A Marine Corps general will be in charge at the U.S. Naval Academy for the first time in the school’s nearly 180-year history, Pentagon officials said Friday.
Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, currently the deputy Marine Corps commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, was nominated for reappointment to his three-star rank with the assignment as superintendent at the academy in Annapolis.
Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, the first woman to lead the Naval Academy, also will be renominated for a third star. Her next assignment will be as deputy chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, Strategy and Warfighting Development. She has been superintendent at the Naval Academy since January 2024.
Navy Secretary John C. Phelan congratulated Lt. Gen. Borgschulte on an assignment that has traditionally gone to a Navy admiral. He called the appointment “a milestone that reflects the strength of our naval integration and the shared ethos of the Navy-Marine Corps team.”
“A decorated combat leader and proud graduate of the Naval Academy Class of 1991, Lt. Gen. Borgschulte brings a wealth of operational experience and strategic insight,” Mr. Phelan said in a statement.
Federal law generally requires the superintendent of the Naval Academy to retire after their tour of duty. However, the secretary of defense can grant a waiver for good cause, allowing them to move on to another position. Congress must be notified about the change and provided the reasons for the waiver.
“Vice Admiral Davids has commanded at every level and has led with distinction in some of the most complex security environments of our time,” Mr. Phelan said. “Her strategic vision and operational depth will be an exceptional asset to the Navy and the Department of Defense.”
In a statement released by the Pentagon, Adm. Davids said she was honored to be nominated for her new position.
“I look forward to continuing to serve alongside America’s strongest warfighters,” she said.
Lt. Gen. Borgshulte is a career Marine Corps aviator who has amassed nearly 4,000 flight hours, including 700 combat hours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.