Thomas A. Cropper

Last updated
Thomas A. Cropper
RDML T. A. Cropper, USN.jpg
Rear Admiral Thomas A. Cropper, USN
Born (1959-06-20) June 20, 1959 (age 65)
Leonardtown, Maryland [1]
AllegianceFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Service / branch United States Navy
United States Maritime Service
Years of service1981–2012 (USN)
2012–present (USMS)
Rank Rear Admiral (USN)
Rear Admiral (USMS)
Commands Commander, Strike Force Training Pacific (2010–2012)
California State University, Maritime Academy (2012–2023)
Battles / wars Operation Desert Storm
Awards Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Alma mater Iowa State University (BA)
University of Tennessee (MA)
Catholic University of America (MA)
Naval War College (MA)

Thomas Albert Cropper [2] (born June 20, 1959 [3] ) is an American retired United States Navy rear admiral and academic administrator serving as president of the California State University Maritime Academy. Cropper was appointed on July 1, 2012 with the rank of honorary rear admiral in the U.S. Maritime Service. [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Born in Maryland, Cropper earned a Bachelor of Arts in engineering operations from Iowa State University in 1981. He also earned a Master of Arts in aviations systems from the University of Tennessee and Master of Arts in world politics from the Catholic University of America. He is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, earning a third Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies. [5] [6]

Operational assignments

Upon his graduation from Iowa State University, Cropper entered the navy as an ensign. During his thirty-one-year navy career, he served in a variety of command and staff positions. He was designated a naval aviator in 1982, followed by operational assignments with three aircraft carrier-based jet squadrons. He went on to serve as the commanding officer of an F/A-18 strikefighter squadron and as commander of the air wing aboard USS Nimitz. Cropper has embarked on eight extended deployments, on USS America (CV-66), USS Forrestal (CV-59), USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Eisenhower (CVN-69), and USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and flew nearly 5,000 hours in 43 different aircraft while logging over 1200 carrier arrested landings. [5]

The PBS television series Carrier was filmed while Cropper commanded the air wing aboard the USS Nimitz, and he appears in several episodes.

Ashore

Thomas Cropper attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, served as a military assistant in the Office of Secretary of Defense William Cohen, and as the Navy Federal Executive Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He also led "Strike University" at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, served as chief of staff, U.S. Third Fleet, and headed the Joint Chiefs of Staff Working Group chartered with the development of national level security strategy. [5]

Flag officer assignments

As a flag officer, Cropper served as Deputy Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, leading and managing over 24,000 people in combat operations as deputy commander, U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command. as well as Commander, Strike Force Training Pacific, where he directed education and at-sea training for navy ships and aviation squadrons deploying to the Western Pacific and the Middle East. [5]

Retirement

He retired from the navy at the rank of rear admiral - lower half in 2012 and soon after assumed the duties as the president of the California Maritime Academy (CMA) (which over his tenure, was renamed to California State University, Maritime Academy). He retired from the position on August 1, 2023. [7] At the end of his tenure CMA was bankrupt due to overspending and declining enrollment. In November 2024, the California State University Board of Trustees voted to integrate the university with California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, citing significant financial challenges and a 31% decline in enrollment over the past seven years at Cal Maritime. [8]

Military awards

Rear Admiral Cropper's personal decorations include:

Naval Aviator Badge.jpg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg
1 golden star.svg
1 golden star.svg
1 golden star.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
1 golden star.svg
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg
Air Medal ribbon.svg Award numeral 1.png
1 golden star.svg
1 golden star.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation ribbon.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Joint Meritorious Unit Award-3d.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg
Battle Effectiveness Award ribbon, 2nd award.svg
Navy Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Armed Forces Expedtionary Medal ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Iraq Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary ribbon.svg
Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Outstanding Volunteer Service ribbon.svg
Humanitarian Service ribbon.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon.svg NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg United States Navy Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon with expert device.svg United States Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon with expert device.svg
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge.png

Dates of rank

Maritime Service

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 9</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 9 is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. Commander Carrier Strike Group 9 is responsible for unit-level training, integrated training, and material readiness for the ships and aviation squadrons assigned to the group. The group reports to Commander, U.S. Third Fleet, which also supervises its pre-deployment training and certification that includes Composite Unit Training Exercises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forrest Sherman</span> United States Navy admiral

Forrest Percival Sherman was an admiral in the United States Navy and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations until Admiral Elmo Zumwalt in 1970. The Forrest Sherman-class destroyer and the airfield at Naval Air Station Pensacola were named for him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy J. Keating</span> US Navy admiral

Timothy John Keating is a retired United States Navy admiral. During his career, he served as commander of Carrier Group Five, the United States 5th Fleet, the United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and United States Pacific Command. He retired in 2009 after more than 38 years of service. He was the first navy officer to head Northern Command and NORAD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard C. Macke</span> United States admiral (1938–2022)

Richard Chester Macke was a naval aviator and a former rear admiral in the United States Navy. He last served as Commander of United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) from July 19, 1994, until January 31, 1996. After his navy career, Macke served as a vice president of Wheat International Communications Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John B. Nathman</span> United States Navy admiral

John B. Nathman is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command until 17 May 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William E. Gortney</span> United States Navy admiral

William Evans "Bill" Gortney is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the sixth commander of United States Northern Command and the 23rd commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). He previously served as the Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command from September 14, 2012 to December 2014 and Director of the Joint Staff from July 1, 2010 to August 2012. Prior to that, he served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet. He assumed his post as CDRUSNORTHCOM and commander of NORAD on December 5, 2014, and was succeeded by General Lori Robinson on May 13, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce W. Clingan</span>

Bruce Waid Clingan is a retired United States Navy admiral who last served as Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe, United States Naval Forces Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples from February 24, 2012 to July 22, 2014. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy and Commander, United States Sixth Fleet, as well as Commander, Joint Command Lisbon from August 2008 to November 2009. He retired from the Navy in the fall of 2014 after over 37 years of service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 10</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 10, is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. As of August 2022, CSG-10 consists of USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the strike group's current flagship, with Carrier Air Wing Seven embarked on board, as well as the Ticonderoga-class cruiserLeyte Gulf, and four ships of Destroyer Squadron 26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 11</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 11 is a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is the strike group's current flagship. Other units currently assigned to the group include the cruisers USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and USS Princeton (CG-59), and Destroyer Squadron 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group Ten 2004–09 operations</span>

Carrier Strike Group Ten was involved in a number of operations between 2004–2009. Carrier Strike Group Ten was a U.S. Navy carrier strike group. In 2004–09 it was based at Naval Station Norfolk. In those five years it made two Middle East providing air and naval support for the War in Iraq and the War in Afghanistan, as well as Operation Vigilant Resolve, and Joint Task Force Exercise 05-2 . In 2004–09 the group's flagship was the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrierUSS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse A. Wilson Jr.</span> United States rear admiral

Rear Admiral Jesse Alphonzo Wilson Jr. is a retired United States Navy officer. His last active duty assignment was as commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Kraft</span> Retired United States admiral

Terry B. Kraft is a retired rear admiral of the United States Navy, formerly commanding the U.S. Naval Forces Japan. He is a Naval Flight Officer whose previous commands include Electronic Attack Squadron 131 (VAQ-131), USS Shreveport (LPD-12), and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John N. Christenson</span>

John Nels Christenson is a retired vice admiral in the United States Navy who last served as the United States Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, in Brussels, Belgium. He was the 53rd President of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island from March 2011 to July 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 5</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The Strike Group Flagship is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) which also embarks Strike Warfare Commander, Carrier Air Wing Five and its nine squadrons. As of June 2015, CSG 5 includes two Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Destroyer Squadron Fifteen, which serves as the Sea Combat Commander and is responsible for nine assigned Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian E. Luther</span> US Navy admiral

Brian Eugene "Lex" Luther is a rear admiral in the United States Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert L. Leuschner Jr.</span>

Robert Lee Leuschner Jr. was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was Commander of the nuclear-powered carrier USS Enterprise from 1983 to 1986. A native of Texas, he was born in Waco, and later moved with his family to San Diego, California, where he graduated from high school. In 1953, he was admitted to Rice Institute in Houston, where he enrolled in the chemical engineering curriculum. He also joined the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), so that immediately after receiving his bachelor's degree, he was also commissioned as ensign in the U.S. Navy.

The California Maritime Academy Corps of Cadets is the undergraduate student body at the California Maritime Academy. As a State Maritime Academy, as required by Title 46 Part 310 of the Code of Federal Regulations students are considered Cadets, required to wear uniforms, and utilize a demerit-based disciplinary system. Participation in the Corps of Cadets is mandatory; participation in the Navy Reserve Merchant Marine program is optional. Cadets still utilize Merchant Marine Navy-style uniforms, customs, and traditions. Based on academic majors cadets are organized into Squads, Sections, Divisions and Companies which regularly muster in Morning Formations multiple times a week, as well as stand watches on campus and aboard the training ship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth R. Whitesell</span>

Kenneth Ray Whitesell is a retired vice admiral in the United States Navy, and the past Commander, Naval Air Forces. He retired on September 7, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael A. Brookes</span> US Navy officer (born May 27, 1965)

Michael A. Brookes is a United States Navy rear admiral who serves as the director of the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office and commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence. He previously served as the director of intelligence of the U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Strategic Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl O. Thomas</span> U.S. Navy admiral

Karl Owen Thomas is a United States Navy vice admiral who serves as the deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare and Director of Naval Intelligence. He most recently served as the 53rd commander of the United States Seventh Fleet from 2021 to 2024.

References

  1. "Meet Cal Maritime's 14th President". Cal Maritime. Vallejo, California: The California State University. Winter 2012. p. 14. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  2. "Membership" (PDF). Naval Order of the United States. Vol. XXVII, no. 2. Spring 2017. p. 24. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  3. Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Reserve Officers on the Active-Duty List. Bureau of Naval Personnel. October 1, 1984. p. 126. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  4. Rohrs, Sarah (30 May 2012). "Retiring rear admiral named new California Maritime Academy president". Times-Herald News. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Dan Petty. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". navy.mil.
  6. "Rear Admiral Thomas A. Cropper | CSU". www2.calstate.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  7. "Statement on Pending Retirement of Cal Maritime President Thomas A. Cropper". www.csum.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  8. "CSUM". csum.edu.