21 Jan Historic Change of Command of the USNA Superintendent!

Welcome aboard Vice Admiral Yvette Davids (USNA’ 89), who took over as the USNA Superintendent (the equivalent of a University President) from Vice Admiral (Select) Fred Kacher (USNA’ 90) last week. Admiral Kacher is off to the vanguard of our Forward Deployed Naval Forces and command of the U.S. Seventh Fleet in Japan! 

Fred is one of the Navy’s fightingest Western Pacific experienced Surface Warriors … maybe the finest! The Navy and Nation are lucky to have him return there. Fred described his five-month interim assignment as the Superintendent like being his ninth semester at USNA! 

VADM Davids is an exemplar of “Teamwork, Tone, Tenacity™” made apparent by sustained superior performance afloat, ashore, and around the world. It was great to see her husband here from San Diego as well, RADM Keith Davids (USNA’ 90). How’s that for a Navy power couple? She thanked many trailblazing female Surface Warfare Officers for inspiring her career.

It was also great to reconnect with one of those Trailblazing women and one of the finest officers I served with, RDML Cindy Thebaud, USN (Ret) USNA ’85. Cindy was one of the first women to command a Guided Missile Destroyer, USS DECATUR (DDG 73) from 2002-4. Reflecting on VADM Davids’ words, I realize my good fortune to serve with and learn from many of them, from the first Class of women Naval Academy (Class of’ 80), to the first female warship Commanding Officers, Squadron Commanders, Carrier Strike Group and Expeditionary Strike Group Commanders, Deep Sea Diver, Fleet Commander and Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

Oh … and since you know how fiercely proud USNA alumni are of their class and classmates, I was very happy to see that one of our own, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, presided over this change of command, with additional Class of ’83 representation, including: Ret. VADM’s Sean Buck, Dixon Smith, and Joseph Rixey, and fellow USNA Leadership Professor Dr. Barb Bell. Class Act!  

Ex Scientia Tridens! (From Knowledge, Seapower!) ⚓

– Rear Admiral Paul Becker, USN (Ret) is a motivational and national security keynote speaker. He is a leadership professor at the U.S. Naval Academy and the CEO of The Becker T3 Group. In 2016, The Naval Intelligence Community established “The Rear Admiral Becker ‘Teamwork, Tone, Tenacity™’ Award for Leadership” in his honor. To connect with Paul, visit his website: https://TheBeckerT3Group.com