Afghanistan right after 9/11. “I was very proud to have directly contributed to those combat operations and made a difference,” he said. Cryer came to JU from Key West. “One of the most positive experiences in my life was the four years I spent at JU,” said Cryer. “The school is intimate, and I developed friends who I stay close with to this day. I got the total spectrum of education. I had to take physics and calculus, and they were quite rigorous. It wasn’t a piece of cake.”
Strengthening Partnerships
Another flag officer and one of the highest naval intelligence officers currently serving in the U.S. Navy is Rear Adm. David J. “Jack” Dorsett, Director for Intelligence ( J2), Joint Staff. Dorsett, BS ’78, was born in North Carolina, raised in Virginia, and graduated from JU to begin his career as an exchange midshipman with the Royal Navy. After many tour duties, Dorsett’s subsequent operation assignments included sensitive, nationally tasked combat and special operations, and command of the Joint Intelligence Center, U.S. Central Command. Dorsett was the Director for Intelligence, U.S. Pacific Command, during the tsunami relief operations, and in the article, Tsunami! Information sharing in the wake of destruction, he wrote, “We must continue to strengthen partnerships across the national intelligence community with both allies and nongovernmental organizations” Dorsett is also a joint specialty officer, a specialist in joint and strategic intelligence, and a qualified surface warfare officer. He possesses significant experience in national security affairs (Europe, the Middle East) and in strategic planning. He graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval War College and Armed Forces Staff College, and was awarded a master’s degree from the Defense Intelligence College.
Keeping Connected
Capt. Matthew W. Tuohy arrived from Brooklyn in the fall of 1971 as a member of JU’s first NROTC class. After graduating as an ensign, Tuohy, BS ’75, became a naval flight officer, and after numerous assignments, was appointed commanding officer of the aircraft carrier, USS Kitty Hawk. Tuohy said the proudest moment of his career was actually “giving up” command of the Kitty Hawk. “After 18 months, I was very proud of the fact that the crew had done absolutely everything that was asked of us without any serious accidents or injuries. It was about finishing well…and it was very gratifying that I could participate with a group of people who were so professional,” he said. When Tuohy came to JU, the Viet Nam War was winding down and many universities were closing their NROTC units. He took a chance on JU – “it’s Florida, how bad can it be?” – and discovered after his first year that he’d made a wise decision. “Being in a liberal arts institution, I developed the skills to be successful. The personal attention by Ph.D. professors who know your progress – and whether you’re in class or not – helps you develop responsibility,” said Tuohy. Tuohy, a graduate of the College of Naval Command and Staff and the Armed Forces Staff College, holds three master’s degrees – from Salve Regina University, the Naval War College and Jacksonville University. Retired from active duty, Tuohy maintains his Navy connections through his job for Dynamics Research Corporation, and as vice president for the Navy League Jacksonville Council. He has close ties to JU, where he was director of Aviation for nearly three years, and currently serves on the JU Alumni Board of Governors. Tuohy was the fundraising chairman for the NROTC facility that opened in 2004, and said, “For every young American that raises a hand to enlist, we owe them good leaders. The best way to do that is to have a properly trained officer corps and in my mind the NROTC is as good as the Naval Academy – if not better.”
The Wave | Spring 2007 13