Submarine Force Commander Welcomes Future Officers to Fleet

By MC2 Jonathan Correa

The Navy’s top submarine commander welcomed the future submariners of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Class of 2016 to the fleet at a dinner and reception Feb. 2.

Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic, Vice Adm. Joe Tofalo addressed the 137 first-class midshipmen who were selected for service assignment about the history of U.S. Navy submarines and the part they will have as future submarine officers.

“You are that future of the submarine community, and we need you to do what you are doing and step up to be part of this legacy we have,” said Tofalo. “If you think about a submarine, there is not one single defensive weapon on a sub. We are all teeth. During World War II Navy submarines made up less than two percent of the forces but were responsible for about 55 percent of maritime losses. Now submarines are responsible for over 50 percent of our nation’s nuclear weapons.”

The assignment dinner is an annual event and represents a unique opportunity for the Midshipmen to meet the senior submarine officers in the Navy and be welcomed into the community.

“I am very proud of what you have done,” said Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter. “The submarine community has been our asymmetric advantage going back to World War II and still continues to be today. You, the Class of 2016, are going to lead that into the future.”

Midshipmen were able to sit and talk with senior submarine officers including Adm. James F. Caldwell Jr., director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program; Vice Adm. William H. Hilarides, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command; Rear Adm. David J. Hahn, senior technical advisor to the deputy chief of naval operations for information dominance; and Rear Adm. Michael E. Jabaley, program executive officer for submarines.

“It is very motivating to hear from some of the top submarine officers in the fleet,” said Midshipman 1st Class Riley Miller. “I am so privileged and honored to be one of the women selected, because it was really competitive in my class. I cannot wait to go out in to the fleet and hopefully get on a fast attack.”

“It was a very exciting process to become the first class of women to enter the submarine community,” said Lt. Kayla Barron, flag aid to the academy superintendent.

Barron was part of the Naval Academy Class of 2010 and in the first-ever group of women to enter the submarine community.

“I would tell the midshipmen to work as hard as they can in power school and prototype, so they can show up to their first command with a good technical foundation and then work to develop a really good relationship with the crew because that’s what makes or breaks a junior officer," she said. "The sailors are willing to help train and help with your development in becoming a strong leader.”

The Naval Academy Class of 2016 received their service assignments Nov. 19, a milestone that put them one step closer to joining the fleet. After graduation May 27, these 137 midshipmen will attend power school and prototype training before heading to their first command.

Naval Education and Training Commander Visits USNA

Commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) Rear Adm. Michael White toured the U.S. Naval Academy Feb. 2.

For White, a 1983 graduate of the University of Colorado, it was his first visit to the historic institution, which has been training and educating future naval officers for 170 years.

His tour included visits to classrooms, physical exercise facilities and the many monuments that scatter the Yard.

“The grounds at USNA are something to behold,” said White. “I am very interested in how we mold our Sailors, morally, ethically and of course in their technical field. This gave me an interesting perspective on how we can do better in the schools we run.”

NETC’s mission is to transform civilians into highly skilled, combat-ready warfighters and enable their career-long growth and development. The amount of time spent in NETC schools is significantly shorter than the 4-year program at USNA, but both institutions share the goal for creating better, smarter and ethically stronger students.

“It is slightly different in that USNA has its midshipmen for four years, and we have ours for a much shorter period of time,” said White. “USNA does an incredible job of molding the ideas of technology into training, bringing ethical decision making into its learning, and overall character development. We want to be able to further incorporate those ideas into our schools.”

While observing the faculty, staff, and facilities and interacting with midshipmen, White recalled the initial impression he had of USNA, further clarified by today’s visit.

“I have had many peers over the years who have graduated from USNA,” he said. “I’ve always had great respect for the institution both educationally and professionally, and what I saw here today matched that exactly – incredible professionalism by everyone I met today on the staff, and a compassion for learning and developing our country’s future officers. All matched by the spectacular venue that is USNA.”

USNA Fencing Team Takes on Alumni

The U.S. Naval Academy’s (USNA) fencing team held their annual alumni versus midshipmen fencing meet in MacDonough Hall Jan. 30.

The meet brought midshipmen and alumni fencers, representing classes ranging from 1960 to 2013, together for competitive matches that tested each other’s wits and skills.

Among the honored guests was Admiral Harry Harris, Jr., commander, U.S. Pacific Command, 1978 USNA graduate, and varsity saber fencer from 1976-1978.

“It's special to watch the future leaders of our Navy carrying on the proud legacy of fencing at the Academy," said Harris. "Fencing instilled in me a sense of focused aggression, not just individually, but as part of a team, something that has been valuable to me throughout my career."

The annual event has taken place for the better part of the past 40 years.

“The alumni meet dates back to the 1970s, perhaps the late 1960s,” said Capt. Emil Petruncio, head coach and officer rep of Navy Fencing. “There was a hiatus after the varsity fencing program was terminated in 1993, but fencing re-emerged as an organized activity in 1999, and it was just a few years later - 2001 or 2002 - that the alumni meet was reinstituted.”

This year’s meet welcomed three USNA Athletic Hall of Fame fencers. Among them, Frank Hewitt (USNA ’67) explained fencing as a way to not only stay healthy, but build teamwork skills.

“Team sports like this help midshipmen when they go into the fleet. They can also carry this over to the civilian world when they are done,” said Hewitt. “I compete in national fencing competition even at the age of 70.”

The Naval Academy has been involved in intercollegiate fencing since 1896, and has a long tradition of outstanding fencers and coaches. There are 57 fencers included in the USNA Athletic Hall of Fame, spanning the classes of 1917 to 1994. Many were selected as members of the U.S. Olympic, Pan-American, and NCAA All American teams. Others qualified as U.S. National Champion, NCAA or AIAW Individual Champion, Eastern Collegiate or National Regional Champion, said Petruncio.

The meet provided a valuable opportunity for midshipmen to gather knowledge from alumni.

“It is exciting because we get to fence some of the greatest names that have come from this school, and it is a chance for the alumni to come back and relive that legacy that they started for us,” said Midshipman 1st Class Naomi Ngalle, Navy Fencing Team club president. “This is really a privilege to have them come here and compete with us and at the same time teach us and help us grow as Navy fencers.”

“I'm proud of the leadership of our club officers and weapon squad captains, and of the energy and dedication of each the fencers who come out to practice each afternoon,” said Petruncio. “I'm also happy that Midshipmen still have the opportunity to learn, practice, and refine fencing techniques and tactics, and develop their judgment and confidence on the fencing strip. Honorable conduct and quick decision making in the heat of battle is what our program is all about.”

For information about Navy Fencing, visit http://www.usna.edu/FencingClub/

Army-Navy Football Legends Honored

Naval Academy and West Point leadership and alumni gathered in Coral Gables, Fla., January 31 to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1946 Army-Navy game and pay tribute to two academy football legends.

USNA Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter presents a Navy football helmet to
former Navy running back Pete Williams (USNA '49) 

 
Those legends, Pete Williams (USNA ’49) and Arnold Tucker (USMA ’47), lined up on opposite sides of the ball during the 1946 game and remain friends and neighbors at the Palace at Coral Gables, a retirement facility not far from where they attended high school together at Miami High.

The 70th anniversary celebration was hosted at the Palace and organized by members of the Alumni Associations for both Army and Navy.

Williams was Navy's starting running back in the 1946 game. Tucker was the quarterback for Army, leading a backfield that included legendary runners Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis.

USNA Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter speaks with former Army quarterback
Arnold Tucker (USMA '47)

Army emerged victorious in the game only after Navy's Williams failed to get out of bounds as the clock expired with Navy driving for the winning touchdown. Army was favored by 30 points in the game and was a perennial football powerhouse at that time, having won the national championship in 1944 and 1945. They entered the game against Navy undefeated, and Army would eventually become national champions again in 1946 after the victory over Navy.

It was the close margin in the 1946 game and the performances of Williams and Tucker – as well as their lifelong friendship – that was noted in the anniversary celebration. And, as always, the purity of the Army-Navy rivalry was a constant theme.

Vice Adm. Ted Carter, Naval Academy superintendent, attended and gave keynote remarks.

"The 1946 game is not entirely unlike the game we just played this past December," said Carter. "We were heavily favored as Army was back then. And yet, in this game, the teams always find a way to play admirably and keep it close. We should never lose respect for the history of this game, the performances of the men in this room today and the fact that this is the best rivalry in the country. Period."

Army-Navy football history on display

Lt. Gen. Joseph DiSalvo, a 1981 West Point graduate and current deputy commander of U.S. Southern Command in Miami, gave remarks for Army and noted the significance of the 1946 game and the importance of the rivalry based on who attended.

"President Truman was in the stands, as were a host of other names like MacArthur, Eisenhower, Marshall, Halsey, Nimitz and Leahy," said DiSalvo.

"As is always the case, this game goes beyond the final score," DiSalvo continued. "It is never about who wins and losses, but rather how special these two institutions are and what the academies mean to America."

Williams and Tucker were joined by friends and family and approximately 100 guests, who rose for a standing ovation for each of the men at the conclusion of the ceremony.

The men were presented with commemorative footballs and helmets from West Point and the Naval Academy respectively and posed for pictures with Carter and DiSalvo.

In the end, after 70 years, the day came down to the bond that exists between Army and Navy and the friendship that has lasted between two great men from the time they were in high school to now, as they reside in the same retirement community.

"I tried to get him (Williams) to come to Army," joked Tucker to the crowd. "His being a member of the Navy football team never infringed on our friendship."

The rivalry continues.