New Naval Academy class to be most diverse ever

Superintendent tells oversight board that officers must 'look like' enlisted ranks

By EARL KELLY, Staff Writer

Published 06/09/09

The Naval Academy Class of 2013, scheduled to report on July 1, will be the most diverse in the academy's 164-year history, academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler told the academy's civilian oversight board yesterday.

Of the 1,230 new midshipmen slated to enroll, 435, or 35 percent, will be minority members, Fowler told the Board of Visitors.

The Class of 2012 set the previous record, with minorities making up 28 percent of the class, he said.

Speaking during the quarterly board meeting held at the academy, Fowler said the officer corps must "look like" the enlisted sailors and Marines who...

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Most Qualified - 2009-06-11 09:02:19

We don't need diversity, we need the most qualified. If the leaders aren't the best , the troops will end up dead. If the F18 pilot is not the sharpest, the $40million dollar plane crashes.Adm Roughead needs to have the guts to just worry about getting the best and not worry about color.

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F. Jones - Bowie, MD - Karma: Bad

Question & Opinion - 2009-06-09 20:44:38

If minorities total 35 percent of the incoming class and (about) 10 percent are Blacks and (about) 14 percent are Hispanics, what are the other (about) 11 percent?

Concerning admission standards, they were lowered long ago. Formerly, USNA graduates out-performed NROTC graduates (and received regular commissions in the Navy), but, based on promotion and augmentation rates, that is no longer the case. Either the candidates are not as good now as they were in the past, or the Academy is not as effective as it used to be in developing Midshipmen to be Naval Officers. (Or possibly both factors are to blame.)

Because USNA graduates perform no better than NROTC graduates, my personal opinion is that we should close the Academy and rely on NROTC for our future Naval Officers. The cost of an NROTC grad is significantly lower than the cost of a Naval Academy grad.

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Andrew Van Sant - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

Clarification - 2009-06-09 16:29:52

"African-Americans make up about 6 percent of the 4,300-member Brigade of Midshipmen, while blacks......" Please make up your mind about what you want to call us; African-Americans or blacks. How come the Naval Academy has to be "lowering their standards" because the 'minority' enrollment is at an all time high? Why can't people just get over it. Change is here and it's just going to get better so let it go. Congratulations to my mirrored counterparts and kudos to the Hispanic population. It's unfortunate that instead of praying for and celebrating with these exceptional young people, those that are opposed will be waiting for them to fall. But I say be encouraged young people and "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36. You will make it through.

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L H. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral