Announcements
Please submit your announcement requests no later than 30 days prior to the event. Announcements from and about financial members of the NNOA are given priority.
Farewell CDR Smith, USN (Ret.)
It is with great sadness that I let our NNOA Family know of the passing of Commander Merle Smith, the first African American to graduate from the United States Coast Guard Academy. More will be shared and I know your prayers and thoughts are welcomed by his family.
It is with great sadness that I inform you that CDR Merle James Smith, USCG (retired), passed away on June 16th, 2021 in New London, CT. As many of you know, CDR Smith is the namesake of the Eclipse Legacy Coalitions “Merle J. Smith Eclipse Legacy Endowment,” which was established in 2017. Merle J. Smith was the second African American to receive an appointment to the Academy and the first to graduate in June of 1966. He was characterized as an excellent CGA Cadet, excelling with hard work in the classroom, in the barracks and on the football field. CDR Smith Served as the Commanding Officer of a Patrol Boat during the Vietnam War and achieved his Juris Doctor, becoming a licensed attorney in 1974, all before being assigned to the Coast Guard Academy law faculty in 1975. It was then that LT Smith’s impact at CGA would become legendary as a teacher, mentor and coach. He served as the Class Advisor for the class of 1977, as an assistant football coach under the great Otto Graham and was an inspirational example for many of the young cadets to follow. Including the class of 1978’s VADM Manson Brown, USCG (ret), who would tout “LT Smith modeled for us what we could become in the Coast Guard. As such, he added to our motivation to stay and do the hard work necessary to thrive at the Academy.”
There is so much more to learn and remember about CDR Merle J. Smith, and the Eclipse Legacy Coalition will provide more details as time goes. However, for a couple of great reads on CDR Smith’s legacy please read:
DoD Communication Playbook
The DoD Communications Playbook is a great summary of DOD’s perspectives and priorities. Recommended reading by all.
BUILDING TOUGHNESS & RESILIENCY THROUGH ADVERSITY – Webinar Event
Thanks and Bravo Zulu to the Terrific Tidewater Chapter of NNOA for putting this event together.
It is a rare and special chance to hear from two of the three officers who rose to the highest level of our Navy. You don’t want to miss it.
Saturday 12 June from noon to 1330 EDT.
Register by emailing:
LT Linda McMillan at ljmcmillan1212@gmail.com
CDR Desmond Walker at desmond.walker@outlook.com
Naval Postgraduate School Important Events
Shipmates!
Please don’t miss these important events coming from our Naval Postgraduate School. I believe that understanding the Future Force and Intelligent Autonomous Systems is essential for all members of the Sea Services. Details are below.
Admirals, Generals, and Senior Executives,
I am emailing to invite you to two virtual events co-sponsored by the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Executive Education and Naval Warfare Studies Institute. These events are specifically created for senior leaders and focus on a specific emerging technology with critical warfighting implications – Intelligent Autonomous Systems.
Intelligent Autonomous Systems, including robots and drones, will be an ever-increasing site on battlefields of the 21st century. If attacks like the one on Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities in 2020 served as a wake-up call regarding the potential strategic effects of IAS in a limited surprise attack, the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict demonstrated what these kinds of capabilities might look like integrated into military operations during a highly-kinetic conflict. Numerous reports state that Azerbaijani drones were “game-changing.” Whether ISR, long-range strike (including loitering munitions), electronic warfare, EOD, logistics, or force protection, the IAS revolution is not coming – it is here.
Considering the complexity and the potentially revolutionary impact Intelligent Autonomous Systems will have on all aspects of naval readiness and warfighting and considering your critical role in guiding our services as we integrate these technologies into our concepts and exploit them via capability development, NPS would like to support you by offering two related events on IAS:
1. 25 May 2021 from 1200-1300 PDT/1500-1600 EDT : A public lecture-style presentation by the Chief of Naval Research, RADM Lorin Selby, entitled “Re-Imagining the Future Force.” This event is a part of the Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture (SGL) Series. The event will feature a presentation by RADM Selby followed by extensive time for Q&A.
2. 1 Jun 2021 from 1000-1200 PDT/1300-1500 EDT : A panel discussion on IAS and the implications for the Navy and Marine Corps followed by Q&A. The panel consists of:
• Dr. Tim Grayson (moderator) – Director of DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office
• VADM(Ret) Luke McCollum – WalMart’s Vice President for Logistics Services
• Ms. Dorothy Englehardt – Director for Unmanned Systems, DASN Ships
• Dr. Karen Myers – Director of Stanford Research Institute’s AI Center
• Dr. Phil Root – Deputy Director of DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office
The combination of these two events – the CNR’s lecture and Q&A followed by the panel and Q&A on naval use cases, concepts, and capabilities related to Intelligent Autonomous Systems – is intended to provide you a solid foundation in this emerging technology and as well as insights on its impact to future naval warfighting. NPS and the Naval Warfare Studies Institute is excited to offer you this opportunity in support of your efforts to change our Navy and Marine Corps in ways that better adopt, adapt to, and integrate emerging technologies for combat advantage.
An RSVP is not required for event #1, the SGL – merely connect to the NPS live stream site (http://www.nps.edu/watchlive) at the time of the event.
An RSVP is not required for event #2, the panel discussion – please click on the MS Teams link provided below to connect a few minutes before the event.
Microsoft Teams meeting (IAS Panel)
Click here to join the meeting
Thank you in advance for your attendance and participation.
Very respectfully,
Winli
__________________________
Ms Winli McAnally
Director
Center for Executive Education
Naval Postgraduate School
wmcanall@nps.edu
mcanallyw@nps.navy.smil.mil
http://my.nps.edu/web/cee
CAPT Timika Lindsay Retirement Ceremony
Vice Admiral Sean S. Buck
Superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy
Requests the pleasure of your company at a
Virtual Retirement Ceremony in honor of
Captain Timika B. Lindsay, United States Navy
Tuesday, the Eighteenth of May
Two thousand and twenty-one
eleven o’ clock in the morning (EDT)
To view, please connect via YouTube ten minutes prior to the start of the event at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ2uWeQ84KZjQKlJlDU9tLQ
Captain Lindsay would also like you to sign her Kudoboard at https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/BmLn88V6
(512) 914-7972
Congratulations to BGen (Sel) Anthony Henderson
Congratulations to BGen (Sel) Anthony Henderson on his upcoming command of 2d MEB. May success follow your flag from all of us in NNOA. Also wishing the very best to Col David Everly as he relinquishes command. Well Done Sir.
If you would like to view the ceremony, go to Facebook Live Stream for II MEF or https://www.dvidshub.net/
v/r, Sinclair Harris President NNOA
Former Kent County Commissioner William Pickrum Dies At 73
CDR Pickrum was an early NNOA member and supporter. He was the first USCG Academy grad to earn the “Navy Wings of Gold” and played a major roll in mentoring other aviators in and out of uniform. CDR Pikrum was one of the key supporters in bringing the Coast Guard to the table for NNOA.
Farewell LT Arlene MaGee, USN (Retired)
Arlene Turner-Magee attended Southern University A&M College while on NROTC Scholarship. She was commissioned in the US Navy in May 1985. She was stationed in San Diego (Coronado), CA then New Orleans, LA. She was retired on active duty in 1991 after a tragic car accident that left her a paralyzed. She leaves behind three children, her father, a sister and a brother.
A Celebration Service honoring the Life and Spirit of Arlene MaGee, USN (Retired) LT/0-3 at US Navy of Atlanta, Georgia formerly of Pensacola, Florida was held Saturday, April 10, 2021, 2:00 p. m. at New Life Tabernacle Church of God In Christ, 715 Cleveland Avenue, SE Atlanta, Georgia; Bishop J. E. Hogan, officiating. Interment, Georgia National Cemetery. Remains will lie in repose from 12:00 noon until the hour of service. Survivors are three children, Brandon Bolden, Ashley Bolden and Elisha MaGee; parents, Archie (Beverly) Turner, Sr.; sister, Cynthia (Lorenzo) Robinson; brother, Archie Turner, Jr.; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Family and friends are asked to assemble at the church at 1:30p.m.
ZOOM: The Forgotten Kingdoms and Empires of Africa
Topic: Forgotten Kingdoms and Empires of Africa
Time: Mar 27, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Meeting ID: 920 3928 8436
Passcode: 968481
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Meeting ID: 920 3928 8436
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Honoring the life of Dr. Willie Patrick Blair – Past President of San Diego NNOA Chapter
Click to View Celebration (recorded March 20, 2021 via zoom)
Celebration of a community Giant honoring the life of Dr. Willie Patrick Blair, an early President of the San Diego NNOA Chapter.
Sunrise August 6, 1951 to February 25, 2021, 12p.m., PDT, Saturday
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