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Ombudsman Recognition Dinner 2022
Thank you to our supporters!
Help Our Cause
Your donation will enable us to continue our mission of supporting the Sea Services. Your generous donation will enhance the morale of active duty personnel and their familes.
Who We Support
United States Navy
United States Marine Corps
United States Coast Guard
“I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction:
“I served in the United States Navy."
President John F. Kennedy
United States Coast Guard
United States Marine Corps
United States Coast Guard
"Adaptability is a characteristic of the American fighting man that has enabled this country’s Armed Forces to emerge triumphant in every major war we have fought. Adaptability is synonymous with the operations of the United States Coast Guard."
Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
"Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have the problem."
President Ronald Reagan
USS DELAWARE (SSN 791) Commissioning Celebration in Wilmington, Delaware
Our Programs
United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps
United States Fleet Forces Command Sailor of the Year
United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps
Tophatter's Squadron is a USNSCC, for cadets ages 13 and up. With the help of our officers, instructors, and military units, young men and women learn basic naval customs and traditions, while also learning the value of patriotism, courage, self-reliance, teamwork, and accountability. Drills on Naval Station Norfolk.
Continuum Of Resource Education
United States Fleet Forces Command Sailor of the Year
United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps
CORE is a volunteer spouse-led network of seminars, workshops, and classes dedicated to enriching all sea service spouses and promoting the ever-changing military lifestyle.
United States Fleet Forces Command Sailor of the Year
United States Fleet Forces Command Sailor of the Year
United States Fleet Forces Command Sailor of the Year
Assist in celebrating the candidates from Surface Forces, Naval Air Forces, Submarine Forces, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command, Naval Information Forces, United States Fleet Forces DRA
who are being recognized as the Best of the Best by their Commands. They come to Norfolk for a week-long selection process culminating in the announcement of the Sea and Shore sailors.
The Jones Act: Vital to the Commonwealth, and the Nation The
The United States has experienced major supply chain bottlenecks during the past year, exacerbated by the high cost of fuel and likely to worsen thanks to commodity shortages and market turbulence created by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Although the American economy has certainly been shaken by these events, the Jones Act has been a safeguard against what otherwise could have been far worse outcomes in today’s environment. Virginia has been vital to America’s economy and security since before our nation’s founding, so it is especially fitting that the General Assembly recently recognized the vital importance of a strong American maritime industry by passing a bipartisan resolution introduced by Senator Lionell Spruill, Sr. and Delegate Cliff Hayes, Jr., expressing its “resolute support” for the Jones Act, the federal law requiring that vessels transporting cargo between two U.S. points be American-built, American-owned, and American-crewed. In Virginia and across the United States, the Jones Act’s economic contributions are tangible – the law supports over 19,000 jobs and over $4 billion in economic output in the Commonwealth alone and supports 650,000 jobs and $154 billion in economic output nationwide. And the Jones Act provides opportunities across our population, including for military veterans and recent high school graduates who want impactful careers that enable them to support their families while offering career advancement. The American maritime workforce has been reliable and resilient through it all. But what would have happened if, in the middle of all this uncertainty, we instead had foreign interests moving commerce on our domestic waters – foreign interests that, at any time, could decide to slow or cease their operations, including for political reasons? As the General Assembly noted, the Jones Act also plays an outsized role in our protecting our national and homeland security. As our Navy League colleague Admiral James Foggo has observed, the ability to resupply our forces plays a major role in success on the battlefield – attacking an adversary’s supply lines has proven consequential in conflicts throughout history. And stable supply chains are critical both to our military and our economic viability. Domestically, the Jones Act fleet moves cargo for our military, making these vessels essential to the readiness of our armed forces, and supports the Coast Guard’s homeland security mission by serving as a vigilant set of eyes and ears on our waterways. With respect to force projection abroad, the ocean-going segment of the fleet can be called upon to transport supplies to our military overseas, and the entire Jones Act fleet is a key contributor to the pool of well-trained mariners needed to support sealift operations during war or national emergency. The Jones Act also underpins American shipyards, and with them the skilled American workers that our military depends on for building Coast Guard cutters, Navy destroyers, and other vessels key to our defense needs. The importance of the Jones Act is not an abstraction. As the Financial Times recently explained, Australia’s supply chain is almost completely reliant on ships registered to other nations, a reality that has serious implications for that country’s security and economy. The situation has prompted a former chief of the Australian navy to observe that his nation’s near-total dependence on foreign nations for its maritime shipping means Australia has no control over its supply chain and is “…fast approaching a critical point.” This is an outcome we must avoid if we want to remain competitive with strategic competitors like China, which already provides massive amounts of government support to its commercial maritime industry as a matter of geopolitical strategy. With the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 47, the General Assembly has made Virginia’s voice heard on the Jones Act and has signaled the importance of our American maritime workforce to the future of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States.
The Navy League of the United States has contributed to the advocacy of the Sea Service for over 120 years. In Hampton Roads, we continue that tradition in what is arguably the largest footprint in the world. Our local organization takes great pride in educating our citizenry on the maritime defense and the community we serve.
Leadership
Board of Directors
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
CAPT Louis Schager, USN (RET)
PRESIDENT& CEO
Maryellen Baldwin
EXECUTIVE BOARD
FORCM James Monroe, USN (RET) -Immediate Past Chairman
Mr. Wayne Callis- VP, Development
FLTCM Jon Thompson, USN (RET) -Treasurer
CDR Mark E. Newcomb, JACG, USN (RET) - Judge Advocate
CAPT Christopher “Kit” Chope, USN (RET) - VP, Military Affairs
CAPT Robert N. Geis, USN (RET) - VP, At Large
Ms. Jordan Watkins-VP, Membership
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CDR Charles S. Arrants, USN (RET)
CAPT Douglas Beaver, USN (RET)
Col. Tom Campbell, USMC (RET)
CAPT Robert E. Clark, USN (RET)
CAPT Bill Crow, USN (RET)
CDR Joe Gelardi, USN (RET)
ADM William E. Gortney, USN (RET)
RADM Jack Kavanaugh, SC, USN (RET)
CAPT Brenda Kerr, USCG (RET)
CAPT Steve Laukaitis, USN (RET)
Mr. Robert McCashin
CMDCM Mike Nicosia, USN (RET)
CAPT Michael O’Hearn, USN (RET)
CAPT Len Remias, USN (RET)
CAPT S. Robert Roth, USN (RET)
CAPT Larry Tindal, USN (RET)
Mrs. Feba Thomas
Lou Schager
Chairman of the Board