92/93 CLASS NEWS Honolulu and Manila, we went to the DCMA Northrop-Grumman St. Augustine facility. There, I did the acceptance flights for 21 brand new E-2Cs including birds for France and Taiwan. Despite the fun I was having, I chose to enter the civilian world in February 2001, but I stuck with the Reserves. After stints with KPMG Consulting, GE Aircraft Engines, DRS Technologies and Sanmina/SCI, I found my home with the Missile Defense Agency in Huntsville, Alabama where I work acquisitions for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Project Office. The Reserve gig has certainly kept me busy as well, supporting NAVAIR Reserve Program in setting up depots in CENTCOM, Tomodachi and Lean Six Sigma. I did get recalled during the surge and spent the first half of 2008 running Air Ops out of Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, where I ran into Jay George (then 3rd MAW’s Flight Surgeon). After 12 years with NAVAIR, I went to USFF unit and then to a NATO ACT unit which has given me the time of my life- 6 trips to Europe in the last 15 months including Norway, Latvia, Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium. Of course, Delta Platinum status makes it all worth it! Kristina and I have been blessed with 4 great kids- Josh (18) who is pursuing a commission and naval aviator slot (the rat has perfect vision!) through any program he can get, Moira (16) who is a STEM and Summer Seminar graduate and pursuing a spot in the Class of ’22, Meredith (14) singing her way through Huntsville City Schools choirs as Outstanding Choral Student, and Jeremiah (11) who is still trying to figure out where he’s at… For my classmates and company mates I’ve stayed in touch with, I can’t wait to see you guys again in October (if not sooner, right Amy Lyons, Taylor Thorson, Dave Kern?). For the rest of you, I’m just as ecstatic to see you guys again! Here’s to 25! [Picture is of me in snowfall at Al Asad, Iraq in January 2008.]” From Drew Wolff: M “I went immediately to grad school after graduation and got my MBA at University of Michigan
(Ross) where I met my wife Noelle Cooper. Then I went through nuke training and did my sea tour on the USS Pittsburgh. I got out in ’99 and spent the new 13 years in banking for Washington Mutual and Barclays in the UK. I’m now Treasurer for Starbucks, and we live on beautiful Bainbridge Island with our two sons aged 14 and 16. Dave Edgarton also works at Starbucks based in Montana and we got together recently. Enclosed are a couple of pictures. 1. Dedicating the Dock Street Starbucks in Annapolis as one of our 30 military family stores. In the picture is the Annapolis mayor and Billy Hurley ’04. 2. Someone thought it would be really funny to fly a Go Navy, Beat Army flag on the front of Starbucks headquarters. 3. Picture of the Wolff family. 4. We have several key veteran service organization partners at Starbucks and one of those is Team Rubicon. Pictured here with COO Art Delacruz ’91. 5. Picture of me going to school with Chair Yellen. I’m on the board of the Seattle Fed so props to the USNA Econ Dept for teaching me something. P.S. No one in our company has heard from Todd Mohrman in about 10 years. So, Todd, if you are reading Shipmate, give us a shout out.” From Taylor Thorson, M “Let me start with my standard Naval Academy Alumni Anonymous greeting: Hi, my name is Taylor and I was a Midshipman. Since I have never contributed to Shipmate before I guess I’ll try to catch you up. After graduation I was lucky enough to get F/A-18s, flying mostly in Japan and China Lake. Deanne and I got married in Thailand in 2004 and we are currently raising two beautiful girls. I retired in 2012 and continued to move the family around trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. We moved from California to Maryland in 2012, Maryland to Missouri in 2013, and Missouri to Virginia in 2015. Deanne and I figured that was enough moving for a while and I landed a great job as a NASA research pilot at Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. Caption: Just landed after a month in Greenland
118 SHIPMATE • SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017
(beard to keep me warm up there). Cameron (future class of 2029, “As long as there are no boats at USNA”) on the left and Parker (“I’m not going there, Daddy!”) on the right. Caption: Me, John Woods (’00), and Rick Yasky (’78) in Barrow, Alaska. That probably sets a record for most Boat Schoolers in the northernmost city in US at one time. It was always comforting to be surrounded by so many ’92ers throughout my career both in the Fleet and post-retirement. I’ve been lucky enough to make the 10 and 20 year reunion and several Navy games and always run into friendly faces. It’s been good to hang out with Olin Sell, Bob (Jimmy Lou) Lewis, Jim Michael, John Platek, Chris Camacho, and Dave Kern the past couple of years. Hopefully we can organize a mini-reunion at one of the upcoming Army Navy games. I keep myself busy by raising the kiddos, teaching myself how to repair a 15 year old home, and training for open water swims. Attached is a pic of our two man team and our boat skipper (Matt Finney ’93 on left) after we (Brian Kelly (USMC) in center) just finished 12.5 miles swimming around Key West. Maybe we can get Scott Kish, Olin, and some other 8/26 companymates for a team in the near future! If you are ever in the Yorktown area, don’t hesitate to look us up!” Next month, 26th Company Part II! Thanks, Doug
’93 Life Membership: 97% Donor Participation: 6.78% Pres: Maj Joe Moreno, USMCR 2865 Rancho Rio Chico, Carlsbad, CA 92009 p: 760-438-8250; e: joe@1993.usna.com Vice Pres: CDR Colleen Salonga, USN Corr Sec’y: Maj Shogo Cottrell, USMCR Treas: Efren Mojica SHIPMATE Correspondence: Maj Shogo Cottrell, USMCR 20902 W 117th St., Olathe, KS 66061 h: 913-782-8149; e: shogo@cottrell-family.com Website: http://www.usna93.com
We had a bit of a lull in submissions, but we won’t have a blank column in this issue.
I always love to hear first-time updates. After 24 years, I’m not sure how many more out there have never sent anything in, but I would be willing to bet that there are still quite a few classmates who haven’t sent in an update for Shipmate. If that’s you, please think about zapping a quick e-mail to let us know what you’ve been up to for the last almost quarter-century! Ok, back to our first time update. This month we hear from Cory Howes who recently took over command of NAPS! M I hope this e-mail finds you well! I’m guilty of 24 years of no news, but recently I finally did something I thought was worth telling about. After turning over command of Naval Support Activity Bahrain in June, I came back stateside with my family and reported to Newport where on 7 July I relieved CAPT Mike Doherty ‘92 as CO of the Naval Academy Preparatory School. Next week, NAPS officially kicks off our 2017-18 class year with 252 Navy Midshipman Candidates and 20 Coast Guard Cadet Candidates reporting. I am thrilled beyond words at the opportunity to be part of preparing the next generation of midshipmen and officers. While in Bahrain, I saw several classmates including Eric Conzen who was with CTF-51 and is now the Commodore of CTF-63, Ken Reilley who was CO of PONCE, and Leo Albea who is Deputy Commodore, CTF-55. After bumping into Chad Reed today, who was attending a pre-command class at the Naval Leadership and Ethics Center all week just two floors above my office suite, I realized it was high time I put a note in Shipmate to let folks know how to find me. So if any ‘93 are going to be through Newport during the next three years, hit me up at howes@ naps.edu and please stop by Perry Hall to say hello. Also, for the NAPS class of ‘89 - I will be here in command for your 30 year reunion. I hope you will let me help you organize a great event here in Newport to celebrate!