News, Events & More

USNA Chapel Dome Copper Memorabilia Available for Purchase

Posted: 5/2/2020

Old copper salvaged from the ongoing USNA Chapel dome restoration is being repurposed into memorabilia now available for purchase. See the full catalog here, which includes jewelry, ornaments, framed art, and coins. Herff Jones is willing to assist classes in designing customized versions of certain items – like the coins – for our class, either by working with the class president or a designated representative. Please contact Nagel if you are interested in pursuing this.

Did you know that the dome has not always been copper? Short (but interesting) historic context: https://usnachapeldome.com/pages/history

Finally, Herff Jones is collecting personal stories related to the Chapel to be included on the Chapel dome website. If you have a story you’d like to share, please fill out this form or contact them directly.

Focus on Small Businesses

Posted: 4/30/2020

A week ago, Kitch Kennedy posted on the Class of 1996 Facebook page, asking any classmates who own small businesses to post a link in the comments so that he could support it in some way – either by purchasing or sharing to a wider audience. A couple of days later, I saw William Marks’ post (also on the class FB page) about Facebook-sponsored grants for small businesses – then read about efforts by the Alumni Association to champion Almuni ventures in both Nagel’s 24 April update to the class and the April 2020 edition of WaveTops (released 29 April). I decided to try to synthesize all of this information one place. Please reach out if you have additional information you’d like to share, and I will update this post! I will also work on a static page here for all of this, so please send me ideas or feedback.

Roundup from Kitch’s post:

Jenny Marie Greenough – Raja Wellness (Elizabethtown, KY)
Marcus Bickley – Financial Advisor (Eugene, OR)
Tom Hood – Badger Ridge Industries (Fostoria, MI)
Anthony Singleton – Harvest Moon Coffee and Chocolates (Tarentum, PA – Pittsburgh Area; also on FB)

I’m adding Brian Faquet’s Prohibition Distillery (Roscoe, NY) to this list, as well. as anything else I can dig out of people’s FB posts and from LinkedIn (below). Please send me others!

Carter Richardson – East Passage Boatwrights (Bristol, RI)
Mark Mhley – Re4ormed, LLC (Annapolis, MD)
Sal Convento – San Diego & Chula Vista Martial Arts & Fitness (San Diego, CA)
Julie Kubal – Julie Kubal Photography (Washington, DC)
Jesse Lankford’s son, Carter Lankford – Coaching with Carter Online Math Tutoring (San Diego, CA)
Tom Thoma – Owner, CertaPro Painters (Chantilly, VA)
Jaesen Yerger – Founder/CEO Cajun Custom Rods LLC (Jacksonville, FL)

From William Marks – Facebook is offering MILLIONS of dollars in cash grants and ad credits for people who own small businesses in 27 different cities around the nation. More information here and you can PM William about it as well (ans see his 23 April FB post).

As you probably read in Nagel’s recent update to the class, the Alumni Association has launched a business directory to help alumni support and showcase alumni-owned businesses by class, location, or industry. If you are a small business owner, consider registering your business to help them build the resource – and help get more folks interested in your product or service.

In the News: ’96 Represents in Coronavirus-Related Roundup

As April draws to a close (along with week 6 of teleworking), I find myself reflecting on the great work our classmates are doing from sea to shining sea (and around the world). We, collectively, are no stranger to success; lately, however, I find myself gravitating toward positive, impactful, or motivating stories – and many of us are making those stories become headlines. Here’s a collection of recent publications or news appearances by ’96ers that I chanced to see over the last few weeks (and there are probably more that I missed). I wanted to share these with all of you – while these stories represents a mere smattering of what we are doing around the world, the words (written and spoken) are resounding. Stay strong, ’96!

On the Air: Prohibition Distillery Pivots from Spirits to Sanitizer

Brian Facquet, Founder and Head Distiller at Prohibition Distillery in Roscoe, NY, recently spoke with Yahoo Finance about the company’s shift from making spirits to making hand sanitizer amid the coronavirus pandemic. Check out his interview here, which aired April 20th!

Check out Prohibition Distillery online to see their current catalog, which includes both small and large shipments. Whether you need 2 or 6 bottles, or a case of 25 – Brian’s got you covered! They even make 5-gallon buckets with pump dispensers.

Report: The Analysis and Policy Implications of the Crisis

Harrison Schramm, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic & Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), was recently interviewed for an episode of Government Matters, which aired April 15th. During the interview, Harrison discussed his new report about coronavirus, the impact of the pandemic on policy and operations, and what we are learning from it. Watch live here!

Article: On Economic Resiliency, Self-Growth, Organization Culture, and Being Purpose Driven

Brian Grana, Consultant/Philanthropist/Veteran Advocate/Non-Profit Advisor/Venture Capitalist/Marine (whew!) recently published an article entitled “Redux: ‘That which you measure gets better*’ – Assessing My Value Propositions during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which I discovered on LinkedIn. In this article, Brian shares some of his experiences and discusses his four Value Propositions. Brian’s advice to us all: “Especially during challenging times… never miss a chance to make yourself better. I hope you find this article useful and please share with Veterans in transition!” Thanks for your wisdom and continued patriotism, Brian.

YouTube: Keeping Sailors Informed During Challenging Times

Capt. Tim Kinsella’s initial COVID-19 address to NAS Pensacola (broadcast via Youtube and posted on Facebook and Twitter on 25 Mar – follow NAS Pensacola on either channel) appeared in my social media feed a few weeks ago, so I watched it. I started to think about how many classmates we have who are currently serving as COs – some ashore, some afloat, some domestic, some overseas. And I realized that they are truly being challenged in ways that I could not have possibly imagined when I was still active duty. BZ to all of you who are in command, leading the sailors who stand watch for this great nation.

Catch Tim’s op-ed, entitled “‘We are in a fight.’ But it’s one we will win,” published 10 April in the Pensacola News Journal. Sage words, and well worth the read, regardless of where you live.

Perspective: Focus on What Matters and Build Emotional Resilience

Dennis Volpe, a Leadership and Organizational Consultant, Veteran Mentor, and Strategic Advisor, is focused on developing others to perform at higher levels and improve their overall effectiveness. His recent article, published 27 April on LinkedIn, caught my eye with an opening Abraham Lincoln quote: “The best way to predict your future is to create it,” which is a favorite of mine. He explains what Emotional Intelligence is, discusses opportunities our current reality creates, and challenges us all to observe ourselves (and others), learn from our recent experiences, and use cognizance and clarity in building a new reality that emphasizes emotional resilience. One of the simplest, yet most thought-provoking and positive reflections I’ve read since the start of the pandemic.

You can find one of Dennis’ earlier articles, entitled “Rugby, Resilience, and COVID-19: #WITH YOU” (04 April 2020), here.

On the Horizon: Football Season Tidbits and Reminders

Posted: 4/27/2020

Maybe it’s all the Tweets (and other social media posts) about Malcom Perry being drafted by Miami, and maybe it’s also being cooped up in my apartment missing all my peeps, but I’m ready for August – and some Navy football! So far, the season opener (Navy v. Notre Dame in Dublin) as well as the entire season are scheduled to occur as planned. In the spirit of optimism – and having something to look forward to – here are some football-related notes and reminders. Can’t wait to tailgate with many of you under the class tent this fall! Don’t forget Nagel is still collecting command coins for our bar top, so please reach out to him if you have one of yours to contribute. And bonus points to whoever comes up with a class tailgater facemask with a straw hole (or some other mechanism to drink through) – Brian Reardon, I’m looking at you!

SEASON TICKETS – – – Get ready for game day and get those home game tickets here!
PARKING – – – Don’t forget, if you purchase a parking pass and you’d like to secure a parking space next to our tent, please let Nagel know!
DONATIONS – – – The tailgate is self-funded, and operating costs are much higher than they used to be. Contact Nikki Battaglia if you’d like to make a donation toward the cause. You can use paypal to usna1996tailgater@gmail.com, Zelle to Nikki at (904)535-5810, or contact Nikki for other mechanisms. Your support is appreciated by many!
SWAG – – – The Midstore might be closed, but some of you have likely seen the Go Navy sweat tees that a few of our classmates have ordered and posted about on Facebook. It’s not just another t-shirt… it’s a sweat-activated one! There’s a static N* on the front, but “Go Navy” shows up as you sweat. The more you sweat, the more you see – including a resounding BEAT ARMY on the back. They’re grey shirts that come in a men’s version, a women’s version, and a women’s tank. Order them here!

From the President: Spring COCP Report and Class Updates

Posted: 4/26/2020

Email sent via Classmail 4/24/20

Greeting ’96 Classmates.

I’m writing today to summarize today’s Council of Class Presidents (COCP) meeting. It was held on-line for the first time ever. And if you can imagine what it might like to have ~80 people on a VTC with Presidents 70-80-90 years old…it was probably worse. But also pretty comical at the same time. We had briefs from various people to include the Commandant of Midshipman.

USNA STATUS DURING COVID

USNA opted to allow Midn to reside elsewhere. That was in some part due to the 2 x suicides of Firsties at USAF Academy. They were in some part attributed to their very strict isolation policies (they have since been relaxed).
Most events are postponed or cancelled. Meetings, Commissioning Week, Dedications, Ceremonies, All Academy Challenge, etc…
They have NOT determined how I-Day or plebe summer will be run yet. They are evaluating numerous options.
Midn are continuing their education via on-line methods. They are also doing virtual clubs and physical fitness challenges.
They gave restrictees the option to stay at USNA to work off their time or postpone their time and stay somewhere else. There are about 40-50 Midn currently in Bancroft Hall. A handful of Midn have been ordered to return to USNA due to liberty incidents. The group in Bancroft is basically the work detail to keep basic functions and maintenance going.
They have stepped up rodent / pest control while Bancroft and King Hall are virtually empty.
Many have asked why USNA is doing things differently than USMA and USAF Academies for graduation. The Dant said “each Academy has their own set of facts, assumptions, and variables” and therefore they may or may not follow suit with other Service Academies.
They have NOT decided exactly how the virtual graduation will be held on 22 May. They are capturing lessons learned from USAF graduation.
For now, the Navy / ND game is still on for Ireland but they are evaluating options.
They are still trying to figure out next year’s plebe appointments with potential candidates that have not taken the ACT / SAT.
The Class of 2020
- Of course everyone wants to “help” the Class of 2020 with their graduation. Based on USAFA graduation, they ask that classes not get out in front of USNA activities. Apparently, there was a lot of confusion and stepping on each other. As a class we do not have anything planned.
- They are also asking for any digital media (videos, pictures, memes, etc…). If you want to tag any, use #usna2020.
- Ultimately, the message from the Dant regarding graduation was to the effect of “it sucks but we are in the war fighting business and we are going to miss a lot of things in our career. Get used to it.”
- Orders to their first duty stations start getting cut next week.

NEW ALUMNI CENTER

The Mail Center and HAZMIN building / move has begun. This is a predecessor to the new Center construction.

~$22M building. ECD July 2022.
Will have 2 event decks and can host a 240-person event.

They are still negotiating with Annapolis in parking and gate entryways.

SERVICE ACADEMY CAREER CONFERENCE (SACC)

They just hosted the first of the series online (Jacksonville) and was a success.

Washington DC SACC is still planned June 11-12
San Diego SACC is planned August 20-21
Dallas SACC is planned October 29-30

CHAPEL DOME

Most of the copper from the dome has been removed. They have started making items for sale through a contracted company. (See https://usnachapeldome.com/) They will continue making items until the copper is gone. We could do a group-buy of custom ’96 copper challenge coins with a price point $120-125 per coin. If anyone thinks they can get a group buy together and would like to run that, let me know.

NEW ALUMNI-OWNED BUSINESS PAGE

If you would like to register your alumni-owned business with the Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation, you can go to their new page located here https://www.usna.com/alumni-businesses. They are making an effort to help others find and connect to alumni-owned businesses.

25 YEAR REUNION

Don’t forgot to mark your calendars for our 25 Year Reunion 01-03 Oct 2021. Expect everything to go “live” (Westin room blocks, registration, etc…) ~ Feb 2021.

CLASS GIFT

Although times might be tough right now, don’t forget that you can still donate to the Class Gift. If you are on a monthly auto-donation, you can always increase your value just a little…maybe an extra $5/month.

FOOTBALL SEASON

As of now, it is still planned. Let me know if you have season tickets and want your parking spot at our tailgate.

If you’d like to help out with the operating costs, feel free to contact Nikki Battaglia. You can send her donations via Zelle (use her phone number (904) 535-5810). We also accept paypal at usna1996tailgater@gmail. Contact her for other methods of payment.
As a reminder, the tailgate is a completely separate account and self-funded through donations and we use no class funds to pay for anything.

With that, I’m signing off. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns and I’ll do my best to find an answer.

Nagel Sullivan

301-904-1526

From the President: COVID-19 Update to the Class

Posted: 4/25/2020

Email sent via Classmail 4/20/2020

Greetings classmates,

I wanted to take a few minutes and reach out to all of you for 2 main reasons:

First, there is a Council of Class Presidents (COCP) coming up next week that I plan on attending. If there are any specific questions, comments, concerns, etc…that you would like me to address with the Alumni Association, please send me an email or give me a call to discuss. My plan is to take any notes of interesting information and share that with everyone.

Secondly, I wanted to check-in with everyone regarding the COVID-19 situation. I can’t pretend to know everyone’s situation but I imagine that some of us are impacted more significantly than others. If you’re a small business owner or the business you work at is forced to close (restaurant, teacher, gym, etc…) then you could be faced with a dire situation. Before you let it get to a point where stress is too much to handle, please reach out to someone…. anyone… classmates or not. And I can definitely say that there are there is help out there in various forms; even if it’s just someone to listen.

We have such a diverse group: active duty, retiring, reservists, new parents, kids graduating from USNA, business owners, teachers, contractors, you name it….I’m sure we have someone quietly in the shadows needing help but are afraid to ask. I’m equally sure, someone is willing to help too.

I will put in a plug for ‘96+2 Objective Zero. This was started due to their disturbingly high suicide rate in their class. It can get you in touch with someone 24/7. Download their app too. And if you feel so inclined, you can volunteer to be an Ambassador so someone might call you for help one day.

https://www.objectivezero.org/

Thanks to the classmates that have been organizing various events over the last few weeks. Whether they were serious or just drinking on Zoom, it helps break the monotony of the situation.

Feel free to contact me directly and I will do my best to help you out!

Nagel Sullivan

(301) 904-1526

ONR Global-Sponsored Technology Challenge Kicked off 23 April

Posted: 4/24/2020

Calling all global science & technology professionals!

ONR Global-X Challenge seeks to award grants of up to $750,000 to address the following three capability challenge statements: 1. Tailored Material and Manufacturing; 2. Multifunctional Maritime Films for Persistent and Survivable Platforms and Warfighters; and 3. Object Detection and Identification in any Medium. This Global-X Challenge provides an opportunity for international researchers to collaborate, generate revolutionary ideas, and demonstrate how these ideas will succeed.

I did not get this posted in time for yesterday’s kick off webinar, which was hosted by our own Matt Farr (XO, ONR Global) – but this is all just getting started. Details for the Global-X Challenge, including key upcoming dates, can be found in the Special Notice, posted on the ONR website and also at the grants.gov website (Grant N00014-20-S-SN14). You can also contact Matt directly to learn more (email: mattfarr96@7ahoo.com) – or find him via Facebook or LinkedIn.

Navy-Notre Dame Football Game Still Go For Launch… So Far

For those who have been planning (or contemplating) a trip across the pond for the Navy-Notre Dame football game, here’s the latest outlook from the AD. For reference, the game is scheduled to be held in Dublin on 29 August.

https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy/ac-cs-navy-notre-dame-dublin-0423-20200422-yvtcrvv6pjbrfpm6yqomcu5pgu-story.html

In the News: Brian Facquet Featured on CBS

Posted: 12/30/2019

New York’s local CBS news network recently aired a segment with Brian Facquet about crafting cocktails for the holiday season. BZ, Brian! You can check out the story and video here.

In the News: CAPT Lisa Sullivan Urges Industry Towards LVC

Posted: 12/17/2019

CAPT Lisa Sullivan, Program Manager of PMA-205, was recently interviewed for an article about revamping the Navy’s training-related technology infrastructure, specifically with an eye towards LVC (Live, Virtual, and Constructive). BZ Lisa! See the full article, published 06 Dec 2019 in National Defense magazine.

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25th Reunion

weeks

-17

-9

days

-3

hours

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minutes

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-1

seconds

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-9

BEAT ARMY!!!