NStar Articles

Commissioning Week is coming! After four long years of proving themselves again and again, the midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2024 are ready to take the Oath of Office and start their journeys in the U.S. Navy Fleet and U.S. Marine Corps. While we’re busy preparing for the week-long celebration, it’s a good time to look ahead for commissioning gifts. Just make sure to order soon so they get here in time for your favorite midshipmen. We have the Navy gear and Navy apparel they want—items that commemorate their time here and serve as important reminders in the future, as their stories continue.

The Naval Academy is fortunate to have a devoted group of faculty and staff members who enrich its work every day, and many of them have been here for decades. In this article, we’ll explore the inspiring career path of Monte Maxwell, USNA orchestra director, director of chapel music, and chapel organist at the Naval Academy, who is well known and beloved for his mastery of the organ and has been at USNA for almost 30 years. We recently sat down with Maxwell to hear his fascinating story.

It’s almost here: Commissioning Week 2024. This week of highlights culminates with the long-awaited day when the Class of 2024 caps off four incredibly hard and rewarding years at the U.S. Naval Academy with their graduation. They will be commissioned into their first roles as an officer—either as an ensign in the U.S. Navy or as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. We are swelling with pride just thinking about their achievements.