Allies have approved the appointment of General John Allen ’76, USMC, currently our commander in Afghanistan, as the new Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, following the nomination by President Obama and pending confirmation by the United States Senate.

They circle the interior façade of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and span many years of service and conflict, but if you’ve never seen them before or wondered what some of them were about, here’s your guide.

Captain Matt Lampert ’06, USMC, was on patrol in Afghanistan two years ago when an IED blew off his legs. Despite his injuries, Lampert has returned to Afghanistan as a double amputee to lead his Marines into battle. His faith, perseverance and commitment have helped him overcome the odds and renew his dedication to the Marine Corps.

Don’t miss the bus, leave the driving to us! Join us for the tailgate in Philly and the best rivalry in college history. For registration and details go to our tailgate page online. Go Navy! BEAT ARMY!

On Induction Day, 294 women out of the 1,211 members of the incoming Class of 2016, just more than 24 percent, joined the ranks of midshipmen. When Greer Lautrup ’85 attended, women made up only 8.2 percent of her class with only 7.3 percent graduating. Lautrup takes a look back at her experiences that laid the ground work for today’s female midshipmen and explains why it is so important to her to give back to the Academy.

Commander Scott Waddle ’81, USN (Ret.) gets it—life is, indeed, not fair, getting to command is hard, running ships aground is bad and we all will fail at something in our lives. It is how we deal with our failures and shortcomings that helps us move forward.

The Navy football equipment staff is looking for unit patches for the Army-Navy Game. Any patches sent will be put on a table where the players can choose their own to be put on their uniform during the game. Send your patches to: Greg Morgenthaler, Navy Equipment, 566 Brownson Road, Annapolis, MD 21402

Lieutenant Justin Legg ’00, USN (Ret.)’s well-trained body began to fail him. Leukemia was discovered and chemo began. A bone marrow transplant almost did him in. But “death was not an option,” with a new wife and SEAL life. Read how and why he survived and thrived.

Through the Foundation, the Class of 1946, alumni and friends have supported the Forrestal Lecture Series for many years. We were extremely pleased to host Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, for our latest lecture on … (read more)

Many great companies will be at the San Antonio Service Academy Career Conference on 15-16 November. Whether you're transitioning or testing the waters, it’s a great opportunity to interface with outstanding companies. Pre-register prior to 4 November to ensure your resume gets seen by the recruiters prior to SACC. However, we all know schedules change and walk-ins are always welcome. If your company is hiring, they need to be at SACC! The conferences are held quarterly in DC, GA, CA and TX. For more information please send us an email.

Admiral Edward Rogers ’40, USN (Ret.), recently participated in the Old Skippers Race out of Castine, ME, a race that requires all skippers to be at minimum 65 years old, on board the 52-foot S&S Payah Kun. Rogers has been a skipper for the past 31 years and was a crew member for 16 years before that, so he now holds the record for being in this race more than anyone and is the most senior skipper to have participated.

The midshipmen clearly started the trend with their super-viral spirit-spot version of PSY’s mega-hit “Gangnam Style,” with more than 5.5 million hits on YouTube. They must have truly inspired others, because Air Force, Army and “Gangnam Style, Afghanistan” have since popped up. That’s leadership, right there.

On 10 November, the Corps will be another year older. It all began at Tun Tavern in 1775, but if you are not familiar with what has happened since, browse through Marine Corps history by decade. It also shows how the Corps has grown with the actual number of Marines the decade started and ended with.