by khurst2@gmail.com | Feb 9, 2025 | Private
NNOA President’s
State of the Association Message
February 2025
Greetings Members!
As we celebrate Black History Month, the State of our Association is best characterized as resilient, agile, and evolving as our Nation faces unprecedented challenges. NNOA will meet our collective challenges with professionalism, intellect, and resolve as we continue our mission of supporting recruitment, retention, and readiness of a talented and effective officer corps in support of our All-Volunteer Sea Services. The main purposes of this message are: 1) to restate our goals, 2) to communicate guidance to active duty and federal civilian members, 3) to provide a call to action for our veterans; and 4) to present some near-term next steps.
- Our goals remain to grow our membership, to grow our partnerships, and to grow our influence and impact. The current challenges present unique conditions for us to maximize our pursuit of those goals while taking care of our Active-Duty and Veteran members. Additionally, we are refining our network of like-minded corporate and organizational partners as we finalize incorporating the NNOA Foundation. Doing so will increase our autonomy through financial independence while strengthening our ability to make a positive impact through scholarships, STEM Programs, and other activities. We are fortunate to have Retired Navy Captain Tony Swain leading this effort as the Foundation’s Executive Director.
- Guidance to active duty and federal civilian members.
- Comply with policies, rules, and lawful orders.
- Stay positive, professional, and vigilant. You are a warrior and part of the world’s finest All-Volunteer Force!
- Protect your career, your livelihood, and your integrity.
- Reduce or cease your NNOA duties and activities, if necessary.
- Do your main job with excellence.
- Take care of yourself and your team.
- Communicate concerns with your supervisor in a professional manner.
- Do not use government resources (e.g. time, phones, etc.) for NNOA business.
- Do not make impulsive decisions about your career or your livelihood.
- Seek advice from your NNOA network.
- Help and advise other NNOA members whenever possible.
- Invite other officers who could use our mentoring & coaching services to join.
- Seek counsel from our Veterans and Transition Assistance Team, as needed.
- Stay connected with others in your support networks.
- Continue to embrace our history and heritage.
- Call-to-action for our Veterans. We need everyone to do more! Our Association’s doors remain open for current and future members as we navigate our way through these challenging times. We need you to step up and volunteer for leadership positions at the Chapter and National levels to reduce the risk to our Active-Duty Members. Retired and Veteran leaders provide a measure of experience and continuity to our chapters that will help stabilize operations, maintain community outreach, execute scholarship programs, and grow membership while mentoring others, as needed. Please get more involved and/or bring others with you. Additionally, please join our monthly Veterans Roundup, our TAT Fireside Chats, and your Chapter meetings, as they occur.
- Ongoing Actions & Next Steps. I am honored to report that 2024 was a very successful year for NNOA. Our highlights included, but are not limited to, a successful Joint Symposium with ANSO that exceeded both capacity and expectations. We also worked with Congress to initiate House Resolution 8008 which proposed the Congressional Gold Medal for the Navy’s Golden Thirteen. Unfortunately, our priorities of 2025 have been adjusted as we pivot to meet other challenges. For example, we will not have a traditional symposium this year due to the absence of service support, nor do we expect to complete the Congressional Gold Medal approval process. However, we will keep pressing forward. Below are some near-term mandates that have occurred or will be implemented soon:
- Adjust our policies, procedures, and webpage so as not to place active-duty members and federal employees at risk (Completed)
- Establish a Communications Committee to expand our reach across all platforms (Completed)
- Establish a Strategic Planning Committee to develop COAs for BoD consideration (Initiated)
- Establish a President’s Forum to strengthen chapter operations and continuity (Completed)
- Establish a Membership Committee (Completed)
- Incorporate NNOA Foundation to increase autonomy through financial independence (Initiated)
- Review NNOA’s contractual agreement with the Hyatt Regency Crystal City to determine our options (Initiated)
We have accomplished a lot and there is a lot more to be done!
We will continue to focus on immediate actions to support our active-duty warriors and federal civilian members, while adjusting and managing other actions that are important to the long-term health and wellness of our 53-year-old all-volunteer organization.
Let’s keep the faith and keep pressing! We remain stronger together!
Cedric E. Pringle
RDML (Retired) USN
25th President
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7
by khurst2@gmail.com | Jan 12, 2025 | Chaplain
“…The Lord does not look at the things people look at.
People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
From 2019 to 2022, I was stationed in Norfolk, VA. My ship was at the end of a pier shared with three other ships. Many days, I walked the entire length of the pier, from the security checkpoint to the quarterdeck of my ship, in uniform, in broad daylight, with plenty of sailors around and not one single salute. It was as if I was wearing an invisibility cloak.
I watched as other officers were saluted and chiefs greeted. Some sailors looked me in the eyes and still did not salute. If I was greeted, it was often with, “Good morning, chief.” Why was the automatic assumption that I was a chief?
On another occasion, while walking past a group of enlisted sailors who failed to salute, the chief walking behind me saw this and tore these sailors a new one. I stood there looking at the genuine confusion on their faces, and I could tell they honestly had not realized I was an officer.
Maybe it’s because I look young. Yeah… that’s it.
I constantly wrestle with these moments:
- Is it worth the energy to correct one sailor when there are about 20 more I may have to correct?
- Will I be perceived as a power-tripping “you-know-what” if I say something?
- What should I do?
In speaking with some of my colleagues, I have learned that this experience is not unique to me and is all too common among women of color. The struggle remains the same.
Over Christmas break, I watched Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight, a movie about the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-Black and all-female battalion, in World War II. As I watched the movie and witnessed these women’s struggles, it resonated with me. These women faced discrimination not only because of their gender but also because of their race. Their struggles during a period in American history where minoritized people had far fewer rights are not unlike those of minoritized people today. The women of 6888 served during a time when that type of discriminatory behavior was permitted. That was the culture back then. Eighty years later, the culture is nearly identical despite the advances. People treat you how they see you if they see you.
We are a quarter of the way into the 21st century. The time for a culture shift is now. In 2025, it should not be an anomaly to see people of color serving in leadership positions up and down the chain of command. In 2025, we should be at the point where we respect the rank, regardless of who’s wearing it. This culture of picking and choosing who and when to respect must end. In 2025, we need to be at the point where minoritized people in leadership are not the exception but the norm.
by khurst2@gmail.com | Dec 24, 2024 | Chaplain
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3
This message was delivered by the prophet Isaiah during a time when the people of Israel desperately needed a message of hope amid hopelessness. They were living in Babylonian exile, their place of worship had been destroyed, and many of their people had been carried away into captivity.
In a nutshell, they were defeated, depleted, dejected, and rejected.
Just when they felt all hope was lost, the Lord finally gave the people a word of hope that let them know that this would be a momentary affliction. It will not always be this way. Better days are ahead. Isaiah told them that the Lord had not abandoned them and was mindful of their suffering.
This holiday season, no matter what is going on in your life, remember that there is always hope. The turnaround is coming. As you wait for the turn-around, remember others suffering and be to them what you wish someone would be to you. Who knows, perhaps the Spirit of the Lord is upon you to proclaim the good news and bind broken hearts.
In the words of Howard Thurman –
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman, The Work of Christmas, 1944
by khurst2@gmail.com | Nov 11, 2024 | Chaplain
“Then the Lord answered me and said:
‘Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.’”
(Habakkuk 2:2-3)
When the prophet Habakkuk wrote these profound words, he was experiencing a spiritual crisis. Questioning the goodness of God, Habakkuk observed his home in turmoil and felt a deep sense of hopelessness. He desperately needed a message of hope due to his experiences and the loss of faith he endured. In his despair, he cried out to God:
“O Lord, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’
And You will not save.
Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4)
God’s response to Habakkuk’s lament was unexpected:
“Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.” (Habakkuk 1:5)
When faced with discomfort and uncertainty, our instinct is often to seek immediate answers and relief. We are reluctant to endure the waiting period, preferring to jump straight to joy. However, this is not the way life unfolds. Sometimes, we must learn to wait and trust, believing that “this too shall pass.”
Life is marked by seasons, and in times of waiting, we are called to trust in the process. As God assured Habakkuk:
“Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.”
In our waiting, we find strength, patience, and renewed faith, trusting that the appointed time will come.
by khurst2@gmail.com | Oct 23, 2024 | Memoriam, News
Cards may be sent to Mrs. Callie Flowers, 389 Valle Vista, Vallejo, CA 94590
In lieu of flowers or any monetary donations, the family is asking that donations be made to the STEM Scholarship Award established in 2015 in honor of Captain (CAPT) Donald Flowers, United States Navy. Click here to Donate.
NNOA sadly announces mentor and member, Captain Don H. Flowers, a distinguished naval officer and beloved family man, passed away on Friday, October 18, 2024.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Captain Flowers embarked on his naval career in 1962, rising through the ranks from the lowest enlisted pay grade to the esteemed position of Captain. His more than thirty-eight years of dedicated service were marked by exemplary achievements and a profound commitment to his country.
Throughout his career, Captain Flowers served on numerous vessels, including the USS Constellation, USS Borie, USS Coral Sea, USS Wabash, USS Cape Cod, USS Norton Sound, USS Carl Vinson, USS Wasp, and Sustain AFDM-7. He also held key positions at various naval installations and training centers.
Captain Flowers’ legacy extends well beyond the military and includes serving at multiple NNOA Chapters at various levels including as Chapter President. He will certainly be missed. He was a devoted husband to Callie Parker Flowers and a loving father to their seven children: Barbara, Wallace, Maurice, Yolanda, Anna, Orion, and Donald.
About the Captain Donald Flowers STEM Scholarship
The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Scholarship Award was established in 2015 in honor of Captain (CAPT) Donald Flowers, United States Navy. CAPT Flowers held the pay grades of E1-E9, Wl-W4 and O1-O6.
A lifetime member of NNOA, he served on the Board of Directors. He was responsible for initiating a community youth program outreach during each Annual Symposium to encourage youth to consider military service. The program focus changed to STEM in 2015. The $500 scholarship is awarded to a deserving high school student who participates in the annual STEM program.
The STEM Committee sets the eligibility criteria for the award and presents it to the eligible student(s) at the closing of the STEM Program. The scholarship can be awarded as one scholarship or multiple scholarships; however, the overall amount awarded will not exceed $500.
For example, if two students are selected, each student will be awarded a $250 scholarship. If one student is selected, that student will be awarded a $500 scholarship.
