I have been called many things over the years. Some I considered a compliment, others were not-so-flattering, but one that has cut both ways is being labeled an optimist. Some find it refreshing to engage with someone who tends to see the glass as half-full and believes things will turn out all right. Others equate … Continue reading We came, we saw, we celebrated

One of the things I came to accept during our time with the Academy is that time simply does not stop. Sometimes it is to your advantage - like when your kid is going through Plebe summer. Other times, you wish things would slow down - like those final moments of their football season. But … Continue reading Basket leave, basket cases, and an empty nest: A travelog

I am on record congratulating VADM Buck and his team on making the best of a lousy situation for Commissioning Week. But there's still something that needs to be done - a collective celebration. Let's empty this bottle in style! So I'm putting this out there - the (un)official USNA Class of 2020 Celebration will … Continue reading Come join the (un)official USNA Class of 2020 Commissioning Week 2.0 celebration

As the families of the USNA Class of 2020 emerge from the fog of Commissioning Like No Other, a lesson I learned early on comes to the forefront - like the tides, the cycle at the Academy continues to roll on. So the Class of 2021 has taken up the mantle of leadership and we … Continue reading Class of 2024, Welcome to the USNA Family

And so, after a four year roller coaster that started with a jarring I Day experience, included everything from the thrill of Herndon to a sprint football championship to a string of panic-inducing crises, and ended with a pandemic that obliterated a week of celebrations four years in the making, it's over. He is no … Continue reading USNA 2020 Signing off: Goodbye, farewell, and amen