NStar Articles

In December 2006, then-Captain Margaret “Peg” Klein became the first female commandant of the United States Naval Academy, overseeing the 4,400 young men and women preparing to be the nation’s next Navy and Marine Corps leaders. She was surprised by the appointment herself - as she told Inside Annapolis in 2007, “I never dreamed I’d be in this position. Just to be interviewed was an honor in itself, so to be selected was amazing.”

In the course of many USNA Notable Graduates’ careers, many have accomplished great things because they have been faced with insurmountable odds, adversity that could topple the hardiest of souls, and choices that have no upside, no matter how they’re considered. For USNA Notable Graduate Captain Thomas Jerome Hudner, Jr., his career was defined by making an impossible choice.

Each year, the U.S. Naval Academy graduates about 1,000 midshipmen. After four years of tireless dedication to the mental, physical and moral missions of the Academy, these intrepid young women and men are ready to take on the next level of responsibility and further their military careers with USNA service assignments in the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Marine Corps. This blog series explores the various career paths they can pursue in the U.S. Naval Fleet, including as surface warfare officers (SWOs), nuclear power—surface, naval aviation, submarine warfare, naval special warfare and with the U.S. Marine Corps, among others. Here, we’ll dive into the world of Navy submarines.