The Blue Angels are a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. Formed in 1946, the unit is the second oldest formal aerobatic team in the world, after the French Patrouille de France formed in 1931. The team, composed of six Navy and one Marine Corps demonstration pilot, fly Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets.
USS Mustin (DDG-89) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named in honor of the Mustin family who has devoted over a century of US Naval service. This ship is the 39th destroyer of her class. Mustin was the 18th ship of this class to be built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and construction began on 15 January 2001. She was launched on 12 December 2001 and was christened on 15 December 2001. On 26 July 2003, a twilight commissioning ceremony was held at the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California.
USS Lexington (CV/CVA/CVS/CVT/AVT-16) is an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during World War II for the United States Navy. Originally intended to be named Cabot, the new aircraft carrier was renamed while under construction to commemorate the recently-lost USS Lexington (CV-2), becoming the sixth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name in honor of the Battle of Lexington.
USS Forrestal (CVA-59), was a supercarrier named after the first United States Secretary of Defense James Forrestal. Commissioned in 1955, she was the United States' first completed supercarrier, and was the lead ship of her class. The other carriers of her class were USS Saratoga, USS Ranger and USS Independence. She surpassed the World War II Japanese carrier Shinano as the largest carrier yet built, and was the first designed to support jet aircraft.
Michael López-Alegría is an astronaut, test pilot and commercial astronaut with dual nationality, American and Spanish; a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and one International Space Station mission. He is known for having performed ten spacewalks so far in his career, presently holding the second longest all-time EVA duration record and having the fifth-longest spaceflight of any American at the length of 215 days; this time was spent on board the ISS from September 18, 2006, to April 21, 2007. López-Alegría commanded Axiom-1, the first ever all-private team of commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station, which launched on April 8, 2022, and spent around 17 days in earth's orbit.
The Gold Lifesaving Medal and Silver Lifesaving Medal are U.S. decorations issued by the United States Coast Guard. The awards were established by Act of Congress, 20 June 1874; later authorized by 14 U.S.C. § 500. These decorations are two of the oldest medals in the United States and were originally established at the Department of Treasury as Lifesaving Medals First and Second Class. The Department of the Treasury initially gave the award, but today the United States Coast Guard awards it through the Department of Homeland Security. They are not classified as military decorations, and may be awarded to any person.
Clyde Everett Lassen, a native of Fort Myers, Florida, was a Commander in the United States Navy and a Naval Aviator. He initially served over four years as an enlisted sailor, enlisting in September 1961 and eventually achieving the rate of Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class (AT3) prior to being selected as a Naval Aviation Cadet (NAVCAD). Upon completion of flight training as a NAVCAD, he received his wings as a Naval Aviator and his commission as an officer in the rank of Ensign.
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola, "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits. It is best known as the initial primary training base for all U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard officers pursuing designation as naval aviators and naval flight officers, the advanced training base for most naval flight officers, and as the home base for the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the precision-flying team known as the Blue Angels.
Naval Air Station Meridian or NAS Meridian is a military airport located 11 miles northeast of Meridian, Mississippi in Lauderdale County and Kemper County, and is one of the Navy's two jet strike pilot training facilities.
The modern United States Navy Baseball Club was founded by retired U.S. Navy Commander Terry Allvord in Pensacola, Florida in 1990 before moving to San Diego for the 1993 season. This program is the leader in armed forces baseball in the modern era. Allvord went on to establish over 40 single-service armed forces teams in every branch of the military around the globe. Tryouts are held every year to form the most talented military and first responders team to compete as the U.S. Military All-Stars during the annual "Red, White and Blue Tour" The team features active duty, reserve, veterans, Delayed Entry Program and first responders. The continuation of two wars has limited the availability of armed forces players. As a result, beginning in 2010, the team will be known as the "Heroes of the Diamond" allowing a limited number of former MLB, current professional, summer collegiate and first responders the opportunity to join the tour. Players interested in the military and willing to support the mission will continue to pay their own expenses while off-duty to compete against the finest professional, independent and summer collegiate programs in the world.
Jesse LeRoy Brown was a United States Navy officer. He was the first African-American aviator to complete the United States Navy's basic flight training program, the first African-American naval officer killed in the Korean War, and a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Thomas Jerome Hudner Jr. was a United States Navy officer and naval aviator. He rose to the rank of captain, and received the Medal of Honor for his actions in trying to save the life of his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War.
Marcus Luttrell is a retired United States Navy SEAL who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in June 2005 against Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wings in which he was the lone survivor. Luttrell became an SO1 by the end of his eight-year career in the United States Navy.
Michael Patrick Murphy was a United States Navy SEAL officer who was awarded the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first member of the United States Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War. His other posthumous awards include the Silver Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Floyd Huston "Skipper" Matthews was, at age 105, an American veteran of the United States Navy, in which he served for thirty years. Matthews was the oldest living United States military veteran in Alabama as well as the oldest living submariner at the time of his death at the age of 105. He was also one of the oldest surviving World War II veterans and one of the few surviving World War I era veterans, according to the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.
Frederick T. Moore Jr. was a United States Navy captain. During World War II, he was executive officer of Fighter Squadron 1 operating off the carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) and commanding officer of the Air Group 35 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Chenango in the Pacific. During the Korean War, he was the commanding officer of naval air training at NAS Pensacola and the air officer on USS Coral Sea. His first sea command was aboard USS Suribachi. In 1962–1963, Moore was the eighth commanding officer of USS Saratoga. Late in his career during the Vietnam War, he was Chief of Staff of the Naval Air Training Command at Naval Air Station Pensacola from October 1965 to July 1969.
Jesse Junior Taylor was a United States Navy naval aviator, Lieutenant Commander during the Vietnam War. He also served as an enlisted man during World War II. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for actions 17 November 1965 over North Vietnam. He was the namesake of USS Taylor.
Charles Perry Mason was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice admiral. An early naval aviator, he distinguished himself as Commanding officer of aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8), which was sunk during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in late October 1942. Mason was subsequently promoted to Rear admiral and served successively as Commander, Aircraft, Solomons and Chief of the Naval Air Intermediate Training Command at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
Tammie Jo Shults is an American retired commercial airline captain, author, and former naval aviator. She was one of the first female fighter pilots to serve in the United States Navy. Following active duty she became a pilot for Southwest Airlines. She retired from Southwest Airlines in 2020.
On the morning of December 6, 2019, a terrorist attack occurred at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida. The assailant killed three men and injured eight others. The shooter was killed by Escambia County sheriff deputies after they arrived at the scene. He was identified as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, an Air Force aviation student from Saudi Arabia.
