(USNA) United States Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Yvette M. Davids was relieved by Lt. Gen. Michael J. Borgschulte in a change of command ceremony at the Naval Academy on Friday, August 15.
Senior officials attending the ceremony included the Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, the Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric M. Smith, and Vice Chief of Naval Operations and Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James W. Kilby.
The Honorable John Phelan, 79th Secretary of the Navy, spoke about Vice Adm. Davids’ tenure as the 65th Superintendent and how Lt. Gen. Borgschulte will continue to support the mission of the Naval Academy and develop our future Navy and Marine Corps leaders as the 66th Superintendent.
“Vice Adm. Davids’ experience, operational record and strategic mind made her the best fit for the job and will serve her and the Navy well in this future role,” said Phelan. “Lt. Gen.
Borgschulte will build on the successes of Vice Adm. Davids and previous superintendents by further cultivating a culture of winning and warfighting here at the Academy.”
Adm. Kilby and Gen. Smith both provided welcoming remarks. Kilby, USNA Class of 1986, highlighted the importance of leadership at the Naval Academy and how their decisions shape our future leaders.
“These grounds and this staff are the incubators that develop young midshipmen – morally, mentally, and physically – who go on to lead Sailors and Marines in the Fleet,” said Kilby. “I’m appreciative of the work done by Vice Adm. Davids and look forward to working with Lt. Gen. Borgschulte to execute this critical mission.”
General Smith, 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, discussed the special bond that Sailors and Marines share in forming the most lethal maritime force to deploy around the globe.
“This hallowed institution creates future Navy and Marine Corps officers who will serve the next generation of Sailors and Marines, together forming the most powerful maritime force in the world,” said Smith. “Thank you to Vice Adm. Davids for her leadership. To Lt. Gen. Borgschulte, you have the conn.”
Davids, Class of 1989 and a native of San Antonio, Texas, became the 65th Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy in January of 2024. Her background as a career surface warfare officer includes commanding USS Curts (FFG 38), USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), and Carrier Strike Group 11, deploying in support of Desert Shield/Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. Her next assignment will be the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, Strategy, and Warfighting Development, N3/N5/N7, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon.
“Leading as Superintendent of our beloved Naval Academy has been the privilege and adventure of a lifetime, and I know [Lt. Gen. Borgschulte] will lead this school honorably and faithfully into the future – a testament to the enduring strength and partnership of our Navy and Marine Corps Team,” said Davids. “At this moment of transition, as we welcome this historic moment and our first Marine Corps Superintendent of the Naval Academy, I can’t think of a finer Marine to take the Helm of USNA.”
Borgschulte, Class of 1991 and a native of Springfield, Missouri, is the first Marine to hold this position. A career AH-1 Cobra pilot with over 3,800 flight hours, Borgschulte’s operational experience includes multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan including three embarked aboard amphibious assault ships, and command at every level, most recently commanding Third Marine Aircraft Wing, the largest aviation unit in the United States Marine Corps. He comes to Annapolis from Quantico, Va. where he served as the Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
“I do not take lightly the weight of this charge – to safeguard the Academy’s proud traditions while preparing future generations of officers for the challenges of an ever-changing and more complex world,” said Borgschulte. “We will cultivate a warrior ethos—an unshakable belief in our ability to fight and win—because victory in combat begins long before the first shot is fired. It starts here, in Bancroft Hall, in the classrooms, in the labs, and on the athletic fields.”
The mission of the United States Naval Academy is to develop midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor, and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government.
For more information about Lt. Gen. Borgschulte, please go to his biography page.
Leave a Comment