President’s Message

President’s Message (D-30)
Joint NNOA/ANSO Symposium
29 July-2 August 2024
Norfolk, Va

Greetings Fellow Members and Supporters!

We are less than a month away from our second-ever Joint National Naval Officers Association (NNOA) & Association of Naval Services Officers (ANSO) Professional Development and Leadership Training Symposium. This partnership builds on our highly successful first joint event, held over a decade ago, and reinforces our longstanding relationship. We remain more relevant than ever to the success of our U.S. Sea Services, and we are honored to collaborate with like-minded organizations like ANSO. With the hard work and support of our members, partners, and sponsors, our efforts in the recruitment, retention, and career development of a more diverse and effective total force make a positive impact on unifying and strengthening our nation daily.

This year’s theme is “Advancing Leaders: Connected, Committed, and Ready to Fight for Our Future.” Our primary objectives are to educate, inspire, engage, and elevate current and future leaders by learning from our past to better prepare for success in the future. You will hear more about those four words (Educate, Inspire, Engage, and Elevate) in the upcoming weeks and during the Symposium. However, in the meantime, please focus on a few other action items that are important to the long-term health and wellness of our 52-year-old all-volunteer organization. First, please visit our website at www.NNOA.org to register for the Symposium, if you haven’t already done so. You can also use the same link to reserve a room at Norfolk Waterside Marriott. For your awareness, our blocked room reservations close on 8 July, so please act now if you require lodging. Second, be prepared to participate in our electoral process by nominating candidates for our Board of Directors and voting during the conference. Additional details and guidance are available via our website. Third, invite at least two non-NNOA members to attend our Symposium. We all know officers who will benefit from the coaching, mentoring, and networking that we provide across all communities, so please invite them so that they can learn more about who we are and what we do. Lastly, please be prepared to serve, or continue serving, in leadership positions at the national and chapter levels. We have accomplished a lot and there is a lot more to be done, so let’s keep pressing!

We are stronger together!

Cedric E. Pringle
RDML (Retired) USN
25th President

A Proclamation on National Black History Month, 2024

This National Black History Month, we celebrate the vast contributions of Black Americans to our country and recognize that Black history is American history and that Black culture, stories, and triumphs are at the core of who we are as a Nation.

The soul of America is what makes us unique among all nations.  We are the only country in the world founded on an idea.  It is the idea that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated with equal dignity throughout our lives.  While we still grapple today with the moral stain and vestiges of slavery — our country’s original sin — we have never walked away from the fight to fully realize the promise of America for all Americans.  Throughout our history, Black Americans have never given up on the promise of America.  Unbowed by the forces of hate and undaunted as they fought for centuries against slavery, segregation, and injustice, Black Americans have held a mirror up to our Nation, allowing our country to confront hard truths about who we are and pushing us to live up to our founding ideals.  They have helped redeem the soul of our Nation, ensuring the promises in our founding documents were not just words on a page but a lived reality for all people.  In the process, the vibrancy of Black history and culture has enriched every aspect of American life.

Honoring Veterans

Honoring Veterans

This Veterans Day, we honor all who have solemnly sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice!

On every day after, let us continue to strive towards a more perfect union as we fulfill the promises of the American Dream. May God continue to bless America!

Cedric E. Pringle
RDML USN (Retired)

248 years of Power, Presence and Protection

On 13 October 1775, the Continental Congress established what would become the United States Navy with a resolution, “that a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible dispatch, for a cruise of three months, and that the commander be instructed to cruise eastward, for intercepting such transports as may be laden with warlike stores and other supplies for our enemies, and for such other purposes as the Congress shall direct.”

Beginning with one sailing ship, to the present fleet of approximately 470 active and reserve fleet ships, our Navy continues to control the sea lanes and provide that deterrent and quick response force world-wide.  However, the real strength of our Navy remains the diverse group of highly intelligent and professional individuals who come together to make our Navy the most lethal it’s ever been.

The National Naval Officers Association proudly toasts our Sailors, past and present, who are the foundation upon which our nation has built and sustained the preeminent sea-faring force and secured our nation’s many victories in the pursuit of life, liberty and the American way.

Happy 248th Birthday, Shipmates!

51st Annual NNOA Symposium

51st Annual NNOA Symposium

Greetings Fellow Members and Supporters!

This week kicks off our annual Professional Development and Leadership Training Symposium recognizing our 51st year of making a difference. As we build on celebrating last year’s historic 50th anniversary, our National Naval Officers Association (NNOA) remains more relevant than ever to the success of our U.S. Sea Services. With the hard work and support of our members, partners, and sponsors, our efforts in the recruitment, retention, and career development of a more diverse and effective total force makes a positive impact on unifying and strengthening our nation daily.

This year’s theme is “NNOA: Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Through Mentorship and Professional Development.” Our main action items are to educate, inspire, engage, and elevate current and future leaders by learning from our past to better prepare for success in the future. Those four words (Educate, Inspire, Engage, and Elevate) will be used a lot this week and this year as we move forward. From an educational perspective, we join our nation in celebrating the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9981 (Desegregation of Armed Services) and the 50th anniversary of our All-Volunteer Force. Both are key documents for NNOA’s very existence and are crucial elements of helping all leaders understand the mandate for a diverse force that operates in an equitable and inclusive environment. Additionally, our highly successful Youth STEM Event series continues to educate middle and high school students on scholarship and service opportunities. Our program lights the path for many students to serve as future military, government, and business leaders, thus enhancing our nation’s pursuit of a more perfect union.

From an inspirational standpoint, NNOA’s creation in 1972 by midgrade and junior officers on the campus of the Naval Academy is a story worth sharing and can be found on our www.NNOA.org website. Since then, NNOA has grown into the premier mentoring and coaching affinity group across all Sea Services, and we have significant representation in the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Transportation, among others. There are literally hundreds of inspirational stories of NNOA members successfully making a difference at the national, organizational, and individual levels, so please be prepared to share your story this week, both in person and on social media.

With respect to engagement, NNOA has been unwavering. Our dedication to mentoring, coaching, and advocating for a stronger and more diverse officer corps in the Sea Services remains the same and it’s our collective responsibility to seek innovative ways to get better. This year, we expanded our monthly and quarterly mentoring sessions across virtual environments, which ranged from Junior to Senior Officer sessions across East Coast, West Coast, and Forward Deployed forces. We have also strengthened our collaboration with the Association of Naval Services Officers (ANSO), Sea Services Leadership Association (SSLA), and other like-minded organizations to synchronize our efforts going forward.

To elevate our activities to new levels of excellence, we have made significant progress in firmly establishing our NNOA Foundation. Doing so enhances our long-term fiscal stability while expanding commitments from our sponsors and supporters. As our partnerships expand, so do our impact and influence opportunities.

For those who are here attending the Symposium in person, thank you. I look forward to seeing you this week and ask that you take the time to meet and engage with at least five new people. Listen to their inspirational stories while sharing your own, and feel free to capture some of those moments on social media.

Thank you, as well, to our members and supporters who were not able to attend this year but continue to support our mission worldwide. The future success of NNOA rests on the shoulders of all of us.

Lastly, we can all benefit from applying the old proverb… “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together!”  NNOA has come a long way, and we have a long way to go. We are stronger together!

Cedric E. Pringle
RDML (Retired) USN
25th President