, and the mission "worked out better than I had hoped."
"Despite the fact that I was an officer of 20-something years and had a senior analyst, sometimes listening to the young kids can lead to incredible opportunities," he said.
Said Kenny: "He's just that type of officer that comes around every once in a while."
As for being one of the first black submarine commanders, Grooms said he is proud of his role. He said his group meets annually in Baltimore and helps recruit minorities to the Navy and sub forces.
"In 100 years of submarines, we had a whopping seven officers as submarine commanders," he said. "It's a great opportunity to get together, mentor young submariners and tell them stories about what we experienced."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/about/bal-reporterfeedback,0,4526743.htmlstory?recipient=bradley.olson@baltsun.com

Copyright © 2005, The Baltimore Sun |

We Will Not Drop the Torch

2005-12-09T08:52:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large, LCDR Davidson represents us well in the Pittsburgh area on Pearl Harbor Day, for The American Experiment, John Howland

KEEPING the spirit alive
Thursday, December 8, 2005
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

CANFIELD — "You want to touch a piece of history?" asked Robert Bishop, as he pulled a two-inch piece of black metal from his pocket.

"This a fragment of one of the two Japanese bombs that hit my ship in Pearl Harbor and killed several shipmates," said Bishop, who was aboard the battleship USS Tennessee when the Japanese attacked Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941.

Bishop, of West Austintown, and his wife, Doris, were among the veterans and their friends and families who attended the Pearl Harbor Commemoration ceremony Wednesday morning at the Mahoning Veterans Memorial on the Canfield Fairgrounds.

After the ceremony, Bishop and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brad B. Davidson, commander of the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna, placed a wreath at the base of the monument to veterans of all wars.

Inscribed on the monument are these words: "The hero dead cannot expire: The dead still play their part."

Then Bishop, Davidson and John P. Brown of Youngstown, 2nd national vice commander of the AMVETS, lowered the flag to half-staff in memory of those who died in the Pearl Harbor attack.

Included in ceremony

The ceremony, hosted by AMVETS Post 44, included a display of World War II photographs collected by the late Maurice Murphy Damelio of Girard, who served in the Navy during the war. The pictures were provided by his son, James Damelio of Girard.

Bishop, whose battle station was deep in the heart of the Tennessee, said he could feel the ship shake when it was hit or when bombs hit nearby. He had radio contact with those topside during the attack, so had some idea about what was happening.

But when he went topside himself, he said what he saw was "unbelievable." His own ship was hit twice but was still afloat. But alongside the Tennessee, the USS West Virginia was burning, the USS California had sunk and the USS Oklahoma was bottom-up in the harbor.

"It is almost impossible to express my feelings at that moment," said Bishop, who is a member and past commander of Pearl Harbor Association's Mahoning Valley Chapter 5.

Importance of programs

Bishop, 84, said commemorative programs like the one Wednesday are important.

"I think we need to remember the people who sacrificed their lives for their country," he said.

"I and my generation have the luxury of knowing the history that was written in the blood of and by our greatest generation. It is those individuals that survived or sacrificed their lives that day that we are here to honor today," said Lt. Cmdr. Davidson, main speaker for the program.

"It is because of that effort that we are able to stand here today ... protected under the umbrella of freedoms that were paid for in full by the selfless sacrifice of those before us," said Davidson, a Naval aviator and 1993 graduate of the Naval Academy.

"Many of you here today remember Pearl Harbor. It is not just a fact of history in a book ... but real and a part of your life forever. You remember the lessons we learned from Pearl Harbor, that we must always be vigilant and prepared. We want those who follow us to remember, and to understand that the freedoms they enjoy today have carried a high price. We need to pass on to our children, as you have done, the same liberties that were preserved for us. We need to keep faith in God and country and, if necessary, to shed blood to keep it so.

"It is that American resolve and that American spirit that the survivors of Pearl Harbor have taught us. We are all humbled by their sacrifice, and rest assured, we have accepted the responsibilities that freedom involves. We will not drop the torch," Davidson said.

alcorn@vindy.com

Able Danger Update

2005-12-08T06:36:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

This is a story that the folks in DC, Democrats and Republicans alike, would like to see go away.

Our Scott Phillpot played and continues to play an important role on this front.

    Bravo Zulu, John Howland

This story is taken from Politics at sacbee.com.

Former top military leader confirms data-mining search for al-Qaida leaders

By James Rosen -- Bee Washington Bureau
Published 6:48 pm PST Tuesday, December 6, 2005
WASHINGTON - Gen. Hugh Shelton, who was the military's top commander during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, confirmed that four years before the tragedy he authorized a secret computer data-mining initiative to track down Osama bin Laden and operatives in the fugitive terrorist's al-Qaida network.
In his first public comments on the initiative, which some former intelligence officers now say was code-named Able Danger, Shelton also confirmed that he received two briefings on the clandestine mission - both well before the Sept. 11 attacks.
"Right after I left SOCOM (Special Operations Command), I asked my successor to put together a small team, if he could, to try to use the Internet and start trying to see if there was any way that we could track down Osama bin Laden or where he was getting his money from or anything of that nature," Shelton said Tuesday in an interview.
"It was just kind of an experiment," Shelton said. "What can we do? So, he pulled together a bunch of really bright, computer-literate guys from across the services."
Shelton's assertions are significant because they raise new questions about the government's knowledge of the al-Qaida network before the Sept. 11 attacks, and about the subsequent findings of the 9/11 commission, set up by Congress to
probe the attacks.
Shelton was responding to claims by former Pentagon intelligence officers, who say they used a data-mining program code-named Able Danger to identify 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta and three other hijackers in early 2000, but that Pentagon lawyers blocked them from relaying their findings to the FBI.
Before the Defense Department issued a gag order that prevented them from testifying to Congress in September, the former intelligence officers said they were assigned to use sophisticated software to perform complex computer searches of "open-source" data in a bid to locate links among al-Qaida operatives.
Navy Capt. Scott Phillpott said he led the program that identified Atta in January or February 2000. Army Lt. Col. Scott Shaffer said Shelton had issued a directive establishing Able Danger, and that he and other intelligence officers on the top-secret program briefed Shelton on its findings in early 2001.
The Senate confirmed Air Force Gen. Richard Myers to replace Shelton as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff three days after the Sept. 11 attacks.
While Shelton said he never heard the program referred to as "Able Danger" until news reports on it first emerged in the summer, the retired general said he authorized a computer data-mining effort to target bin Laden and his associates.
"I dealt with a million damn acronyms and different kinds of code names for operations," Shelton said. "Able Danger was not one that jumped out at me when it first surfaced" in news reports.
But under his direction, Shelton said, Gen. Peter Schoomaker, now Army chief of staff, set up a team of five to seven intelligence officers after Shelton was promoted to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1997 and Schoomaker succeeded him as Special Operations commander.
The program began at Special Operations headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, Shelton said, but it was expanded later and moved to Fort Belvoir, Va., outside Washington. Schoomaker briefed Shelton on the program's progress in late 1997 when Shelton made a return visit to his old command post in Florida.
In Washington, sometime between 1999 and 2001, Shelton received a more extensive briefing from Defense Intelligence Agency officers involved in the program.
Shelton said he doesn't recall hearing or seeing Atta's name in those briefings or at any time before the Sept. 11 attacks.
"To be candid, there were not many specifics in it," Shelton said of the later briefing. "There were no names that surfaced that had not surfaced before through normal intelligence channels. There was no identification of any new players, or anything of that type."
Shelton, though, said that a CIA representative and an FBI representative were present at the second briefing. And he said, "I know for a fact that I was told that they had been a part of the effort" to track al-Qaida through computer data-mining.
That assertion is important because some of the former intelligence officers who say they were involved with Able Danger have also said the Pentagon prevented them from relaying their data to the FBI for possible pursuit or prosecution.
Shelton, a North Carolina native who is now heading a leadership-training program at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, said he also doesn't recall seeing the large chart that the former Able Danger officers claim to have produced, displaying as
many as 60 al-Qaida operatives, including Atta and other hijackers.
"Unless they had a big star by their names saying ‘potential 9/11 guy,' then they (the names) wouldn't jump out at you," Shelton said.
"Only in retrospect, when you go back and start saying, ‘Well, we had this guy all along,' does it sound like we (the intelligence officers) were brilliant."
In its final report last year, the Sept. 11 commission spread blame across the government but said it had not identified any of the 19 hijackers before the attacks. The panel Tuesday gave the government poor grades on implementing its post-Sept. 11
recommendations, some of which aimed at increasing the sharing of potential terrorism intelligence among different agencies.
Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., who has led a congressional push for the Pentagon to allow open Able Danger hearings, said the 9/11 commission failed to adequately investigate the program or its findings.
"This is not Curt Weldon speaking," Weldon told Fox News on Tuesday. "These are senior military intelligence officers. These are not people off the street. One's a Naval Academy graduate. Both of them have 23 years of experience. The analysts who worked this program are all in sync."
Lee Hamilton, a former Indiana Democratic congressman who was co-chairman of the Sept. 11 panel, said its staff interviewed the intelligence officers at the center of the Able Danger saga.
"They claim to have information about Mohamed Atta, and they clam to have this chart, but they cannot produce it," Hamilton said Tuesday in an interview. "If these folks have documentary evidence, let's bring it forward."
Despite an exhaustive two-year probe, Hamilton acknowledged that the commission could have missed important clues about the Sept. 11 attacks.
"We looked at over 2 million documents and had a very good staff, but it's possible we missed something," he said.
The Bee's James Rosen can be reached at (202) 383-0014 or jrosen@mcclatchydc.com.

Pearl Harbor Day

2005-12-07T07:06:00.000-06:00

USNA At Large,

One of our many great symbols of the success of The American Experiment, salutes the ARIZONA Memorial. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

We are reminded on this 64th anniversary that America takes very seriously attacks on our citizens.

Yet, just a few years ago we lost even more Americans in New York City, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. Yet, there are many Americans in leadership positions today throughout our society who would have us forget 9/11 and what that day meant to free people everywhere in the world.

    Remembering Pearl Harbor and 9/11, John Howland

Fair Winds/Following Seas: Bill Lawrence

2005-12-03T09:38:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

Bill Aston passes along this sad news.

Bill Lawrence was a Navy football great and a former Supe. He was also a POW for a long, long time.

More details will be put out soon.

    With regrets, John Howland

VADM Bill Lawrence passed away at his home in the Annapolis area
yesterday, December 2nd. He was taking a routine afternoon nap and
had been planning to attend the ARMY- NAVY Game today. Bill will be
remembered by many as a splendid Naval Officer, an outstanding Naval
Aviator and a decorated Wartime Leader. We in the Class of 1951 were
honored to have him as a Class President during our early years in the
Service.

Strawman Comes Up Just Short At End of Marathon

2005-12-03T06:24:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

I have further word from good sources that the vote was actually 17 for the Strawman and just 12 against.

That gets to the 29 correct total Trustees and corrects the first report we received Thursday night (copied below).

And, it says that this issue was even tighter than we first thought with a safety margin of just 2 votes to stop the Strawman freight train.

The 12 votes came from all 4 Regional Trustees and 8 of 12 Chapter Trustees.

The further message from that statistic is that a huge schism is revealed among the BOT.

In essence, it is the Washington-Annapolis-Baltimore axis seeking to subjugate all of the rest of the country.

The 17 Strawmen then were made up of all 7 of the Class Trustees and 4 of 12 Chapter Trustees plus the Chairman, Vice Chairman, President & CEO, Past Chairman and the two Board Appointed Trustees (read mini-me Chairman Trustees). In essence, the entrenched folks sourced from the Washington-Annapolis-Baltimore axis.

So, at this point, we know specifically how seventeen of the Trustees voted on this issue.

But, at this point, we don't know how the 12 Chapter Trustees split.

Here are listings of what we know and need to know:

Deserving of Bravo Zulus --

* Bill Rentz

* Bob Stevenson

* Len Wass

* Jack Adams

* and 8 out of 12 Chapter Trustees

Failed Strawmen --

* George Watt

* Carl Trost

* Corbin McNeill

* Snuffy Smith

* Jerry Miller

* Roy Snyder

* Mike Haskins

* Perry Martini

* Dan Proulx

* Tom Wagner

* Jeff "Murph" McCarthy

* Bart Phillips

* Leo Williams

* and 4 out of 12 Chapter Trustees

Here are the 12 Chapter Trustees -- which way did your Chapter Trustee vote? --

* Carl McCallum, Atlanta

* Fred Sheehan, Boston

* Ed Sullivan, Greater Washington

* Dan Lear, Hampton Roads

* Arvel Popp, Knoxville

* Joe Koch, Los Angeles

* Lee Price, Pensacola

* Colin Saari, Puget Sound

* Tom Hammonds, San Diego

* Raese Simpson, St. Louis

* Roy Collins, Tampa

* Lynn Wegner, Texas Gulf Coast

REQUEST: Please advise us at USNA At Large asap re how your Chapter Trustee voted -- FOR or AGAINST the Strawman.

    Thanks! and Beat Army TODAY! John Howland

=============================Thursday Night Message==================================

USNA-At-Large,

Jock Craig relays (from his Class Prez) the first word we have of the results of the vote on the Strawman Proposal for the restructuring of the Board of Trustees.

Board of Trustees Reconstitution: At the BOT Meeting on 1 December 2005 a vote by the Trustees attending was taken regarding the proposed reconstitution of the BOT. The proposed change was defeated since the "ayes" did not receive a 2/3 vote. The final count was 17 for and 13 against.

Not sure exactly how those numbers are supposed to work as I thought we were working with 29 total Trustees vs. 30. In any event, based on the 30 number the Strawman was just three votes shy of pulling it off. All things considered, I call that a close call.

Will be interesting to find out who voted for and against the Strawman.

  Will also be interesting to find out where the BOT intends to go from here.

In any event, for the ongoing health of the Alumni Association, this was a good result.

BZ to the 13 that stood in the path of the Strawman!

    Whew! John Howland

Commander in Chief Trophy Back in Chet's Good Hands

2005-12-01T05:45:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

Stop the milk carton presses!

Chet Gladchuk has the Trophy and all's well!

    Carry on! and ... Beat Army! John Howland

Coveted Trophy Found at Naval Academy

Thu Dec 1,12:03 AM ET

The Commander-In-Chief's Trophy was recovered Wednesday night, about 48 hours after it was believed to have been stolen, Navy officials said.

The trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the football competition between the three major service academies, was found in a storage room inside Bancroft Hall, the academy's dormitory.

"All that matters is that we found the (trophy) and it's in good hands, now," Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk told The Washington Post. "We'll bring it to Philadelphia with us and the winner of the game will take it home with them."

The 170-pound trophy was taken Monday night from the team's locker room, Navy spokesman Scott Strasemeier said. It is normally displayed in a locked glass case at Bancroft Hall, but was moved to the football building to provide motivation for the players.

Left in its place was a note that read: "Before we win the football game on Saturday, we thought we would take the trophy. By the time you read this, it will be halfway to West Point," home of the U.S. Military Academy.

Although it appeared that the theft was an Army prank, there was no evidence except for the note. In the past, Army has stolen the goat that Navy used as a mascot.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc.

==================Earlier Message====================

USNA-At-Large,

The At Large are well aware that it appears that the Whoops made off with our Commander in Chief Trophy on Monday night.

Well, we don't have the ability to put photos on milk cartons, but we have posted a photo at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/

Be sure to let us know if you recognize and/or stumble over this Trophy between now and Saturday afternoon when our Big Blue Navy team will win it outright for the third season in a row.

    Go Navy; already Beat Air Force; now ... Beat Army! John Howland



A Case for MORE Regional Trustees

2005-11-29T06:36:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

A couple of weeks ago, I went back into the archives to dig out some of the posts that had to do with the Strawman Proposal and the long-running attempt to kill off the Regional Trustee Concept.

Unfortunately, I overlooked one of the most critical of them all.

Below you will find a post of last May 2 PRIOR to the BOT meeting last spring.

This post will be put up on the blog along with most of the other relevant posts in this debate.

    Go Navy! John Howland

=======================================================

From: BlackfinSS322@aol.com
Date: Mon May 2, 2005 9:14 am
Subject: A Case for MORE Regional Trustees

USNA At Large,
One of the countless advantages of spending Four Years by the Bay was the fact that we were exposed to just about every sport in the book.
I learned both athletic and life lessons from every one of them.
Take wrestling for example -- one of the dynamics of a successful wrestler is the ability to pull off "reversals."
In essence, that's when your opponent is thinking that he has you just where he wants you and is about to go for the pin, you use his own force/pressure to effect a reversal and the next thing your opponent knows -- he's the one being pinned.
The Alumni outside of the Yard have a reversal opportunity here.
The Powers inside Alumni House think that it would be a really swell idea to eliminate Regional Trustees altogether.
I don't have a clue why they think that would be a good idea. No one connected with the management or the BOT has released any sort of analysis of the dynamics within the BOT. A small detail. In the real world, one wouldn't be floating major reorganization balloons w/o some sort of supporting rationale. But, I quibble.
In the message I put out a few days ago, reprinted below, I said "the direction that the BOT should be going in is precisely the opposite direction -- MORE Regional Trustees!"
So, for purposes of furthering the discussion, let's assume that we have agreement with the Powers that "increase Alumni voting participation" is a valid goal for any restructuring of the BOT.
Right off the bat, w/o further discussion being necessary, that points in the direction of MORE Regional Trustees.
No other class of Trustee is subjected to a DIRECT vote of Alumni! Chapter Trustees are typically chosen via all sorts of mechanisms, the most common being some sort of loyal effort being expended over some period of time for the Chapter in question. Laudable, but not really directly subject to any sort of significant vote of Alumni.
The Class Trustees come from the Class Presidents' ranks. And, Class Presidents are chosen for all sorts of reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with the concerns of the national Alumni Association.
So, now that we have established that Regional Trustees best move the ball down the field to the goal of more voter involvement among Alumni, then the question becomes how many Regional Trustees is optimal?
* Zero? Nope, already demonstrated that number doesn't work.
* Twenty three? Naah! Probably too much of a good thing. Certainly there is always a legitimate concern re how big is too big for any governing board. Besides this is a case for MORE Regional Trustees; not necessarily a case for eliminating either Chapter or Class Trustees. A thorough discussion of those two categories might be a useful exercise for an in-depth analysis -- matter of fact, that might be an excellent chore for the existing Governance Committee to take on.
* Four? The existing number. Four in this organizational context is a betwixt and between number. It's not enough to make an obvious difference, but it is just enough, for those who don't think all this through, to easily throw brickbats at the Regional Trustee category.
* Sixteen? The current four could be bumped up by eliminating Chapter Trustees. We're getting close to the right number. Dramatically reducing the geographic territories of Regional Trustee representation will drive the Regional Trustees to being more closely tied to the major Chapters in their territory. BUT, THEY WILL STILL NOT BE DIRECTLY TIED TO THOSE MAJOR CHAPTERS AND WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY ATTN TO THE SMALLER CHAPTERS IN THEIR REGIONS. This point is the key to the success of the expanded Regional Trustee concept. It has all sorts of beneficial dynamics associated with it.
  I'll stop, for the time being, at this point.
Hopefully, the Governance Committee will roll up their sleeves and take advantage of this opportunity to do some really serious analysis of the concept of MORE Regional Trustees.
    Live for Life, John Howland

PS A small correction. In earlier posts, I guessed that the Read Ahead material provided to the Trustees re the proposed restructure of the BOT had been vetted by the Executive Committee. Apparently not. In fact, it is not clear that it was vetted by the full Governance Committee. Stay tuned. JH



Subj: Re: [USNA-At-Large] Just Released - Proposed Change to BOT Composition
Date: 4/26/05 6:58:14 PM Central Daylight Time
From:mailto:BlackfinSS322@aol.com

USNA At Large,
As I reread the very brief "Read Ahead" that Trustee Wass sent along, I have a whole variety of reactions.
o First, appreciation to Trustee Wass for getting this information out. The vast body of Alumni have every right to see what is being contemplated and why it is being contemplated and to have the ability to advance their two cents into the process. I am very hopeful that there is no one on the Governance Level who would dispute that premise.
o Of necessity, the Central Region Trustee needed to be brief in his initial communique. I'm wondering if there is more to the proposal. IMHO, this is a crucial decision that may be taken by the BOT. Accordingly, it is deserving of a pretty thorough vetting. Certainly, that should come from Alumni as well as Trustees. However, the Executive Committee must have already had some elaborative discussions leading up to their advancing these proposals. Those discussions and the attendant pros and cons should be shared.
o The "stated objective" set forth by the Executive Committee advances three components. Of the three, the only one that has any serious merit on its own is "increase Alumni voting participation." I'm from Missouri on the other two -- that would be the "Show Me!" state.
o As for "increase Alumni voting participation," I don't see much of anything that moves the ball toward that goal. Indeed, I see components of the proposal that will drive voting from minimal to zero.
o Indeed the guts of the proposal are the complete elimination of the current four Regional Trustees and two of the Chapter Trustees all six of them to be replaced by six AT LARGE Trustees.
o Now, a sage might opine the publisher of USNA At Large ought to be in favor of At Large Trustees. Amusing, but nothing could be further from the truth. A truism in free society dynamics is that an official who is responsible to everyone is accountable to no one. The sole exception being, of course, the #1 job in a free society -- in our case, the Chairman of the Alumni Assoc.
o The BOT backed away from At Large Trustees a long time ago and rightfully so. In a less challenged era, they were a generally useless role reserved for "name" alumni, but not expected to really do anything, but the penalty for the At Large luxury in those days was minimal. Those are bygone days. The Alumni Association needs, for a whole bunch of reasons, to gear up for dramatically more challenging todays and tomorrows. The At Large Trustee mechanism is a nonstarter.
o Matter of fact, the direction that the BOT should be going in is precisely the opposite direction -- MORE Regional Trustees! I can elaborate on that dynamic and may do so in coming days. (But, sure would like to see what discussions have already taken place within the Executive or Governance Committees.)
o Dropping the Immediate Past Chair and the two BOT appointed positions is entirely appropriate.
o But, would also drop the voting powers of the President/CEO. He is a hired hand. His counsel should obviously be sought, but the BOT is his boss and he should not be placed in the conflict of interest situation that now exists.
That concludes a few preliminary thoughts.
The Powers have put the structure of the BOT into play. Alumni have available to them a rare opportunity to take advantage of this situation to effect the kind of restructuring that will position the BOT appropriately for the challenges ahead. Don't miss this opportunity -- make your views known.
    Live for Life, John Howland

In a message dated 4/26/05 5:05:51 PM Central Daylight Time, BlackfinSS322@aol.com writes:

USNA At Large,
I am turning around the communique from the Central Region Trustee immediately in the interests of getting the word around nationally asap.
I have some very definite views that I will put out shortly.
But, in any event, strongly recommend that those among the At Large who have some views on this proposal get them to your Trustee(s) soonest. Please copy me for further promulgation to all of the At Large.
The red highlighting is mine.
    Live for Life, John Howland

U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association
Central Region Trustee
Leonard R. Wass, CAPT (Ret.)

USNA Class of 1964

Subj: Proposed Change to BOT Composition

Refer to: Central Region Letter 10-05; April 26, 2005
***

****

The â€œRead Aheadâ€ has just been issued to the Board of Trustees (BOT) prior to next weekâ€™s BOT meeting (May 6). In it the Governance Committee is proposing a potential change to the current composition of the BOT for discussion next week, and a vote in December. I would like the views of Central Region alumni prior to the May 6 meeting to help me determine how best to proceed. I will summarize the proposal below.

In December 1998 the BOT approved the comprehensive report and recommendations of a 14 person Governance Study Group to implement a new BOT composition. All At-Large Trustees were eliminated from the new BOT, and the new structure was implemented over several yearsâ€”being fully implemented by May 2003. The new structure had 29 Trustees, made up of: Chair; Vice Chair; immediate past Chair; President/CEO; 4 Regional Trustees (new); 12 Chapter Trustees; 7 Class Trustees (new); and 2 Board selected Trustees (new, but optional to implement).

As of the December 2004 BOT meeting the Chair and Governance Committee Chair reported that no change need be made to the composition of the BOT. Subsequently, over the last few months, a â€œstrawmanâ€ to change the BOT composition was raised by the Chair to the Governance Committee. The stated objective was to balance Class and Chapter Trustees, reduce the BOT size, and increase Alumni voting participation. The Governance Committee is mixed in its views on the â€œstrawmanâ€. In fact, an ad hoc group of the Governance Committee tasked to study the â€œstrawmanâ€ recommended against it and recommended no change be made to the BOT composition for three years. The Governance Committee proposal in the Read Ahead said it â€œaccepts it as a solid basis for continuing discussion and recommends that it be given broad distribution among alumni groups.â€

The â€œstrawmanâ€ proposal before the BOT now would reduce the BOT (by 4) to 25 Trustees by: a.) Eliminating all 4 Regional Trustees, 4 of 12 Chapter Trustees, 2 Board selected Trustees, and the immediate past Chair; and, b.) Adding 6 â€œelected At-Largeâ€ Trustees and 1 Class Trustee. The Chair, Vice Chair, and President/CEO would remain unchanged.

Western Region Trustee Reports re Strawman

2005-11-28T07:28:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large, this post speaks for itself, Go Navy! John Howland

Sent: Friday, November 25, 2005 12:09 AM

Subject: USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees Reorganization

Greetings,

      The USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees will hold its fall meeting on 1 December 2005. Among the agenda is a vote to reorganize the Board as follows:

    The proposal before the BOT would reduce the BOT (by 4) to 25 Trustees by: a.) Eliminating all 4 Region Trustees, 4 of 12 Chapter Trustees, 2 Board selected Trustees, and the immediate past Chair; and, b.) Adding 6 “elected At-Large” Trustees and 1 Class Trustee. The Chair, Vice Chair, and President/CEO would remain unchanged.

      My intent is to vote against the reorganization because it eliminates the Region Trustees and adds the At-Large Trustees. My objection is that the elimination of the trustees divided by regions across the US will eventually end up with the majority of trustees representing the group of alumni that reside on the eastern seaboard. I support increasing the number of Region Trustees to better represent our alumni.

      If you have a strong opinion one way or the other, please send me an email. I have waited this late to address the proposal with you in order to ensure that the proposal was officially part of the agenda.

      BEAT ARMY!

      Bob Stevenson '60

      Western Region Trustee

tobac@cox.net

President Bush Visit on Wed

2005-11-27T07:25:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

Here's more detail received subsequent to the Seattle Times and Los Angeles Times report that we just put out.

This was just put out by the Administration in the Yard.

    Go Navy! John Howland

Staff, Faculty, Residents, Midshipmen and Friends of the Naval Academy,

   We are honored that President George W. Bush plans to address the Brigade

in Alumni Hall at 9:50 a.m on Wednesday, 30 Nov. The President's remarks

are expected to address the War on Terrorism and be televised live on the

major news networks. This is a great opportunity to host our

Commander-in-Chief and to showcase the Naval Academy to the nation and the

world.

   Available seating and security constraints will limit the number of

attendees in Alumni Hall to the Brigade of Midshipmen and invited guests.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and our desire is to provide as

many seats as possible, given the space limitations of the venue. However,

the event will not be open to the general public. For those not able to

attend the event, we are working to simulcast the event over NADN TV. More

detailed information will be provided on the availability of seats for

faculty and staff early in the week.

For those attending, the uniform is Service Dress Blue and Service

Equivalent for military personnel and appropriate civilian attire for

faculty and staff. All guests will need to be seated by 9am; plan to arrive

at least 45 minutes early in order to make it through the security screening

area and into your seats. Only still cameras will be allowed in the venue.

The Brigade will have a modified academic schedule on Wednesday, 30 Nov.

The schedule will be promulgated on Monday, 28 Nov. The Superintendent also

intends to address the Brigade in Alumni Hall once the President departs the

Naval Academy.

For everyone (DoD/USNA vehicles) on the Yard, heightened security that

morning will subject our gates, as well as traffic on the Yard in the

vicinity of Alumni Hall, to temporary closures from 8am - 11am. Also, the

Naval Academy will temporarily be closed to the public (including tour

groups and pedestrians) from 5 am until 1200 pm that day. The Naval Health

Clinic Annapolis will have limited operations during this time. Naval

Academy military and civilian employees not working in support or attending

the event can request annual leave. Workload permitting, supervisors are

encouraged to allow the use of unscheduled leave for this purpose. Please

consult with your supervisor.

We appreciate everyone's support and planning ahead.   More information

will be provided as additional details are known.

r/

Helen F. Dunn

Capt, USN

Deputy Superintendent/Chief of Staff

BOT Strawman: Class Presidents Being Deployed

2005-11-26T13:53:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

The Alumni Association continues to be flushed out of their foxhole.

Now, just five days away from the December 1 BOT meeting, we have the Class Presidents sallying forth to do battle. Here is an example.

Guess I've got to get picky again (sigh!):

1. This Class Prez says, "The purpose of the change is to open the trustee selection process to the entire membership of the Association" Not quite true. The Strawman gives EVERY alum the chance to vote for six out of twenty-five Trustees. Add the Chairman and Vice Chairman to get eight Trustees subject to direct election. That says that two-thirds of the Trustees continue to be selected via some form of "old boy" network. Whoop de do.

2. (BTW, this missive was probably drafted in Alumni House for the use of the Class Presidents -- an important factor to keep in mind as you assess this missive and others like it.)

3. The Class Prez goes on to say, "the four regional trustees are each elected only by the members living within their respective regions" What a crime against humanity that Regional Trustees are elected only by folks in their Regions! IAW the Strawman, the eight Trustees will be elected by EVERYBODY which means that they will be accountable to NOBODY! (This is all free society 101 stuff!)

4. The Class Prez then parrots the Alumni Association, "The purpose of the change is to ... stimulate more interest and participation in the activities of the Association" George keeps popping up in this stuff (ORWELL, that is, along with Watt). Just the opposite will take place. What pathetic little interest there is now will notch down even more. The Powers That Be cannot handle even the small spark of life that the Regional Trustee Concept has brought to the BOT. The Strawman seeks total control of the BOT and the Alumni Association with zero, zip, nada inconvenient Trustees running around.

5. And if losing four Regional Trustees is not enough, the Strawman seeks to banish FOUR Chapter Trustees.

6. BTW, note that this missive drops the bit from George Watt of a few days ago that all of this has been brought about by the SUCCESS of the Regional Trustee Model! We burned 'em on that one and that pretense has been popped down the memory hole.

7. Then this Class Prez goes on to say, "The recent emphasis on increasing representation of class presidents on the Board of Trustees began in 1998 -- it was in recognition of the increased role that the class leadership was being asked to assume in fundraising and support of the Alumni Association." He fails to say that that major restructure event (which was based on very legitimate and thorough analysis, as opposed to this slipshod Strawman putsch) also set up the Regional Trustee Concept. Nowhere in any forum has the Alumni Association set forth any AAR re what succeeded and what failed from the 1998 restructure. In essence, we have the Class Trustee Concept killing off the Regional Trustee Concept and emasculating the Chapter Trustee Concept. Small wonder that this Class Prez is in favor of the Strawman.

8. Bottom line -- we say again -- the Board of Trustees should take a wave-off on this "Strawman" proposal on December 1, go back to the drawing boards and do a SERIOUS study of governance issues, including the proposal that there be a SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REGIONAL TRUSTEES.

    Go Navy; Beat Army! John Howland

Make-up of the USNAAA Board of Trustees. Our class President David xxxxx has asked that I forward his email below regarding an upcoming vote for the make up of the USNAAA Board of Trustees.

"Dear Classmates,
During the weeks since the last Council of Class Presidents meeting, you may have heard or received emails regarding the upcoming vote at the December 1 Board of Trustees meeting on the proposal to change the composition of the Board of Trustees of the USNA Alumni Association. The proposal is below. I urge you to read it and let your Regional and Chapter Trustees know your position. To help you do that, their email addresses are provided at the end of my email to you. Plz copy me on your emails so that I may also know your position and can let the President of the Council of Class Presidents know how our class feels about this.

The key element of the proposal is to replace four Regional Trustees and two Board Appointed Trustees with six National Trustees elected by the entire membership of the Association. Under the current structure, the four regional trustees are each elected only by the members living within their respective regions and each member has the opportunity to vote only once every three years. Under the proposal, the six National Trustees will serve staggered three year terms so that two are elected each year. Thus every member of the Association will have the opportunity to vote for two National Trustees every year. The purpose of the change is to open the trustee selection process to the entire membership of the Association and to stimulate more interest and participation in the activities of the Association.

A secondary element of the proposal replaces the Past Chair of the Board as a trustee with the Chair of the Council of Class Presidents and phases out four Chapter trustees, thus balancing the number of Class and Chapter Trustees at eight each.

The overall result of the proposal is a Board with eight Class selected trustees, eight Chapter selected trustees and eight National Trustees (including the Chairman and Vice-Chairman) elected by the entire membership of the Association plus the President/CEO of the Association -- resulting in a board of 25 members, a modest reduction from the current 29 members.

The recent emphasis on increasing representation of class presidents on the Board of Trustees began in 1998 -- it was in recognition of the increased role that the class leadership was being asked to assume in fundraising and support of the Alumni Association. While each of you will make up your own minds regarding this proposal, I have personally supported this initiative as I believe it will end up increasing the participation of our alumni in the voting process and provides an increased opportunity for the Alumni Association to reflect the desires of its members.

I urge each of you to express your position for this proposal to your Regional and Chapter Trustees. A simple, brief email stating: "I urge you to [support (not support)] the proposal to change the composition of the Board of Trustees to be voted on at the December 1 meeting," will suffice.

For your benefit, the following is a listing of the Regional and Chapter Trustees:

Eastern Regional Trustee Through Spring 2008
     CAPT William O. Rentz, USN (Ret.) '55
     billsuereentz@mindspring.com

Mid-Atlantic Regional Trustee Through Spring 2006
     RADM John W. Adams, USN (Ret.) '58
     jackannadams@cox.net

Central Regional Trustee Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Leonard R. Wass, USNR (Ret.) '64
     Len.wass@1964.usna.com

Western Regional Trustee Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Robert G. Stevenson, USN (Ret.) '60
     Bob.stevenson@1960.usna.com

Atlanta Chapter Trustee Through Spring 2008
     Mr. Carl P. McCallum '60
     cpmc@comcast.net

Boston Chapter Trustee Through Spring 2008
     Mr. Frederick J. Sheehan, Jr., '78
     fredericksheehan@verizon.net

Greater Washington DC Area Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CDR Edward J. Sullivan, USN (Ret.) '68
     ed_sullivan@1968.usna.com

Hampton Roads Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Daniel B. Lear, USNR (Ret.) '68
     omegadanl@aol.com

Knoxville-Oak Ridge Chapter Through Spring 2006
     CDR Arvel J. Popp, USN (Ret.) '62
     popp661962@aol.com

Los Angeles Chapter Through Spring 2008
     Mr. Joseph W. Koch, Jr. '57
     jwkoch@pacbell.net

Pensacola Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Glenn Harold Montgomery, USN (Ret.)
     monty4gb@aol.com,

Puget Sound Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Colin H. Saari, USN (Ret.) '60
     saari@apl.washington.edu

San Diego Chapter Through Spring 2008
     CAPT Thomas J. Hammons III, USN (Ret.) '71
     tjhammons@aol.com

Your vote counts -- let your Trustees know your position.
All the best,
David
BEAT ARMY "

Slot Back Whittaker Lost For The Season

2005-11-25T13:14:00.000-06:00

eFootball Fans:

I was hoping the lack of news on Karlos Whittaker was good news; however, as
written by the Annapolis Capital, he is lost for the season.

R/Dave Leather '73
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Subject: Slot Back Whittaker Lost For The Season (Annapolis Capital)

Football: Slot back Whittaker lost for the season
By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer

Paul Johnson got a flat tire on his brand new Jaguar en route to the
Army-Navy media luncheon in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning.

Navy's head coach must feel as though his triple-option offense is suffering
similar breakdowns.
Navy officially lost another key offensive playmaker yesterday when team
doctors delivered the news that slot back Karlos Whittaker had sustained a
severe knee injury that will require season-ending surgery.
Whittaker, a plebe from North Chicago, has been one of Navy's most dangerous
weapons - particularly on the outside. The speedy 5-foot-11, 194-pounder has
rushed for 290 yards and set a Navy freshman record with six touchdowns.
"It's a tough loss, but we've got to move on," Johnson said. "I'm
disappointed for Karlos. He's a good football player and was having a fine
first season."
Whittaker was injured after being tackled awkwardly on a short run against
Temple last Saturday. A magnetic resonance imaging examination performed on
Monday showed that Whittaker had torn both the anterior cruciate ligament
and medial collateral ligament in his right knee. That is exactly the same
damage sustained by starting fullback Matt Hall during the Notre Dame game.
Johnson admitted it's tough to lose two key offensive starters in the span
of week, especially with archrival Army next on the schedule.
"Injuries are a part of football. You've got to expect to have some during a
season," he said. "You can't use injuries as an excuse. Every team loses
good players at some point."
Sophomore Adam Ballard filled in for Hall against Temple and performed
admirably, rushing for a career-high 167 yards and a touchdown. Johnson said
someone else will have to step up to replace Whittaker, who did not start
but participated in as many plays per game as any slot back on the team.
"We've got other guys and they're going to have to play," Johnson said.
"We've got plenty of time to get them prepared in practice."
Junior Eddie Martin saw considerable time in Whittaker's absence against
Temple, carrying twice for 11 yards. Johnson said Trey Hines, another junior
who has primarily played fullback this season, could switch back to slot.
Johnson is also considering using a pair of talented plebes in Shun White
and John Forbes, both of whom have played in junior varsity games.
"We've got plenty of options. We'll see who performs well in practice,"
Johnson said.

Published November 24, 2005, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2005 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

Rhodes Prep Not An Accidental Process

2005-11-25T06:39:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

Blue and Gold Officer Katherine Szerdy spotted this one for us.

An informative article that takes a quick peek at the hidden mechanisms and inner workings of the Rhodes Scholarship process.

BTW, one factor in the success of our academic results over the past approx. seven or eight years is our Academic Dean Bill Miller. Bill is Class of '62 and brought a combination of bona fide military experience and significant achievement in civilian academic administration to our academic culture. (In the interests of full disclosure I'm proud to say that I played a tiny role in helping to bring him aboard.)

One last comment -- admittedly rough -- you can buy Prof Fleming's tales of academic woe or you can buy four Rhodes Scholars. There is no such thing as perfection, but I view the Rhodes Scholars as more indicative of where we are academically.

  OK, OK, this is for real the last comment -- there is no conflict between producing Rhodes Scholars among the Brigade and developing core combat leaders. M/M America want smart, educated people leading their sons and daughters in combat. A few Rhodes Scholars along the way is just icing on the cake.

    Live for Life, John Howland

PS Check out http://USNA-At-Large.blogspot.com/

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.ar.academy24nov24,1,2428562.story
Colleges driven to take Rhodes

Academy, other schools prepare assiduously for award process

By Bradley Olson
Sun reporter

November 24, 2005

The U.S. Naval Academy's success in landing seven Rhodes scholarships in the past two years - more than in the previous decade - might have surprised some. But it was not for lack of preparation.
Before this year's four winners and another finalist trekked across the country for final interviews last weekend, they had met once a week for two months to read the classics and discuss current events. They had practiced interviews with faculty to hone their talking points and detail how they would use two years at Oxford to "fight the world's fight."
They had dined and held cocktail-party rehearsals with military bigwigs, including the academy's superintendent, Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, to prepare for cocktail parties that the Rhodes selection committees hold the night before interviews.
The process is not unusual, with some universities prepping candidates from their freshman year for applications for prestigious fellowships. The academy, along with other elite schools, has been doing it for decades.
But the preparations reflect a growing focus at universities on winning Rhodes scholarships to enhance stature. A national association was formed to help smaller schools level the playing field, and several college presidents have added fellowship wins to strategic growth plans aimed squarely at college rankings in the news media.
Academy officials say they haven't changed their approach, and are not sure why the military college has won more Rhodes awards in two years than in the previous eight years, when the academy received four.
"I gave up a long time ago trying to find out what the Rhodes committees are looking for in any particular year," said Thomas Brennan, one of two history professors who shepherd the midshipmen through the process. "There is a sense of sympathy for the armed services right now, a pride in the armed services. I have to guess that played a role."

'Best and brightest'
Nick Allard, the secretary of the Rhodes committee district that includes Maryland and Washington, said post-9/11 fervor might play a role, but he also said he believes the Naval Academy might be attracting better students than the other service academies.
"The Naval Academy is justifiably attracting the best and the brightest," he said. "They're also offering a top-caliber university experience, not just military training, but a vigorous and challenging intellectual experience."
The Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point are perennial favorites for the Rhodes grants and other fellowships that provide a free ride to elite British universities.
Rhodes interviewers and Brennan, who has been involved in the academy's fellowship preparations for almost 15 years, say that's because the cadets and midshipmen are involved in challenging programs that force them to excel in academics, athletics and leadership, as well as commit to five years in public service after college.
The guidelines for the scholarships - set up when the Rhodes Trust was created more than a century ago by British diamond magnate Cecil Rhodes - call for academic excellence, leadership, integrity, physical vigor and commitment to public service. The grants provide for two or three years of study at Oxford, valued at $40,000 a year.
Most universities that regularly land Rhodes scholars, including the Naval Academy, have a thorough internal process to winnow prospective applicants well before the October application deadline. The academy's U.K. Scholarships Committee, made up of about 10 professors, interviews between 40 and 50 midshipmen to come up with a group of 20 who will apply for several highly competitive grants to study in England, including some sponsored by alumni.
Candidates are picked based on grades, seriousness about graduate school and commitment to a military career. This year, several of the 20 dropped out because they lost interest or didn't want to delay deployments to the Middle East.
West Point, which has had six Rhodes scholars since 2001 and 82 overall, has a similar internal application process. At Harvard University, which has had 19 Rhodes scholars since 2001 and 313 overall, applicants are coached by graduate students assigned to their dorms.
Rhodes applicants have to submit eight letters of recommendation with the application, along with a 1,000-word essay about their career goals - an essay often polished by applicants and faculty mentors.
Allard, the Maryland Rhodes committee member, said the Naval Academy has always sent detailed recommendation letters.
"That makes a difference," he said. "Unfortunately, there are some very fine candidates from some very fine institutions that we just don't get enough data about. The Naval Academy is extremely forthright and honest as well. If a candidate has a blemish, we hear about it. Frankly, having a blemish explained often helps a candidate."
The applications go to 16 regions, either where the applicants are from or where their university is located. Regional committees selected about 200 finalists this year from about 900 applicants, and those finalists were invited to interviews last weekend. After the Friday night cocktail party, finalists have 15-minute interviews the next day, and some have follow-up interviews. At about 5:30 p.m., they are brought to the committee and told if they have been chosen or not.

Mock cocktail parties
This year, the application deadline was Oct. 3, but the midshipmen prepared during September and October by poring over Reading Lolita in Tehran, among other books and publications, and discussing certain parts of it with professors, Brennan said. The process, which can sometimes include practice questions, helps Mids prepare to speak confidently about the classics, current events and, most importantly, their futures.
They also have a pizza party as an informal practice and then more formal get-togethers with top academy officials, Brennan said. The mock cocktail parties - which are held at most universities that prepare students for the Rhodes interviews - are frowned upon by Elliot Gerson, American secretary for the Rhodes Trust.
Allard said he didn't think such practices help.
"The committees are very good at peeling the wrapper off the packaged candidates," he said, noting that candidates from several Ivy League institutions - which he declined to name - often seem overly polished. "The candidates who are genuine and real do much better."
Brennan said he tells students that making it to the finals is a major accomplishment, reflective of a great college career and application. After that, because of a wide-open interview process, it's anyone's guess who's going to win. Several fellowship advisers said they have heard of questions as esoteric as "Beethoven or Wagner? Go."
"It's completely out of their hands," he said. "It's almost random, even a crap shoot. What we're talking about is a selection made on the basis of only 15 minutes of interviewing. There's no way a student can control that, prepare for that or have any influence at all. I just tell them to be relaxed and be as genuine as they can."
This year, Rhodes winner Paul J. Angelo, a senior midshipman from Ohio who focuses on Latin American studies at the Naval Academy, received questions about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, President Bush's visit to Argentina this month and U.S. military anti-drug efforts in Colombia, all areas in his specialty.
But senior Midshipman Nicholas M. Schmitz of Bethesda, who is majoring in political science and economics, got questions about whether torture is justified and on the merits of the Iraq war.
Schmitz said the questions were a little more focused than he expected, given his preparation.
Other academy candidates to win were Jacquelyn R. Hanna of Lisbon, N.D., and Ensign William R. Kelly of New York, who graduated in May. Two Potomac residents attending Duke University also were among the 32 winners.
Gerson said the trust discourages universities from using the fellowships to market their academic influence, because the awards are given to individuals based on their accomplishments, not to institutions.
But Schmitz, who turned down another prestigious grant to accept the Rhodes, was happy to praise the academy. Said Schmitz of the school: "Obviously, we must be doing something right."

bradley.olson@baltsun.com

Copyright © 2005, The Baltimore Sun

Leftwich Leadership Trophy to Capt. Bronzi

2005-11-24T06:23:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

It's Thanksgiving, here's another item to add to the long list of things to give Thanks for at this special time of the year.

    Semper Fi, John Howland

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Camp Hansen captain awarded Leftwich Trophy for leadership
Officer with 2-4 credits his Marines in accepting award

By David Allen, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, November 24, 2005

Courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael W. Hagee, right, presents Capt. Christopher J. Bronzi the Leftwich Trophy for Outstanding Leadership.

Courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps
Capt. Christopher J. Bronzi, center, then-commanding officer of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, speaks with Lt. Col. Paul J. Kennedy, left, battalion commanding officer, as Cpl. Matthew H. Hernandez provides security during a zone-clearing operation in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Capt. Christopher J. Bronzi says he’s not saying “aw, shucks” about receiving the Marine Corps’ Leftwich Trophy — given annually to a captain who shows outstanding leadership.

“It really did have a lot to do with the outstanding young Marines I had under me,” he said Monday in a telephone interview from his Camp Hansen office, where he now serves as battalion operations officer for the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment.

“This award is a reflection on them, too,” he said. “More than anything, this award is a testament to the quality of the young Marines we have doing a tough job in Iraq.”

The Leftwich Trophy is awarded annually to a Marine captain in the ground combat arms field. It is named for Lt. Col. William G. Leftwich, a recipient of the Navy Cross and the Silver Star who was killed in action in South Vietnam in November 1970.

Bronzi, 32, was commanding officer of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, during a seven-month deployment in Iraq. From February to September of 2004, the company conducted operations in the city of Ar Ramadi.

“We were in the Sunni Triangle,” Bronzi, of Poughquag, N.Y., said. “It was the most violence-prone province in Iraq. We had almost daily contact of some sort with the insurgents.”

He said his men “always gave better than they got.”

“We learned we had to fight and win with what we were carrying on our backs,” Bronzi said. “We couldn’t always depend on calling for backup.

“The young men I commanded were very tenacious, relentless. They had a tremendous fighting spirit. I was very impressed with them.

“I knew going in they’d be good — they’re Marines. But I had to marvel at how resilient they were. I was in awe at what these young guys did.”

While Bronzi credits his Marines for the “humbling” honor he received, his Marines throw it right back at him.

“Captain Bronzi’s number-one priority has always been his Marines,” said Gunnery Sgt. Winston Jaugan, according to a Marine press release.

Jaugan, who served with Bronzi in Iraq as the company gunnery sergeant, said Bronzi’s leadership inspired the Marines under his command.

“He is the best company commander I’ve ever served with,” Jaugan said. “I would love to serve in combat with him again. He never hesitates. He never once lost control of his company, even while under heavy fire.”

Bronzi, in his 10th year as a Marine, is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He said he’s always wanted to be an infantry officer and credits other officers under whom he’s served with making him the leader he has become.

“Every battalion commanding officer I’ve had has been a great example,” he said.

Bronzi recently returned from the Philippines, where he took part in training with Philippine marines during Amphibious Landing Exercise 2006. He is scheduled to leave Okinawa in a few weeks for Camp Pendleton, Calif., where his wife, Amy, and children are waiting.
© 2003 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved.

Prof Fleming: Call Your Office!

2005-11-23T10:18:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

One of our At Large "Alert Readers" spotted this job opportunity for our Professor Bruce Fleming.

How provident -- it's an opening in the Warren County CC ENGLISH Dept!

    ;-} John Howland

PS It's not clear in this article, but Prof Daly is the fellow who apparently suggested that fragging would be a really good idea in Iraq. JH

Provoked professor leaves WCCC post

Wednesday, November 23, 2005
By SARA LEITCH
The Express-Times

The adjunct professor at Warren County Community College who sent a controversial e-mail to a student there resigned on Tuesday, before the board of trustees began an emergency meeting scheduled to address the matter.

"As we prepared for that meeting, we received word from Mr. Daly that he had tendered his resignation from WCCC effective immediately," Board Chairman Ed Smith said. "The board has accepted his resignation."

Some of the 30 people in the room gasped at the news, including student Rebecca Beach, whose invitation to a campus speech by a veteran of the Iraq war provoked an irate response from John Daly, a part-time English professor at the college.

"Professor John Daly is (teaching) in a state institution and acting on behalf of the state, and I believe his comments to me is a restriction on my personal free-speech rights," Beach said.

Beach founded the WCCC chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, a national conservative activist group. In his e-mail reply to Beach's invitation, Daly wrote that he would work to keep the group from "showing their face on a college campus."

Daly did not respond to a call for comment Tuesday.

Board Chairman Ed Smith said he called the trustee meeting to discuss the facts of the incident and "and certain safety concerns that arose as a result thereof."

Smith would not explain what he meant by "safety concerns," or what he meant when he said the board planned to discuss the e-mail "and other facts and circumstances that came to the Board's attention subsequent thereto."

The college has already assigned a faculty member to teach the rest of Daly's classes this fall, President Will Austin said. He pledged to include a tolerance training session at the college's next faculty in-service day, and to consider a broad range of student input in developing the session.

"We will also rededicate ourselves to a review of our current policies and procedures to make certain that we continue to foster an open and collegial learning environment at our institution," Austin said.

A Morris County resident who attended the meeting, retired Air Force Maj. Ted Sienicki, said he had never had any reason to stop by WCCC before learning about Daly's e-mail from military friends in other parts of the country. He congratulated the board for accepting Daly's resignation.

"That's the end of his abuse of authority, and his self-serving abuse of his position," Sienicki said.

One WCCC student, Jamie Lemelledo, spoke during the meeting and asked why the dispute couldn't have remained an internal college matter.

"I think it's wrong what some people did, ruining this man's name," she said. "I don't think the man did anything wrong, I think it's too bad he had to resign."

Beach said she forwarded Daly's e-mail to the national Young America's Foundation because she wanted the American people to know his beliefs.

She said she did that at the same time she brought it to Austin's attention. Things might have turned out differently if the incident hadn't gathered national attention, she said.

"I just wanted his intolerance exposed," Beach said. "I wanted the people of this country to see what he said."

Reporter Sara Leitch can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at sleitch@express-times.com.

1/3/à=(( 1/3/à=((

© 2005 The Express Times © 2005 NJ.com All Rights Reserved

It's Official: San Diego's Poinsettia Bowl Picks CSU

2005-11-23T08:38:00.000-06:00

eFootball Fans:

From the Coloradoan - looks like CSU is happy to be going to a bowl game.
Note they beat AFA rather easily earlier this year so they should be a tough
team to beat.

R/Dave Leather '73
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Subject: It's Official: San Diego's Poinsettia Bowl Picks CSU (The
Coloradoan)

It's official: San Diego's Poinsettia Bowl picks CSU
Rams, Midshipmen to play for first time Dec. 22
By TONY PHIFER
TonyPhifer@coloradoan.com

Colorado State University football coach Sonny Lubick can relax. His Rams
are going bowling after all.

As expected, the Rams on Tuesday got an official invitation to play Navy in
the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego. It will be CSU's sixth bowl game
in seven years and Lubick's ninth bowl game since arriving in 1993.

"I would have been devastated if we didn't get a bowl bid," Lubick said
Tuesday. "This feels so good, and I'm so happy for our players. It's really
so positive for the entire program and the entire university."

The Rams (6-5, 5-3 Mountain West Conference) put their postseason hopes in
jeopardy by losing back-to-back games to start November. But they got the
sixth win necessary for bowl eligibility Saturday, beating UNLV 31-27, then
took advantage of losses by New Mexico and Brigham Young to finish in a tie
for second place in the MWC.

The Poinsettia Bowl had been considering New Mexico (6-5, 4-4), but cited
CSU's higher finish in the standings and 35-25 win over the Lobos as primary
reasons for inviting the Rams. New Mexico settled for a conditional
invitation to the Fort Worth Bowl.

"When you leave it in someone else's hands, it's always a little risky,"
Lubick said of the bowl selection process. "But when I saw that we were in
second place, I felt we were in pretty good shape."

CSU never has met Navy in football. The Rams and Midshipmen do have a common
opponent - Air Force - and both teams beat the Falcons this season. CSU
knocked off Air Force 41-23, while the Middies beat the Falcons 27-24.

The Rams - particularly 14 seniors - are thrilled to get a chance at a bowl
after missing out last year following a 4-7 season.

"It feels good to be going back to a bowl," senior quarterback Justin
Holland said. "I definitely think we deserve to go. We are a talented team,
and when we come to play we are tough to beat. None of the seniors wanted
the UNLV game to be their last college game."

The bowl gives CSU 11 or 12 more practices and allows time for injured
players to heal. Senior offensive tackle Mike Brisiel, for example, should
be healthy in plenty of time for the game after missing all but a few plays
of the past two games with a reverse hip pointer.

"We've been pasted together with bubble gum for most of the season, so it
will be nice to go into a game pretty healthy," Lubick said. "This time off
should really allow us to strengthen ourselves at safety and on the
offensive line, where we really have been hurting."

The Rams, off this week for Thanksgiving break, will open practice Nov. 30.
Lubick hopes to have seven or eight practices here before the team departs
Dec. 18 for San Diego.

Originally published November 23, 2005
Copyright ©2005 The Fort Collins Coloradoan.


=================================================
USNA-At-Large's niche is to provide USNA-related news quickly and reliably to graduates and friends of the United States Naval Academy.

Perhaps someone was kind enough to pass this USNA At Large post along to you.

But, why wait around for the next post to meander your way courtesy of someone else's good graces? Get it direct from the USNA-At-Large source by going to this link --

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Then click on "Join This Group." (You will create a Yahoo ID, but you will be able to use your normal email address for delivery of the latest zippy posts. If you have ANY questions with the process, immediately email BlackfinSS322@aol.com!)

Start getting USNA-related gouge faster (quickly and reliably) than through any other medium, bar none.

BOT Leadership Puts Out ISSUE PAPER re Strawman Proposal

2005-11-22T11:37:00.000-06:00

USNA At Large,

Now comes George Watt with a last minute effort to put out an "Issue Paper" re the proposed BOT restructuring, aka, the "Strawman" proposal.

One doesn't know just where to begin, but since timeliness is critical here, we'll just set forth some random comments in no particular order of importance.

(Thanks to Malcolm Schantz for passing this along to the At Large.)

1. We'll start with an "Executive Summary" -- this effort by George and the leadership of the Alumni Association is essentially pathetic in every sense.

2. Unfortunately, the head of the Greater Washington Chapter terms George's effort as "rumor control." Malcolm Schantz properly nails that one. Golly!

3. Matter of fact, why is this missive coming from the president in the first place? This has to do with organizing and structuring the Board of Trustees. Seems such communications should come from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees or perhaps from the Governance Committee. George ought to be a bystander on subjects like this, not a cheerleader trotted out to bash those of us alumni who have access to the Internet and give a damn.

4. But, since George is the fellow that has ventured out of the compound, we'll deal with his missive.

5. He starts off gnashing his teeth -- stating that those that question the "Strawman" proposal are doing so "violently." How in the world does he come up with a word like that? Have there been some sort of acts of "violence" at Alumni House? George needs to be reminded that there are a lot of our alumni, past and present, who know what the word "violence" means. Trivializing such a word is not becoming of a president of the Alumni Association.

6. BTW, George never says specifically who in the Internet is utilizing "violent" tactics. As it happens, I'm not aware of any other Internet entity who has stayed as on top of this developing situation as well as USNA At Large. You can see much of our coverage going back just the past couple of months at our new blog -- http://USNA-At-Large.blogspot.com/ To be sure, we have covered BOT issues for years.

7. George then goes on to charge us with using "F.U.D." tactics. (Have to admit that's a new acronym to me.) In any event, this charge made me doubt that it was USNA At Large he was referring to since you will see communications on this subject from several current Trustees on the blog, including the CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE. Gee whiz!

8. But, not to worry, George then reassures us that it will take 2/3 of the Trustees to pass the "Strawman" proposal. I guess George is implying that we can carry on as the Strawman proposal will probably not be passed. As a Trustee for many years in days of yesteryear, I can assure you that getting a 2/3 vote out of the BOT is not a difficult feat, UNLESS WE RABBLE OUTSIDE OF THE WASHINGTON-ANNAPOLIS-BALTIMORE axis let our Trustees know what our views are.

9. George then complains, "incomplete information that are being promulgated through the internet" The fault for "incomplete information" falls 100% squarely in the laps of George, Carl Trost and Roy Snyder. As an aside, it is always profoundly discouraging to me to find Naval Academy graduates behaving this way.

10. Whew! This is hard work. Now on to the second paragraph. Gadzooks!

11. George proceeds to share, finally, 10 days out from the BOT meeting the "the only official version" of the Issue Paper. I suspect that the only reason that this document has been generated in the first place and shared is because we among USNA At Large pressurized the BOT leadership to do a proper job.

12. George then goes on to cite the three benefits of the "Strawman" proposal. Note that they are not cited in "the only official version". Sort of tough to reconcile that logistic -- guess George's three benefits must be "unofficial."

13. George then goes on to do a really good impersonation of George ORWELL, "We build upon the success of the regional trustee model, now expanding it to six seats of "national trustees"" Here's how to read that Benefit #1 -- The Regional Trustee Model has been very, very successful. The four Regional Trustees have some sense of responsibility to their constituencies because they were specifically elected by them. As a result, some of the Regional Trustees have an annoying habit of asking inconvenient questions from time to time. What would George do? (Orwell, that is.) Why, he would declare the Regional Trustee Model to be a success and then toss the Regional Trustees into the memory hole.

14. I don't know about the reader, but I've about had enough of this stuff. We'll fast forward to the end here.

15. The "Issue Paper" is a sorry excuse for a document purportedly designed to seriously support a massive change to the structure of the Board of Trustees of the Alumni Association. One could almost get a sense of the low regard that the Alumni Association seems to have for the vast body of Naval Academy Alumni outside of the Washington-Annapolis-Baltimore axis with a pathetic effort like this.

16. Finally, we call again for the Board of Trustees to take a wave-off on this "Strawman" proposal on December 1, go back to the drawing boards and do a SERIOUS study of governance issues, including the proposal that there be a SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REGIONAL TRUSTEES.

For The American Experiment, John G.B. Howland '64

   So at last, a position paper and official explanation are promulgated,
fewer than two weeks before the vote. It's like pulling teeth getting
info out of our Alumni Association.
   In the absence of straightforward communication from the Association,
rumors will naturally flourish. Real "rumor control" involves getting the
full story before the membership early in the game.
I continue to suspect that some at Alumni House hoped to slip this major
change through by quick and dirty vote without arousing undue alumni notice.
Well, mirabile dictu, it appears a few alumni have noticed!
At this point I suggest that the motion proposing this change be tabled
until the membership has had a chance to study and provide feedback.

Malcolm Schantz '63
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Greater Washington DC Chapter President wrote:

Folks - here is a great effort in "rumor control" put together by George that is worth reading.

steve
Dr. Steve Hudock '69
President
Greater Washington Chapter
US Naval Academy Alumni Association
703-989-4606

==================================================

Shipmates,

I saw a note the other day from one of our members suggesting that the vote on the proposed change to the composition of the Board of Trustees is a "done deal". If that is so, then many of us are wasting our time. Unfortunately, there are a few who violently oppose the change as recommended by the standing governance committee. And what is most unfortunate is this group continues to employ F.U.D. tactics (fear, uncertainty & doubt) in order to stir up our alumni and the dues paying members of the Alumni Association. At the end of the day, it requires 2/3 of the voting members of the Board of Trustees to make a change to our bylaws. Thus, it is important that this issue be reviewed factually and thoughtfully. When we vote (and we will vote this up or down at the 1 December meeting), it is my hope our votes will be based on the merits of the proposed change and not on the myths and incomplete information that are being promulgated through the internet.

As you can see in the attached issue paper (and this is the only official version - presented to the members of the BOT through an agreed-to committee process), there are many benefits to the proposed change to the BOT composition model. Simply put, I see three basic and logical reasons for the BOT to accept the nominating committee's (and our Chairman's) proposal:

We build upon the success of the regional trustee model, now expanding it to six seats of "national trustees"
We balance the BOT among class, chapter and "at large" representation, thus moving toward a more effective governing/fiduciary model, and a cohesive and integrated board
We give all of our members a voice in the selection of their "national trustees" (which is the most important in my mind), thus engaging the entire membership in building an effective, representative board
Let me assure you this is not a done deal. I believe that if you, and our other 50,000 dues paying members are made aware of the facts and the benefits, and then we all in turn express our thoughts on the matter to all of the sitting members of the BOT, they will take your input into account and vote for the good of the association.

With Very Best Regards and BEAT ARMY!!!

G.P. Watt

George P. Watt, Jr., President and CEO

U.S. Naval Academy

Alumni Association & Foundation

247 King George Street

Annapolis, MD 21402

GPWATT@1973.usna.com

=============================================================

USNA Alumni Association

Issue Paper

Issue: Composition of the Board of Trustees

Summary

The planned changes to board composition reduce the size of the board, balance chapter and class representation (which has been an issue of debate) and make the board more accountable to the entire alumni population.

Discussion

The Chairman has proposed a change in the composition of the Board of Trustees that addresses four key elements: (1) Election of six National Trustees by the entire regular membership of the Association that broadens the support role of current Regional and Board Selected trustees and makes the National Trustees elected by, and accountable to, the entire alumni community; (2) Balanced chapter and class trustee representation on the board; (3) A modest reduction in the size of the Board; and (4) An easy, and highly effective transition methodology. The majority of the standing Governance Committee supports this proposal.

USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees Composition

Currently
Proposed

12 Chapter Trustees
8 Chapter Trustees 1

7 Class Trustees
8 Class Trustees 1

4 Regional Trustees

6 National Trustees 2

2 Board selected Trustees

1 Chair
1 Chair

1 Vice Chair
1 Vice Chair

1 President/CEO
1 President/CEO

1 Past Chair
    Delete 3

TOTAL: 29
TOTAL: 25

1 Balances trustees between chapters and classes

2 National trustees to be elected by the total regular membership of the Association

3 The current Chair and the current Past Chair concur with this deletion

·        When implemented, six National Trustees will be created. With staggered three-year terms for these six seats, the entire regular membership has the opportunity to vote each year to elect two National Trustees.

·        With two National Trustees to be elected each year, the board-appointed Nominating Committee will have the opportunity to take into account the entire talent, experience and availability of all regular members across the entire geographic, generational, ethnic and gender spectrum. This assures a deep pool of mission oriented, qualified and willing to serve individuals.

·        The Chair of the Council of Class Presidents and seven Decade Representatives selected by the Council will comprise the eight class trustees. These trustees provide appropriate generational representation on the Board of Trustees.

·        An organization of Chapter Presidents will be asked to establish criteria for selecting chapter trustees not only giving consideration to chapter size but also providing the opportunity for smaller chapters to select trustees. The chapter trustees provide appropriate geographic alignment.

·        Each National Trustee will also be asked by the Chairman to be a communicator to a discrete sub-set of the national membership base. Thus, each member of the Association will have no less than four channels of communication with the board: a class trustee, a chapter trustee, a national trustee and the officers (Chairman, Vice Chairman and President).

·        Finally, and most importantly, this new model will provide the opportunity for the entire membership to engage in the election of trustees each and every year, thus giving the members a voice.

Muslim Midshipmen

2005-11-21T17:35:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

The article below is from the "Isn't that Special" files.

It's probably just me, but I don't find this article particularly warm/fuzzy.

For example, we find a Midshipman Ali agonizing over whether he can perform as a combat leader. The best we get out of him is that he will do the "right thing." Sounds nice, but when you think about it for a minute, just who's "right thing" is he going to do? Allah? And, how is it going to be revealed to him just what Allah wants? Hint -- do not assume that Allah wants the same thing that we in Western Civilization think that our Judeo-Christian Supreme Being might want.

But, Midshipman Ali reassures us in no uncertain terms that he would "defend himself and his men without hesitation." With all due respect -- whoop de do! Defense is nice in a pinch, but being a competent combat leader is all about offense. Not a very satisfying answer.

Then we relate the problems of former West Point Cadet Yee. I thought that maybe the author of the piece would balance things out by also relating the story of the Army Muslim soldier that rolled a handgrenade into the tents of fellow soldiers early on during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Or, any of the other many stories of actual problems with Muslims in the military.

Moving along, the author dutifully relates the standard speciousness disinformation of Muslim spokespeople, in this instance the Fiqh Council. In the world of Islam, the only "innocents" are Muslims. All the rest are fair game. And, then we are supposed to be reassured that "noncombatants" will not be killed "without a justifiable reason." Isn't that special -- wonder what the "justifiable reason" was to blow up the wedding party in Jordan recently?

Matter of fact, as I think on it, the only tiny little shred of solace I came away with from this article was the fact that we have fewer Muslims than the other Service Academies. Praise be.

I suppose we'll wake up to the threat one of these days, but it looks like it is going to take lots more dead Americans before that happens.

    Live for Life, John Howland

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-id.mids20nov20,1,4222049.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
For Muslim mids, uniformity in duty - but not in beliefs

By Bradley Olson
Sun reporter

November 20, 2005

Before Maksudal Ali decided to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, he struggled with a few questions: If the time came, could he kill a fellow Muslim?
Would he be able to fit his faith's requirements into the rigid structure of a military academy? Would he face bigotry?
Eventually, he made his way to Annapolis and is now one of 10 Muslim midshipmen among 4,200 student officers.
Although Ali rates his experiences on campus as positive, he said there are pressures unique to Muslims at the academy. Chief among them is preparing for a military career at a time when the nation is suffering casualties at the hands of extremists who say they are acting in the name of Islam.
There are other challenges, such as the difficulty of fasting for Ramadan - which ended earlier this month - or meshing a Muslim's five-times-a-day prayer obligations with the busy schedule of a midshipman, or attending an institution where most of his peers have had little exposure to Islam.
Ali, who is president of the Muslim Midshipmen Club, said he hasn't faced any hostility because of his faith. Occasionally, he said, he was unable to conduct daily prayers because of his busy schedule, but academy officials respect Friday worship time for Muslims.
"I really appreciate the way the Naval Academy has treated me and all the Muslims here," Ali said. "I wasn't sure - because of the way the culture of the Naval Academy works - if the freedom of religion in America would be more like a freedom from religion. It's not like that at all. Faith is very much a part of our lives."
Civil-liberties groups have challenged the academy's mandatory lunchtime prayer tradition as a state endorsement of religion, but college officials have defended it as a practice that teaches midshipmen about different religions, because various kinds of prayers are offered.
Another Muslim midshipman, Chiraz Chakroun, said she and her family worried that ignorance of Islam in the United States would make an education at the academy a harsh and lonely experience.
She has had the opposite experience. Well into her second year here, her family is proud. Her father often wears a U.S. Naval Academy T-shirt.
Before he came to the academy, Ali said he had to search his soul to determine whether he could "push a button or pull the trigger on another Muslim." He said he decided he would do the "right thing" and defend himself or his men without hesitation.
In the run-up to war in Afghanistan, Maj. Abdul-Rasheed Muhammed, the most senior Muslim chaplain in the Army, asked the Fiqh Council of North America, a panel of Muslim scholars that issues fatwas, or decrees on Islamic law, for a ruling on whether Muslims can participate in a war against Muslims.
The council ruled that it was permissible, saying: "All Muslims ought to be united against all those who terrorize the innocents, and those who permit the killing of noncombatants without a justifiable reason."
The fatwa wasn't enough for some Muslims in the military. One Air Force sergeant spent about a year in prison after refusing to deploy to Iraq, noting his faith and prohibitions against fighting other Muslims.
During his court-martial, a Muslim Air Force chaplain defended the sergeant's decision, saying he had consulted several clerics where he was serving in Germany and believed it would be better to die than to bear arms against other Muslims, according to an account published in Stars and Stripes.
The religious environment at the Naval Academy has received scant attention compared with the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Last month a Jewish graduate of that academy and father of two cadets filed suit in federal court claiming that academy brass had illegally tried to impose Christianity on cadets at the school. In June, a Defense Department task force faulted Air Force Academy leaders for not doing enough to accommodate people of different religions.
Ali, 22, of Clarksburg, is a senior at the Naval Academy and one of the leading distance runners on Navy's cross country team. He fasted for Ramadan, which made his preparation for the Army meet in mid October especially challenging.
He had dreams of becoming a fighter pilot when he was in elementary school, something that led him to consider the Naval Academy, although after about a month on a submarine last summer, he chose to be a submarine officer instead.
"They were very professional and hospitable, and I realized that these were the people that I wanted to be among and that I wanted to lead," he said.
That experience led him to believe that being Muslim would not be an obstacle during his Navy career.
When he graduates, Ali will become one of about 15,000 Muslims in the U.S. military, about 1 percent of 1.4 million active-duty troops. Twenty-three self-identifying Muslim cadets are at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., and 13 are at the Air Force Academy, spokesmen at each school said.
Chakroun, 22, is a sophomore and one of three international students at the academy from Tunisia, a small North African country that borders the Mediterranean Sea. Like Ali, Chakroun is Muslim and has fasted during Ramadan.
She attended a military prep school in Tunisia and wanted to join her country's Navy. When she learned about exchange programs at U.S. military service academies, she took interest. After speaking with two other Tunisian mids, she picked the Naval Academy.
When she told her parents, they worried.
"Before I came here, my family, of course, was like, 'They don't know the culture in the U.S.,'" she said. "But I'm lucky that I have an open-minded family who told me that if I wanted to study in the United States, go ahead."
Muslim midshipmen attend services every Friday in a 225-square-foot room in Bancroft Hall, occasionally venturing out to the local mosque. The officer adviser of the Muslim Midshipman Club is Cmdr. Irving Elson, a Jewish chaplain.
Elson said most of the Muslim mids have responded well to his role, even though he was the first rabbi some had ever met.
"Some say it's a joke, but some say I've had an impact," he said. "I look at it as an honor."
Chaplains like Elson are charged with making sure the religious needs of Ali, Chakroun and other Muslims at the academy are accommodated. During Ramadan, for instance, Elson said he may have to go an extra step or two to make sure they're given adequate time and respect for traditions such as Iftar, a meal eaten to break the daily fast during the Muslim holy month.
"I counsel the institution as much as I counsel the mids," Elson said.
Muslims may not be able to make every religious observance, Elson said, but that's part of military life. "Muslim mids, just like all our mids, are asked to compromise," he said.
Chakroun said she has never felt ostracized or uncomfortable at the academy because of her faith.
"Most of the questions that I get concerning my religion were just curiosity from my classmates, like, 'Hey, you're going to fast, so what's that mean?'" Chakroun said. "They just want to know about a faith they're not used to."
One of Chakroun's close friends at the academy - a Buddhist - has helped her feel more comfortable. Chakroun said her friend's mother is a Southern Baptist and her sister is a Muslim.
"If I see a family like that, with so many diverse religions in one family, I know it's not a problem," she said.
Ali, who was born in Albany, N.Y. and went to Gaithersburg High School, said that one reason he wanted to serve is because of the opportunities afforded in the U.S. to his Bangladeshi parents.
His father works as a bio-statistician at a pharmaceutical company; in addition to supporting Ali and the immediate family, he also sends money to the extended family in Bangladesh.
"For me and especially for people coming from other backgrounds, we have a duty to give back to this country," he said.
For some Muslims in the military, fulfilling that duty has come with special challenges.
David Segal, director of the Center for Research on Military Organization, compared the hostility faced by some Muslim military service members today to what Japanese-American troops experienced during World War II.
"Back then you saw a lot of the same kinds of concerns about loyalty that we are hearing now about Muslims," he said. "But on the other hand, lots of Japanese-Americans served very honorably in World War II, including some who came out of relocation centers to do it."
One of the most vocal critics of the military's treatment of Muslims has been James Yee, a former Muslim Army chaplain at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center who was accused - and cleared - of spying.
A graduate of West Point, Yee said he and other Muslims face a great deal of suspicion in the military, especially while deployed to the Middle East or somewhere like Guantanamo Bay. And when at home, he has had to intervene for observant Muslims to be able to worship as Jews and Christians do.
"Even then, when a chaplain gets involved, it's not guaranteed," Yee said.
Ali said he's seen no indication of any problems so far, at the academy or in brief stints in the fleet.
During the academy's grueling initiation period, termed "plebe summer," where incoming midshipmen go through six weeks of boot camp conditions before enrolling in the fall, Ali met two "beautiful brothers" who showed him that being a religious Muslim and excelling at the academy were not incompatible.
"During plebe summer, it's very tough to get by," Ali said. "No one cares what your faith is, because you're stripped down to the bare bones. And then, when you see someone there who knows who you are, who can see your face and know that you're scared, and they come and tell you, 'Hey, I'm Muslim, let's go pray,' that's what you want to do. You want to go and worship by them, by their side."

bradley.olson@baltsun.com

Copyright © 2005, The Baltimore Sun |

Army-Navy: Some Perspectives

2005-11-20T07:45:00.000-06:00

USNA-At-Large,

Temple gave us a good run in the first half, but we pulled away in the second. Way to go, Big Blue!

Next, the game of the year -- Army-Navy.

A couple of perspectives as we get ready to enjoy the back 'n forth over the next couple of weeks.

At http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large/ you will see a Beat Army poster. I have a few more (sent along by Dave Leather) and my game plan is to put a new one up each day. (Be sure to check each day as I probably will not send out a special notice each time.) If you spot any other Beat Army graphics, don't hesitate to send it along.

I also wanted to make note that the class that Notre Dame showed after our game with them was duly noted and appreciated among our West Point brothers in arms. The below was sent along by Jim Backlin USMA '66. Of course, we of Navy and of Army set the standard for class in college football.

    Go Navy; Beat Army! John Howland

John,

For the first time since my West Point class of 1966 began using the Internet, we had a plethora of emails back and forth beginning when the Class of 2009 began Beast Barracks (our New Cadet Basic Training) in early July or late June talking about our horror experiences during Beast Barracks. Then it extended into the Army football season as my classmates reminisced about some Army football games during our 4 years, especially the Army-Penn State games which we won at least 3 times during our time at West Point. Special attention was devoted in the emails to the famous Army-Penn State rally in Washington Cadet Dining Room where the tables were stacked up to the very high ceiling of the mess hall.

This week one of my classmates said he received a column by a Notre Dame senior about the Navy/Notre Dame game which I watched for awhile last weekend which was a very impressive column about Navy midshipmen spirit and the respect the 80,000 fans showed at the end of the game when the Navy sang the alma mater. Two other classmates commented about it. See below. And note the response I received from this great young writer, Peter Schroeder.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Schroeder" <pschroed@nd.edu>

To: "Jim Backlin"

Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 2:00 AM

Subject: Re: Peter: Awesome column;[distro66] Navy-Notre Dame

Thank you very much for your kind e-mail. That moment was easily one of my most
special in my four years at Notre Dame, and I'm glad Navy was a part of it.
Believe me, an Army-Navy game is definitely on my "do before I die" list. I'm
looking forward to a classy match up with Army next year.

Thanks again,
Peter Schroeder
Notre Dame Class of '06

----- Original Message -----
From: Stretch Dunn

To: Distribution List for USMA 1966

Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 8:55 PM

Subject: RE: [distro66] Navy-Notre Dame

*** This message is being distributed to all members of the Class of '66 with E-mail addresses on file at the AOG ***

I replied to the young man and he graciously responded. He’s going places.

Stretch

From: Dickens
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 7:08 PM
To: Distribution List for USMA 1966
Subject: RE: [distro66] Navy-Notre Dame

*** This message is being distributed to all members of the Class of '66 with E-mail addresses on file at the AOG ***

There are obviously at least two people at Notre Dame who get “it”.

Dickens

From: Norm Cooney
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 7:24 PM
To: Distribution List for USMA 1966
Subject: [distro66] Navy-Notre Dame

*** This message is being distributed to all members of the Class of '66 with E-mail addresses on file at the AOG ***

I have received this from a couple sources so decided to send to entire Class. Worth reading.

The Loudest Silence

The Observer Viewpoint

Notre Dame Newspaper

11/14/05

by Peter Schroeder

It was another Notre Dame-Navy game this past weekend, an affair that these days seems to be as fresh as Grandma's ubiquitous fruitcake. We all know the routine; these two teams face each other, Notre Dame wins, Navy loses, dance a jig, yadda yadda yadda. It's been that way for 42 years now, and Saturday's game was no different. Save a 7-7 tie in the beginning of the game, the Irish had their way with Navy, to the tune of a 42-21 final score. The weather was beautiful, the team looked great, and the home crowd at Notre Dame Stadium had plenty to cheer about on Saturday....

Two Naval Officers Shooting the Sun

2005-11-18T11:56:00.000-06:00
USNA At Large,

The post below is art from the Naval Historical Center. (See link below.)

The artist is McClelland Barclay and the timing of the piece is from WW II.
(oil on canvas, 1941)

http://www.history.navy.mil/ac/artist/b/barclay/barclay%201.html

Print: Navigating

2005-11-18T09:47:00.000-06:00

An Open Letter to Notre Dame

2005-11-17T20:43:00.000-06:00

Originally posted November 13, 2005

USNA-At-Large, Jim Savard expresses the feelings of many of us post-game yesterday, if you feel moved to write a similar note to our friends at Notre Dame, I'm sure they would appreciate hearing from lots of us ALNAVs, Go Navy! John Howland

John,

I just wanted to share a letter that I just forwarded to Charlie Weis, Head Football Coach at Notre Dame, and Father John Jenkins (C.S.C.), President of Notre Dame.

Warm regards,

Jim Savard

===========================================================

James F. Savard
10461 Tiger Run
Littleton, CO 80124
Saturday, November 12, 2005

Coach Charlie Weis
Head Football Coach
University of Notre Dame
Athletic Department
C113 Joyce Center
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Dear Coach Weis:

Permit me to thank you for your post-game ethical demeanor and conduct following the recent Navy-Notre Dame football game. Your actions are the indicators of the principles of your soul. Your act of taking your football team to the Navy sideline to honor the playing of my Alma Mater is a true tribute to your team, your fans, you, and the wonderful and honorable institution – Notre Dame.

As a member of the United States Naval Academy’s Class of 1965, I was fortunate to be present at the last Navy victory over Notre Dame. Every year we "leave it out on the field" in our duel with Notre Dame and it is an honor for our team to participate in games against Notre Dame; however, we have been on the losing side of the ledger in the last 42 games. What Notre Dame Students, fans, your team, and you did today was pure class!

Navy will never "Give up the ship;" and by 2016, we will beat Notre Dame. More importantly than a football victory are the principles, class, and elegance that you demonstrated today. Your actions will be inculcated into the psyche of both Notre Dame Students and Naval Academy Midshipmen forever. Respect is not something one talks about, respect is something one shows and does. In Navy vernacular, there is an acronym – BRAVO ZULU (BZ). BRAVO ZULU is hoisted in flags on the super structure when a ship or an individual does an outstanding job.

BRAVO ZULU Charlie Weis -- you are a true professional and a credit to the humanness of God’s creatures!

Respectfully,

James F. Savard
USNA, 1965

cc: Father John Jenkins, C.S.C.

ND Student Perspective re Navy Game

2005-11-17T20:40:00.000-06:00

Originally posted November 17, 2005

USNA-At-Large, thanks to Mike Bennett and Charlie Norton, this will recharge your batteries, live for life, John Howland

http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&uStory_id=6ca7c482-e533-4684-81c8-9496f873db65

John,
A very moving piece from the Notre Dame student newspaper--The Observer. This young man seems far beyond his years in appreciation for what the Navy-Notre Dame Game really symbolizes.
Mike Bennett

The loudest silence
By: Observer Viewpoint
Issue date: 11/14/05 Section: Viewpoint
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1

It was another Notre Dame-Navy game this past weekend, an affair that these
days seems to be as fresh as Grandma's ubiquitous fruitcake. We all know the
routine; these two teams face each other, Notre Dame wins, Navy loses, dance
a jig, yadda yadda yadda. It's been that way for 42 years now, and
Saturday's game was no different. Save a 7-7 tie in the beginning of the
game, the Irish had their way with Navy, to the tune of a 42-21 final score.
The weather was beautiful, the team looked great, and the home crowd at
Notre Dame Stadium had plenty to cheer about on Saturday.

However, the most impressive event in that stadium was when 80,795 people
did no cheering at all. No yelling, no talking, not even an odd sneeze. Dead
silence. That's what the Navy band received at the end of the game while
they played their alma mater.

Well, it wasn't entirely silent where I was standing for the game. Just a
few rows behind me, a couple Knievelesque Navy fans had made it into the
student section with the help of some erroneous ticket booklets and a Notre
Dame senior. And while Navy played their alma mater, one of their fans sang
along. An opposing student, singing his alma mater in our student section.
Surely he must have a death wish. But on this day, no jeers, insults, or
contentious voices were heard; thousands of opposing fans simply listened as
a solitary voice in a crowd of thousands rang out and sang for the Navy Blue
and Gold. That silence, that voice and the goose bumps on my arm after it
was all said and done is what makes this rivalry special.

It's easy to overlook the annual Notre Dame-Navy game. When one team wins 42
times in a row, there's not a whole lot of drama reserved for the football
field. However, this historic match-up goes far beyond anything that could
happen between the sidelines. The game is more of a ritual than anything
else, an opportunity for each team to show their respect for the other.
Notre Dame is forever grateful to Navy for supporting the University through
tough times during World War II, and the Irish pay back the Middies by
playing them year in, and year out. It's our way of saying "thanks" for
something done half a century ago, and playing the game is all that matters,
not who wins or loses. Of course, that's easy to say when you're on the
winning end of 42 years of games, but I digress.

Remember when we were looking for a football coach, seemingly eons ago? One
of the things that is always listed in the job requirements is a guy who
gets Notre Dame. He has to get "it." Notre Dame may not be able to describe
in words what "it" is, but the coach has got to have "it." If people weren't
convinced yet, the end of Saturday's game proved Charlie Weis has "it"
coming out of his ears. After convincingly crushing the opponent, Charlie
led the team over to Navy's corner of the field to sing their alma mater.
Just minutes before, these two teams walked on that grass as dire enemies,
but now they walked across as one. Hopefully next year Charlie can show
Michigan State how a real team celebrates a victory.

With no time left on the clock and the outcome decided, this respectful
gesture wasn't about Navy's football team; it was about Navy. It was a
sobering reminder that what we just poured all of our energy into was just a
game. Many times that's easy to forget at Notre Dame, where football lies in
the hierarchy of priorities somewhere between inhaling and exhaling. While
we can spend countless hours worrying about Sagarin rankings, passing
efficiency, and Mark May, Navy has bigger fish to fry. We may claim that we
must protect this house, but Navy must protect something way bigger.

Sure, the last time Navy beat us, the twinkles in our parents' eyes weren't
even us, but rather a Barbie Doll or a G.I. Joe. And sure, with Charlie at
the helm, a loss to Navy doesn't seem forthcoming in the near future. Lee
Corso will never come to a Notre Dame-Navy game. Nonetheless, I know I'll be
looking forward to this matchup for years to come. I'll look forward to
being able to cheer for everybody, clap for both fight songs, and enjoy a
game for what it is, a game. Thank you, Notre Dame football players, for
showing respect to an opponent who rightfully deserves it. Thank you,
Charlie, for leading the team in that gesture But most of all, thank you,
Navy, for nothing football-related whatsoever.

Peter Schroeder is a senior English major. He can be reached at
pschroed@nd.edu. He hopes you're having a good day.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not
necessarily those of The Observer.

Poll Results re Strawman BOT Restructure Proposal

2005-11-17T11:00:00.000-06:00

Originally posted on November 17, 2005:

USNA-At-Large,
The following missive was sent to each member of the Board of Trustees this morning.
I am very hopeful that the views of you, the At Large, will be seen in a constructive light by every member of the BOT as was intended.
  As always, you are encouraged to advise your Trustee(s) of your views directly, pro or con. Craft your own msg or fwd this message with your personal comments.
    Go Navy! John Howland

==================================================

Trustees of the Alumni Association,

I am writing with reference to the "Strawman" proposal that you are apparently intending to vote on at the Board of Trustees meeting in just two weeks. I won't get into the details of the proposal as I know that you are at least partly familiar with those details and the history.

USNA At Large has just concluded a poll and I am forwarding the results to you for your consideration:

POLL QUESTION: RESOLVED, that the appropriate number of ** REGIONAL ** Trustees on the Alumni Association Board of Trustees should be approximately ...

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Zero, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Four, 1 votes, 3.12%
- More than Four, 31 votes, 96.88%

We are providing these poll results for your background information as you prepare to take a decision on the "Strawman" proposal.

Briefly, one can say from these results that ** informed ** Alumni would be pretty close to unanimous that we need MORE Regional Trustees.

Furthermore, we can safely say that ** informed ** Alumni would be equally unanimous that ZERO Regional Trustees is completely inappropriate.

As an aside, it would be easy to say that 32 votes are not statistically significant. As you may know, the membership of USNA At Large is made up of supporters of the Naval Academy be they grads or "friends." The Friends category is significant and growing. Further, many of our Friends feel uncomfortable voting on an issue that they perceive as falling into the range of inner workings and hidden mechanisms.

In addition, USNA At Large members need to be fully registered in order to weigh in via our polls. Many of the At Large have not taken that step.

Of course one could also point out to armchair statisticians that there has been no other poll taken of alumni on this subject that we among the At Large are familiar with. Further, our 32 votes is even a bit more than the 29 voting Trustees working with not much more information than our At Large had available for their consideration.

Even with the liberal application of a "margin for error," it is pretty clear that our poll among the At Large is indicative that a larger body of ** informed ** Alumni would likely not see any merit whatsoever in the "Strawman" proposal. Indeed, our poll results indicate that there is an excellent chance that Naval Academy Alumni want to see MORE REGIONAL TRUSTEES.

Based on these poll results, a very viable course of action for your consideration in the BOT meeting is to take a wave-off on the Strawman proposal and resolve to do a LEGITIMATE comprehensive study of the current state of Alumni Association governance with special emphasis on a scenario that studies MORE REGIONAL TRUSTEES.

As you know, USNA At Large is a nonprofit in formation for the following purpose:

This nonprofit organization will be for the purpose of
increasing the knowledge of, appreciation of and support of the
United States Naval Academy throughout the citizenry by means of the
dissemination of educational content premised upon the vital role of the
United States Naval Academy within The American Experiment.

Go Navy!

John G.B. Howland, Executive Director, USNA At Large, a nonprofit in formation

PS You can see all of our recent msg traffic related to the "Strawman" proposal at our supplemental blog at http://USNA-At-Large.blogspot.com/

Eastern Region Trustee Reports re the Strawman

2005-11-17T07:21:00.000-06:00

Originally posted November 15, 2005:

USNA-At-Large,

The Eastern Region Trustee has just reported as of last night (a shade over two weeks before the BOT meeting).

Thanks to Bill Aston for passing this along.

Its possible to make all sorts of comments here, but I am going to limit myself to just one.

Here we have the "Strawman." The proposal advanced by Carl Trost and labeled by him.

The Strawman has been among us now for just about a year IIRC.

We are now about two weeks away from the point where Carl Trost wants our representatives to vote on the Strawman, yet the Eastern Region Trustee, for one, knows precious little about the strawman.

Look at the conjecture that is run through his analysis below.

Frankly, there is no excuse for such a state of affairs.

I don't fault Bill Rentz and the other Trustees other than for failing to DEMAND better from Messrs. Trost, Watt and Snyder.

I am still completely unaware of ANY form of formal report from the Governance Committee other than the petulant response to an alum's (one of the At Large) query that Roy Snyder put out just a couple of days ago and that we circulated to the At Large on Sunday.

Strongly recommend to Messrs. Trost and Watt that they IMMEDIATELY take a wave-off this time around and resolve to do a better job on the approach for May 2006.

    Go Navy! John Howland

MEMO   FOR BILL RENTZ

Thank You for your review of the situation re possible changes to BOT.
I likely have already had my turn at bat since I believe Mase Wells
has forwarded to you my objections to the Strawman.

I support 100% you views that the chapters are the heart of the alumni
association. Every decent and honest effort must be made to increase
their influence on alumni association activities,

IMHO there is little record of accomplishment for the council of class
presidents. They do not seek the advice of their classes, do not
announce what they do, and in general seem not to "be with it". A
beautiful example of too much inside the beltway action. Strange that
my friend Roy Snyder thinks he and his pals have done so well.

Please act to defeat the strawman. Get rid of appointed trustees.
Clean out excess hangers-on. Power to the chapters.

Good Luck. Keep your Cool    Doing good so far!
Cheers
Bill Aston
Fort Lauderdale

*****************************************************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "USNAAA Regional Trustee" <AA-NAF@usna.com>
To: Eastern Region Alumni
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2005 9:19 PM
Subject: Eastern Region Update

Subj: Eastern Region Trustee Update for USNAAA Fall 2005 Board Meeting

1. As promised here is a recap of my activities and a request for your input on the matters to be discussed prior to the Board of Trustees meeting on 1 December 2005, following Standing Committee Meetings on 30 November 2005. I am Chairman of the Admissions Committee and this will be my first meeting in that role. One of my agenda items is to exchange ideas on use of the Chapter's Academy Awareness Reps in assisting Blue and Gold Officers in carrying out their mission. I have also been a member of the Nominating Committee, which will present candidates for Chairman, Western Region Trustee, and Mid-Atlantic Region Trustee to the Board for approval. These candidates will be presented to the entire membership for a vote this Spring in SHIPMATE.

2. On the subject of the Nominating Committee, of course you in the Eastern Region cannot vote for the other Region Trustees, but you can vote for the Chairman, and I strongly urge you to do so. I will give you my endorsements, for what they are worth, at a later date after the nominations are approved by the BOT. Some observations; first, all of the nominating committee members were favorably impressed by the quality of individuals who were submitted to the nominating    committee. The resumes showed tremendous accomplishments in education, service, and business experience, but most important was their willingness to serve our great alumni association. You will all be impressed by the slate that comes forth in SHIPMATE. The one thing that set some of them apart was their amount of experience or lack thereof in alumni association activities. Several had never been involved in alumni Chapter activities or held any Chapter office. Personally I think that is a key ingredient in being effective at the national level, understanding and appreciating the grunt work that goes into making the system work at all levels, especially what it takes to generate and recruit our informed advocacy. It is most important not to make decisions that cause problems with growing Chapter membership. So my simple message is - get involved in your local Chapter and encourage your classmates, shipmates, and neighbors to do the same and participate.

3. On the agenda for a vote by the Board will be the Nominating Committee results, the Joint Finance and Audit Committee Report, Authorization to transact business, Member-ship Committee Associate Member, Other Chapter Trustee Selection Committee evaluation matrix, and the issue of the day the Governance Committee Report on Composition of the Board of Trustees. Presently the Board consists of 29 voting members: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Immediate Past-Chairman, President-CEO, 4 Regional Trustees, 12 Chapter Trustees
(9 largest Chapters and 3 Other Selected Chapters), 7 Class Trustees
(elected by Decade groups), and 2 Board appointed Trustees. This configuration came about as a result of a 1998 study group whose last recommendation was finally implemented in 2003. When Admiral Trost came on board in 2003, his opinion, based on vast experience with service on corporate boards, was that the Board of Trustees may be too large to be efficient. I heard anecdotally that he somewhat tempered that opinion after seeing the good work that the Board was accomplishing through its Committees. At any rate over the last year the Governance Committee under RAdm Roy Snyder '50 took a look at the suggestion to examine the issue, but came to no    unanimous conclusion. In fact, I had heard that the Committee was about 50-50 split    on whether a change was necessary at all. Admiral Trost was then asked to give the committee some idea of what he had in mind. That idea has been referred to as the "Strawman" and the Governance Committee from what I have heard is still about split on how to proceed. The "Strawman" proposes to reduce the size of the Board to 25 members by the following steps: Eliminate the 4 Regional Trustees and replace them with 6 At-large Trustees (2 of which would be replaced by vote of the membership every 2 years); reduce 12 Chapter Trustees to 8; eliminate the 2 Board appointed Trustees, and make the Immediate Past-Chair a non-voting member; and also add 1 Class trustee. My opinion: I am not in favor of reducing the 9 Chapter Trustees selected from the 9 largest chapters. That is the only Trustee category that results from and encourages increased alumni membership. I have been associated with
3 Chapters, Atlanta which now has a Chapter Trustee, and Knoxville-Oak Ridge which recently finished a term as an Other Chapter Trustee. Both efforts to earn the job are beneficial to the alumni association and to the alumni. Atlanta works like the devil on its membership drive every year, and the activities and efforts described in the Other Chapter Trustee applications are fantastic. I've served on that Selection Committee and was floored at the effort put in by all involved. Naturally, I favor the Regional approach over At-large Trustees. That is the concept that the 1998 study group revised in order to have a geographical constituency that can communicate with members and bring their concerns to the national association. In fact, there are some who have given a compelling argument to recommend increasing the Regional Trustees to 6. Board appointed Trustees were created to bring additional talent, such as finance, legal, and public relations to the Board membership. It has also been used to ensure female, minority, and younger class representation on the Board. It appears that the nomination process is accomplishing that on its own, and that is better for all. So, if you took my "Strawman #2" and kept the Chairman, Vice Chair, President and CEO as voting members, went from 4 to 6 Regional Trustees, kept
9 largest    Chapter Trustees and only 2 Other Chapter Trustees, got rid of the Board appointed Trustees, and had 7 Class Trustees, that would only total 27 for the Board size, which would be a reduction of 2 from the present. Now these are only my opinions as to the right way to go. I have heard from quite a few of you already and so far I am convinced that it is your desire that I should vote against the "Strawman" coming from the Governance Committee in its present form.

4.   Please let me hear from you and give me your views. My job is to represent your interests to the Board of Trustees. Sorry this is so long and complex, but I have tried to convey from my point of view how we got into this controversy. We need to get it resolved in the best interest of our great Alumni Association.

Best Regards and Beat Notre Dame! Bill Rentz '55 Eastern Region Trustee

Poll results for USNA-At-Large

2005-11-17T07:19:00.000-06:00

Originally posted November 15, 2005:

The following USNA-At-Large poll is now closed. Here are the
final results:

POLL QUESTION: RESOLVED, that the appropriate number of ** REGIONAL ** Trustees
on the Alumni Association Board of Trustees should be approximately ...

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Zero, 0 votes, 0.00%
- Four, 1 votes, 3.12%
- More than Four, 31 votes, 96.88%

For more information about this group, please visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USNA-At-Large



Provoked professor leaves WCCC post Wednesday, November 23, 2005 By SARA LEITCH The Express-Times The adjunct professor at Warren County Community College who sent a controversial e-mail to a student there resigned on Tuesday, before the board of trustees began an emergency meeting scheduled to address the matter. "As we prepared for that meeting, we received word from Mr. Daly that he had tendered his resignation from WCCC effective immediately," Board Chairman Ed Smith said. "The board has accepted his resignation." Some of the 30 people in the room gasped at the news, including student Rebecca Beach, whose invitation to a campus speech by a veteran of the Iraq war provoked an irate response from John Daly, a part-time English professor at the college. "Professor John Daly is (teaching) in a state institution and acting on behalf of the state, and I believe his comments to me is a restriction on my personal free-speech rights," Beach said. Beach founded the WCCC chapter of Young Americans for Freedom, a national conservative activist group. In his e-mail reply to Beach's invitation, Daly wrote that he would work to keep the group from "showing their face on a college campus." Daly did not respond to a call for comment Tuesday. Board Chairman Ed Smith said he called the trustee meeting to discuss the facts of the incident and "and certain safety concerns that arose as a result thereof." Smith would not explain what he meant by "safety concerns," or what he meant when he said the board planned to discuss the e-mail "and other facts and circumstances that came to the Board's attention subsequent thereto." The college has already assigned a faculty member to teach the rest of Daly's classes this fall, President Will Austin said. He pledged to include a tolerance training session at the college's next faculty in-service day, and to consider a broad range of student input in developing the session. "We will also rededicate ourselves to a review of our current policies and procedures to make certain that we continue to foster an open and collegial learning environment at our institution," Austin said. A Morris County resident who attended the meeting, retired Air Force Maj. Ted Sienicki, said he had never had any reason to stop by WCCC before learning about Daly's e-mail from military friends in other parts of the country. He congratulated the board for accepting Daly's resignation. "That's the end of his abuse of authority, and his self-serving abuse of his position," Sienicki said. One WCCC student, Jamie Lemelledo, spoke during the meeting and asked why the dispute couldn't have remained an internal college matter. "I think it's wrong what some people did, ruining this man's name," she said. "I don't think the man did anything wrong, I think it's too bad he had to resign." Beach said she forwarded Daly's e-mail to the national Young America's Foundation because she wanted the American people to know his beliefs. She said she did that at the same time she brought it to Austin's attention. Things might have turned out differently if the incident hadn't gathered national attention, she said. "I just wanted his intolerance exposed," Beach said. "I wanted the people of this country to see what he said." Reporter Sara Leitch can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at sleitch@express-times.com. 1/3/à=(( 1/3/à=(( © 2005 The Express Times © 2005 NJ.com All Rights Reserved

USNA At Large Blog Yard

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A Stanford Grad's Perspective

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I want to be a Naval Aviator

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Decision to expel or graduate him could draw anger

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A makeover at the gate

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U.S. Naval Academy Alumni AssociationCentral Region TrusteeLeonard R. Wass, CAPT (Ret.)USNA Class of 1964

Commandant's Impressive Background

Commandant's leadership could take him to the top

We Will Not Drop the Torch

KEEPING the spirit alive

Able Danger Update

Former top military leader confirms data-mining search for al-Qaida leaders

By James Rosen -- Bee Washington BureauPublished 6:48 pm PST Tuesday, December 6, 2005

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Strawman Comes Up Just Short At End of Marathon

Commander in Chief Trophy Back in Chet's Good Hands

Coveted Trophy Found at Naval Academy

A Case for MORE Regional Trustees

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President Bush Visit on Wed

BOT Strawman: Class Presidents Being Deployed

Slot Back Whittaker Lost For The Season

Rhodes Prep Not An Accidental Process

Colleges driven to take Rhodes

Academy, other schools prepare assiduously for award process

Leftwich Leadership Trophy to Capt. Bronzi

Prof Fleming: Call Your Office!

Provoked professor leaves WCCC post

It's Official: San Diego's Poinsettia Bowl Picks CSU

BOT Leadership Puts Out ISSUE PAPER re Strawman Proposal

Muslim Midshipmen

For Muslim mids, uniformity in duty - but not in beliefs

Army-Navy: Some Perspectives

Two Naval Officers Shooting the Sun

Print: Navigating

An Open Letter to Notre Dame

ND Student Perspective re Navy Game

Poll Results re Strawman BOT Restructure Proposal

Eastern Region Trustee Reports re the Strawman

Poll results for USNA-At-Large

U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association
Central Region Trustee
Leonard R. Wass, CAPT (Ret.)
USNA Class of 1964

By James Rosen -- Bee Washington Bureau
Published 6:48 pm PST Tuesday, December 6, 2005