Old Goat

Last updated
The Old Goat decanter in the possession of Admiral Mark Ferguson, Class of 1978. Old Goat Award.jpg
The Old Goat decanter in the possession of Admiral Mark Ferguson, Class of 1978.
Admiral Harry Harris accepts the Old Goat decanter from retired Admiral Cecil Haney in April 2017. Old Goat Award Presentation (2017).jpg
Admiral Harry Harris accepts the Old Goat decanter from retired Admiral Cecil Haney in April 2017.

In United States Naval Academy terminology, the Old Goat is the longest-serving Naval Academy graduate on active duty. [1] [2] Since 2014, the designation has been accompanied by an award created by a previous Old Goat, Rear Admiral Alton L. Stocks. The award - a crystal decanter engraved with the initials and class years of previous holders - is passed to a new Old Goat upon the current holder's retirement. [3] [4] There have been nine Old Goats so awarded, each after more than 35 years' service to the U.S. Navy.

Contents

Award Recipients

PhotoRecipientClassAwarded titleRelinquished titleLast positionRef.
Alton L. Stocks.jpg
Rear Admiral
Alton L. Stocks
1972Unknown8 March 2014Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery [3]
Michael H. Miller official photo.jpg
Vice Admiral
Michael H. Miller
19748 March 20141 August 2015 Superintendent, United States Naval Academy [1]
Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert (CNO).jpg
Admiral
Jonathan W. Greenert
19751 August 201518 September 2015 Chief of Naval Operations [4]
ADM Ferguson 2016.jpg
Admiral
Mark E. Ferguson III
197818 September 20151 July 2016Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe &
U.S. Naval Forces Africa
[4]
Admiral Cecil D. Haney STRATCOM.jpg
Admiral
Cecil D. Haney
19781 July 201617 January 2017Commander, U.S. Strategic Command [5]
Harris Jr PACOM 2015.jpg
Admiral
Harry B. Harris Jr.
197817 January 201711 April 2018Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
Adm. Kurt W. Tidd 2016.jpg
Admiral
Kurt W. Tidd
197811 April 20188 October 2018Commander, U.S. Southern Command [6]
Adm. William K. Lescher.jpg
Admiral
William K. Lescher
19808 October 201830 August 2022 Vice Chief of Naval Operations [7]
ADM James Caldwell 2015.jpg
Admiral
James F. Caldwell Jr.
198130 August 202210 January 2024Director, Naval Reactors [8]
ADM John C. Aquilino (USINDOPACOM).jpg
Admiral
John C. Aquilino
19849 January 202426 June 2024Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command [9]
Munsch Official Portrait, 2022.jpg
Admiral
Stuart B. Munsch
198526 June 2024IncumbentCommander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa [10]

The current Old Goat is Admiral Stuart B. Munsch (USNA '85), who has served as Commander, United States Naval Forces Europe and Africa since 2022. He received the title and accompanying award from Admiral John C. Aquilino, the outgoing commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command on 26 June 2024. [10]

Class of 1978

The Naval Academy's Class of 1978 was just the fourth USNA class to produce four full (four-star) admirals; each was recognized as the Old Goat. [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Naval Academy</span> U.S. Navy federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland

The United States Naval Academy is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the second oldest of the five U.S. service academies and it educates midshipmen for service in the officer corps of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. It is part of the Naval University System. The 338-acre (137 ha) campus is located on the former grounds of Fort Severn at the confluence of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay in Anne Arundel County, 33 miles (53 km) east of Washington, D.C., and 26 miles (42 km) southeast of Baltimore. The entire campus, known colloquially as the Yard, is a National Historic Landmark and home to many historic sites, buildings, and monuments. It replaced Philadelphia Naval Asylum in Philadelphia that had served as the first United States Naval Academy from 1838 to 1845 when the Naval Academy formed in Annapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Academy Preparatory School</span> Preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy

The Naval Academy Preparatory School or NAPS is the preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy (USNA). NAPS is located on Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. The mission of the Naval Academy Preparatory School is "To enhance Midshipman Candidates' moral, mental, and physical foundations to prepare them for success at the United States Naval Academy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry B. Harris Jr.</span> Japanese-American military officer & diplomat (born 1956)

Harry Binkley Harris Jr. is a retired Japanese-born American diplomat and retired U.S. Navy officer. He was the first American of Japanese descent to lead US Pacific Command and was the highest-ranking American of Japanese descent in U.S. Navy history during his time as commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James G. Stavridis</span> US Navy admiral (born 1955)

James George Stavridis is a retired United States Navy admiral and vice chair, global affairs, and a managing director-partner of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, and chair of the board of trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation. Stavridis serves as the chief international diplomacy and national security analyst for NBC News in New York. He is also chair emeritus of the board of directors of the United States Naval Institute and a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt W. Tidd</span>

Kurt Walter Tidd is a retired United States Navy admiral. He last served as the Commander, United States Southern Command. Prior to that assignment, Tidd served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as the Director for Operations, Joint Staff (J-3) from 2012 to 2013, and as Commander, United States Naval Forces Southern Command and United States Fourth Fleet from August 5, 2011, to June 22, 2012. Confirmed by the Senate on December 16, 2015, Tidd received his fourth star and succeeded John F. Kelly as commander of United States Southern Command on January 14, 2016. Tidd held the title of "Old salt", which means he received his qualification for Surface Warfare before any other active-duty navy officer. He passed said title to Admiral Philip S. Davidson upon his retirement. Upon the May 30, 2018, retirement of his United States Naval Academy classmate, Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., Tidd also gained the honorific of "Old Goat" – the longest-serving Naval Academy graduate on active duty. Harris presented Tidd with the Old Goat decanter in a ceremony on April 11, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy</span>

The superintendent of the United States Naval Academy is its commanding officer. The position is a statutory office, and is roughly equivalent to the chancellor or president of an American civilian university. The officer appointed is, by tradition, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. However, this is not an official requirement for the position. To date, all superintendents have been naval officers. No Marine Corps officer has yet served as superintendent.

Hispanic and Latino Admirals in the United States Navy can trace their tradition of naval military service to the Latino sailors, who have served in the Navy in every war and conflict since the American Revolution. Prior to the Civil War, the highest rank reached by a Latino-American in the Navy was commodore. Such was the case of Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy (1792–1862), a Sephardic Jew of Latin American descent and great grandson of Dr. Samuel Nunez, who served in the War of v. During the American Civil War, the government of the United States recognized that the rapid expanding Navy was in need of admirals therefore, Congress proceeded to authorize the appointment of nine officers the rank of rear admiral. On July 16, 1862, Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut became the first Hispanic-American to be appointed to the rank of rear admiral. Two years later (1864), Farragut became a vice admiral, and in 1866 the Navy's first full admiral. During World War I, Robert Lopez, the first Hispanic graduate of the United States Naval Academy, served with the rank of commodore in command of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and during World War II five Hispanics served with the ranks of rear admiral or above in either the European or Pacific Theaters of the war. As of April 2007, twenty-two Hispanic-Americans have reached the rank of admiral, and of this number thirteen were graduates of the USNA.

Hispanics in the United States Naval Academy account for the largest minority group in the institution. According to the academy, the Class of 2009 includes 271 (22.2%) minority midshipmen. Out of these 271 midshipmen, 115 are of Hispanic heritage. In 2004, of the total of 736 female midshipmen, 74 (10%) of them were of Hispanic descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry H. Mauz Jr.</span>

Henry Herrward Mauz Jr. is a retired United States Navy admiral and the former Commander in Chief, United States Atlantic Fleet from 1992 to 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce DeMars</span> American admiral (1935–2024)

Bruce DeMars was a United States Navy four star admiral who served as Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion from 1988 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter E. Carter Jr.</span> US Navy admiral and academic administrator (born 1959)

Walter Edward "Ted" Carter Jr. is an American academic administrator and retired United States Navy vice admiral. He has been serving as the 17th and current president of The Ohio State University since January 2024. Carter previously served as the 8th president of the University of Nebraska system from 2020 to 2023, the 62nd superintendent of the United States Naval Academy from 2014 to 2019, and the 54th president of the United States Naval War College from 2013 to 2014. He has a record number of flights with carrier-arrested landings for his role piloting fighter-bombers and other aircraft in operations in Bosnia, Kuwait, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James F. Caldwell Jr.</span> United States Navy admiral

James Franklin "Frank" Caldwell Jr. is a retired admiral in the United States Navy who last served as director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, a job once held by the program's creator, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. He previously served as Naval Inspector General.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott H. Swift</span> American Admiral

Scott Harbison Swift is a retired admiral in the United States Navy, serving as the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet from May 27, 2015 to May 17, 2018. He previously served as the director of Navy Staff in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John C. Aquilino</span> American naval aviator and admiral

John Christopher Aquilino is a retired United States Navy admiral who last served as the commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command from 2021 to 2024. He previously served as the commander of the United States Pacific Fleet and before that, commander of the United States Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher W. Grady</span> 12th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (born 1962)

Christopher Watson Grady is a United States Navy admiral who is currently serving as the 12th vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since December 20, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William K. Lescher</span>

William Kevin Lescher is a retired four-star admiral in the United States Navy who last served as the 41st Vice Chief of Naval Operations. He held this office from May 29, 2020, to September 2, 2022. Lescher was also the "Old Goat", the longest serving Naval Academy graduate on active duty, from 2018 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William W. Smith (admiral)</span> American Vice admiral

William Ward Smith was a decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral. A graduate of the Naval Academy and participant of several conflicts, he distinguished himself during World War II as Commander, Cruiser Task Force during the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway in May and June 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart B. Munsch</span> U.S. Navy admiral

Stuart Benjamin Munsch is a United States Navy admiral who serves as the commander of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples since June 27, 2022. He most recently served as the director for joint force development, J7, of the Joint Staff from 2020 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Paparo</span> U.S. Navy admiral

Samuel John Paparo Jr. is a United States Navy admiral who has served as the commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command since May 3, 2024. He most recently served as commander of the United States Pacific Fleet from 2021 to 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 Matthew Hay Brown (23 July 2014). "New superintendent says Naval Academy will meet evolving challenges". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  2. ""Old Goat" Decanter Passed on to Oldest Active Duty USNA Graduate". YouTube. USNA Alumni Association & Foundation. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 CAPT Dora Lockwood (31 March 2014). "Navy Medicine Flag Officer Retires After 41 Years of Service". U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 MC2 Nathan Wilkes (2 October 2015). "Adm. Ferguson Receives 'Old Goat' Award". U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved 31 March 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. "U.S. Strategic Command welcomes Hyten as new commander". U.S. Strategic Command. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  6. Garamone, Jim (11 April 2018). "Pacom's Harris Passes 'Old Goat' Award to Southcom's Tidd". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  7. Garamone, Jim (8 October 2018). "Passing the Decanter, the U.S. Naval Academy Way". U.S. Southern Command. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  8. "ADM William Lescher '80 passed the Old Goat Award to ADM Frank Caldwell '81 during an unofficial ceremony this month at the U.S. Naval War College". LinkedIn. United States Naval Academy. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  9. Naval Reactors [@USNavyNNPP] (January 9, 2024). "Besides being Director, @USNavyNNPP, Adm. Frank Caldwell has also been holding the Old Goat Award – as the longest serving @NavalAcademy graduate on active duty - passed today to Adm. John Aquilino, Commander, @INDOPACOM" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  10. 1 2 Hardgrove, Samuel (2024-06-28). "NAVEUR-NAVAF Commander becomes U.S. Navy's Old Goat". U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa. Washington, D. C.: U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Public Affairs. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  11. "Naval Academy Class of '78 Shines with Four 4-Stars". U.S. Naval Academy. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  12. "'78 Flag and General Officers". U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1978.[ dead link ]