Next Commandant

I think that would be cool. First Marine, and first woman to be Supe.
I was just thinking that it's high time that a female got the cover on top of Herndon, as well. Maybe this year?
 
I wouldn't be surprised if LtGen Reynolds becomes the next Superintendent. A couple of "firsts," as noted. LtGen Reynolds also has had a handful assignments in the communications/cyber/information fields, which is now being emphasized across DoD. The decision to pick the next Superintendent might be as strategic (Hopper Hall comes online), as it is setting firsts. I wonder if VADM Jan Tighe was also strongly considered -- she has since retired -- but another female USNA alumnus, who worked in (practically) the same fields as LtGen Reynolds.

The SECDEF is the waiver authority if the Superintendent is to continue serving post-USNA; the President would be required to re-nominate the officer.
 
General Reynolds would be a great pick. I mean female Marine, USNA grad, former basketball player... of course I am partial. But in all seriousness she is fantastic and has a vast array of experience in her career. She is known for high standards, calm demeanor, tough but fair leadership and would be a great example.
 
General Reynolds would be a great pick. I mean female Marine, USNA grad, former basketball player... of course I am partial. But in all seriousness she is fantastic and has a vast array of experience in her career. She is known for high standards, calm demeanor, tough but fair leadership and would be a great example.

I'm guessing no one's seen you and the general in the same room together...
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From USNA:

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John M. Richardson have nominated Rear Adm. Sean S. Buck (USNA Class of 1983) for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as the next superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.

Buck is a career naval flight officer and is currently serving as commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet in Mayport, Florida. He has an extensive operational background to include command of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 11, and recently served as the chief of staff to the plans and policy director for the Joint Staff in Washington, D.C.

The date of the change of command is yet to be determined, pending confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Additional details will be provided as they become available.

For more information about Buck, visit https://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/bio.asp?bioID=570.
 
Probably first MPRA type to be Supe. Either way, good to see more people with a MPRA background putting on 3 and 4 stars. Good for the community and the Navy.
 
Definitely not the first P-3 guy in recent (well, SOMEWHAT recent:)) memory. VADM Marryott, VADM Ryan and I believe VADM Waller were all VP guys. It is interesting that this is the third Supe in a row to come from the Naval Aviation community. That is unusual.
 
As an explanation behind my comment re "unusual," the USN tries to rotate different unrestricted line communities through the positions of USNA Supe and Dant. The reason is to show mids as well as "the world" the breadth of the USN/USMC team's reach. Thus, it's rare to have more than two Supes or Dants in a row from the same warfare community (e.g., ships, subs, aviation, USMC).

The current Supe (VADM Carter) is an NFO, his predecessor (VADM Miller) was a pilot and the new Supe (RADM Buck) is an NFO. Prior Supes were from the submarine community (VADM Fowler) and the surface community (VADM Rempt). There has never been a USMC Supe.

Recent Dants included surface (Chadwick), USMC (Liszewski), surface (Byrne). Byrne's predecessor was a submariner as is the new Dant. No aviators, but the Supe throughout this time has been an aviator and there is typically an aversion to having the Supe and Dant from the same warfare community.
 
completely agree. it's totally understandable and expected to give the mids a wide view of all the warfare specialties and it's natural to have Supes coming from a rotation of communities.

can't have them all coming from the best one :)
 
Some history:


  1. Colonel John R. Allen January 2002–September 2003 - USMC Infantry
  2. Captain Charles J. "Joe" Leidig, Jr. September 2003–June 2005 - Submarine
  3. Captain Bruce E. Grooms June 2005–December 2006 - Submarine
  4. Captain Margaret D. Klein December 2006–June 2008 - NFO
  5. Captain Matthew L. Klunder June 2008–April 2010 - Pilot
  6. Captain Robert E. Clark II April 2010–May 2013 - Submarine
  7. Captain William D. Byrne JR. May 2013–June 2015 - SWO
  8. Colonel Stephen Liszewski June 2015– June 2017 - USMC
  9. Captain Robert B. Chadwick June 2017– Present
 
Definitely not the first P-3 guy in recent (well, SOMEWHAT recent:)) memory. VADM Marryott, VADM Ryan and I believe VADM Waller were all VP guys. It is interesting that this is the third Supe in a row to come from the Naval Aviation community. That is unusual.
Well I'll be darned. Look at USNA being progressive and being inclusive of VP . . .
 
I have always been curious why the Commandant is an O-6 at USNA but an O-7 at USMA and USAFA. Do the responsibilities of the positions differ or is it just a historical oddity?
 
I have always been curious why the Commandant is an O-6 at USNA but an O-7 at USMA and USAFA. Do the responsibilities of the positions differ or is it just a historical oddity?

Probably a "historical oddity", perhaps rooted in Naval tradition. I have a vague recollection that Navy didn't even have a 1 star rank for some period of time.

I can't see any reason to have two FOGO's in the yard. Keep in mind that the position of Superintendent was a 2-3 star position until ADM Larson's second tour, when a policy decision was made to have the Supe as an end of career billet to avoid some of the politics invovled in the position.
 
I have always been curious why the Commandant is an O-6 at USNA but an O-7 at USMA and USAFA. Do the responsibilities of the positions differ or is it just a historical oddity?

The responsibilities are likely much the same. Custom, tradition and professional staffing philosophies account for the variance.

Another factor is that the number of each officers at each rank is controlled by law. The Navy has chosen to use a one-star billet elsewhere, and use an O-6 billet at USNA.

A Navy O-6, post-major command (command in their warfare specialty at the rank of Captain), is considered to be at the top of their game, in play for flag officer consideration. All Commandants in recent years are post-major command. The Commandant is not an official command role, but head of a department within the entire USNA complex, reporting to the Superintendent, who is in the command role. Of course, the role of the Commandant is the pre-eminent one amongst the captains and colonels in the USNA family, with special powers to adjudicate offenses and take certain actions.

For many years, the USNA Superintendent was a 1-2 star. Some troubles occurred, some swaps were made, and the USNA billet became a 3-star and some other command went from 3 to 1 or 2 star leadership. Similarly, for many years, at the Pentagon, the Director, Army Staff and the Director, Air Force Staff, have been 3-star billets. The Director, Navy Staff, was a 1-star until 2001, when a 3-star was brought in. Again, swaps were made.

Culturally, a good example of differences - not who’s right or wrong - between Sevices is when I was a BattO at USNA. I was the Officer Rep for Navy women’s basketball, handling good order and discipline on the road, working with the team captain, the team academic adviser and the coaching staff, putting in several hours a week, even out of season, and traveling to every game, and attending most practices. This was in addition to time-intensive BattO duties, teaching Ethics class to 3/c mids as an adjunct prof, and O-rep for 3 other groups. This was the busiest shore duty I’d ever been assigned, with a lively OPTEMPO. At my first game at Army West Point, I went in search of my counterpart officer rep, as a courtesy, before the game. To my surprise, I met a colonel, a captain (0-3) and a senior enlisted leader, all of whom were sharing the duty. Again, not right or wrong, just different.
 
Just a quick note on USNA "Love".

DD and I were in San Diego together a couple of weeks ago. We were walking the Flt. Deck of the USS Midway, with DD doing her best to express interest as she indulged her Dad's fascination with aircraft of all types. I was just explaining to her the impact that the AIM54 and the F111B had on the design of the F14, (sheesh-- I owe her a sushi dinner).

Suddenly, I see life return to her eyes. " Dad please take a picture of me in front of this plane. It's the Sups plane and I'd like to have a pic with me in front of it. Can you zoom in on the names under the cockpit". Pics taken, and walking away she says "you know he has more carrier landings than anybody------and that's not his real call sign".

Admiral Carter/and USNA must have done a good job over these last few years for DD to identify with Sup strongly enough to want that memento.

I remember that I went to the UW undergrad, and I am pretty sure I correctly recall my major. Profs names? Pres. of UW? I haven't a clue........but it could have been the Beer.
 
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