"The U.S. Navy does not have 'pilots', May-yo-naise! The U.S. Navy has 'A-vee-a-tors'!!!"
Posted on 10/20/2006 1:39:44 PM PDT by ArtyFO
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 12:57 PM Subject: New Commandant of Midshipmen This email is being sent to all USNA Alumni & Foundation Leadership for further dissemination.
The Naval Academy has asked that we pass the following to you: ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt has selected Naval Flight Officer and academy graduate, Capt. Margaret D. Klein to serve as the 82nd Commandant of Midshipmen.
Klein, 49, a native of Weymouth , Mass. will relieve current Commandant of Midshipmen Capt. Bruce E. Grooms in December. Capt. Grooms has been selected for promotion to Rear Admiral and assignment as deputy director, Submarine Warfare Division, N87B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C..
Klein, a 1981 graduate of the Naval Academy is currently serving as Chief of Staff to Commander, Carrier Strike Group Eight, embarked in the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Strike Group. She was designated a Naval Flight Officer in 1983 and served three operational tours in Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Three (the “Ironmen”) flying in the EC-130Q and the E-6A “TACAMO” aircraft. Klein had command of the Ironmen in her final tour, during which the squadron won the Battle E and Maintenance Excellence Award.
Klein’s extensive operational experience includes service on the USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group Staff during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her major command was Wing Commander of Joint Service Task Force 124 and Strategic Communications Wing One in Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma .
Klein previously served in the Presidential Contingency Plans Directorate of the White House Military Office, as a Brookings Legislative Fellow in 1997 and on the staff of Senator Olympia Snowe, briefing defense issues. She holds a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine .
Vice Adm. Rempt selected Capt. Klein from a group of distinguished and highly qualified candidates. “Capt. Klein is superbly qualified to lead the Brigade of Midshipmen and brings a substantial amount of operational, academic and leadership experience to the position,” said Rempt. “Capt. Grooms has done a magnificent job as Commandant, and has contributed significantly to the moral, mental and physical development of the next generation of naval officers. We are thankful for his superb leadership while he has been at the Academy.”
The Commandant of Midshipmen is responsible for training, discipline and character development of the Academy’s 4,200 midshipmen into combat leaders of character for the Navy and Marine Corps.
END OF USNA MESSAGE
She FLEW A PLANE off a FRIGGIN CARRIER. I SINCERELY DOUBT the likes of you would qualify - few people do. I think it's safe to say she's got bigger b***s than her critics on this forum.
This is sick - people attacking a member of the military, a Naval Pilot at that.
The Navy doesn't win wars by arm-wrestling their opponents. Academic and professional standards are the same and that is what will make or break the officer. Now, if the Navy ever decides to lower it's standards and put brawn ahead of brain then they'll know just where to find you, won't they?
Man, you are a disgrace.
The response from Rear Admiral William Smedberg USN Retired is:
USNA_CA@yahoogroups.com
From: WSmedberg@xxx.com Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 15:56:48 EDT
Subject: Re: [USNA_CA] FW: New Commandant of Midshipmen
Wonder how long it will be before thie feminists dictate we all must wear pink panties!
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"The U.S. Navy does not have 'pilots', May-yo-naise! The U.S. Navy has 'A-vee-a-tors'!!!"
Congratulations also to Capt. Bruce E. Grooms on your well-deserved promotion to Rear Admiral L.H.
.
Go find somewhere else to be a flaming a-hole.
She was never a pilot or aviator, but an NFO, naval flight officer, maybe a navigator. It is very unusual that an NFO was given the command of a squadron, she had a lot of political or PC pull. The real reason she was put there was because of the screwups that Rempt had with the rape court martial of a male midshipman that was practically thrown out of court and some other command influence problems he had with another case. It's very unusual that Smedberg, a former Superindendent of the Naval Academy voiced such a response to the Klein appointment. Something stinks here, and a lot of alumni (including me) are yelling to high heaven on the USNA boards. You'll hear a lot more of this untill Rempt is moved out to his billet.
I guess the term "Maggy's Drawers" is out of question now on the Naval Academy rifle range.
She's qualified. You can bet on it.
Bingo. We have a winner. If she were unqualified, academically, she'd be in another branch...You know, the ones the Navy hauls around. :D
Kudos to this fine officer, with fine credentials on a job well deserved.
To the knee jerk "P.C." whiners....Woman or not, she could probably still take you. ;)
If she cans a female midshipman for drunkedness or for sexual promisquity then I'll believe it. Up till now only the males have gotten canned and the females get off with a few demerits. If a midshipman gets canned in the junior or senior year, they have to give back the government 60 to 90 thousand dollars. Up untill now only males have had to do this.
Where the hell have you been? It's not at all uncommon for an NFO to command a squadron, and hasn't been for 20-odd years.
It has a long and storied tradition, but it used to be even more confusing. Used to be that all Rear Admirals wore two stars, though Lower Half's were paid as O-7s. Then Navy apparently went insane for about 5 years back in the 80's and started calling O-7s "Commodore Admiral". Then they went back to the 'Upper Half' and 'Lower Half' but at least had the good sense to make RDMLs a one star.
"If she cans a female midshipman for drunkenness or for sexual promiscuity then I'll believe it."
Wow! Is that really your criteria for academic and military achievement? Who bangs who and who gets demerits for drunkenness?
I have no doubt that this lady is superior in every measure you could imagine. And probably has no demerits for drunkenness or has never “banged” for this position. And if you and all the other clowns claiming PC, where in the same room with her, you would easily know your own stupidity.
I have nothing against her, only the Navy higher ups who thought she was fit for the job. Obviously, the Navy had enough sense to name her as a NFO instead of a Navial Aviator. She couldn't hack it as a pilot. There have been two sets of standards in the Navy for the last few years, One for women and one for men. The men have been doing the heavy lifting and have been suffering the PC BS resulting in less promotions and the consequences of failure while the women have had no consequences for failure. Look at her political background, aid to Olympia Snowe?, Brookings Institute Legislative Aid in Clinton White House? What is going to inspire our young Naval and Marine officers in future wars? Her political skillset?
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