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Distinguished Grads/Flag Officers
Updated As of December 2024
DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE AWARD NOMINATIONS
The Naval Academy Alumni Association recognizes graduates who have distinguished themselves in various different endeavors, which include but are not limited to their military service. While nominations for this prestigious award may come from different sources, most recipients are nominated by their classmates! As detailed below, two members of the Class of 1973 have been recognized by the Alumni Association as Distinguished Graduates, based on nominations by our Class. Maybe we can go for three!!!
Procedures for Class of 1973 DGA Nominations are contained in the following attachment, and are also detailed below: Class of 1973 Guidance
The President of the Class of 1973 has established a Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) Committee responsible for receiving, reviewing / editing and nominating qualified and deserving classmates to the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association (USNAAA) DGA Selection Committee. All members of the 1973 DGA Committee are selected for three-year terms by the Class President; term limit(s) may be renewed / extended at the discretion of the Class President. The Committee Chairman will serve one year in that position. The next senior member will then assume the duties as Committee Chairman for one year, etc.
The current members of the DGA Committee are (dates next to names indicate the ends of their terms):
Mike Kalas, Chairman (December 2024); Michael.Kalas@gmail.com
Joe Stewart, Member (December 2025) jdsusn@comcast.net
Rob Bender, Member (December 2026), rbender@travismanion.com
Those people submitting nominations for graduates of the Class of 1973 for the 2025 DGA Award must submit preliminary nominations to the current DGA Committee Chair (via email) NLT 30 March 2024.
A full description of the DGA Award and the associated Nomination Criteria can be found on the Naval Academy Alumni Association website: Distinguished Graduate Award – www.usna.com
The Class of 1973 Package Guidelines are outlined below.
- The USNAAA Guidance shall always take precedence in the event of conflict.
If packages do not meet the aforementioned guidance, they will be returned to the author for compliance. The DGA Committee may do minor editing; however, any editing involving content shall be in collaboration with the author. All final submissions will be done via certified mail or hand delivered to the Naval Academy Alumni Association / Foundation.
Preliminary nominations shall consist of not more than two pages with the following format / submissions:
- Shall be written in New Times Roman 12 Font
- Shall consist of single-spaced comprehensive bullets that highlight
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- Military and Civilian Accomplishments / Achievements / Awards
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- USNA Support (Directly) to the Brigade of Midshipmen
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- USNA Support to the Alumni Association / Foundation
- Shall NOT include endorsements, attachments / enclosures, narrative
The DGA Committee shall:
- Review all preliminary nominations for qualifications / competitiveness
- Discuss nominations and vote (privately) on selection / non-selection of nominees
- Provide the following announcements
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- Advise Class of 1973 President on selectees and non-selectees
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- Once approved, advise the nominating person of the Class of 1973 selectee with timelines of final nomination submission and requirements for smooth and final copies
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- Advise those people nominating a member of the Class of 1973 of non-selectee status
The DGA Committee Chair and Members shall not provide additional information to classmates on selectee and non-selectees.
Final nomination packages for the 2025 DGA shall be submitted digitally in Microsoft Word to the current Chair of the Class of 1973 DGA Committee NLT 01 August 2024. Package guidelines are outlined below. It will be the responsibility of the Class of 1973 DGA Committee to print and acquire all signatures (Committee Members and Class President) prior to submission to the USNAAA DGA Selection Committee.
Class of 1973 Package Guidelines
Each package shall consist of 14 total pages
(13 Pages + Cover)
Cover Page (Not Numbered). The President of the Class shall sign all Class of 1973 nomination packages.
The following pages shall be numbered in sequence 1 through 13 in accordance with the enclosed guidance.
Page 1 (Nomination Letter). This page should have a macro overview of the nominee. All nomination letters will be signed by all three (3) Class of 1973 DGA Committee members.
Page 2 (Executive Summary). This page will be submitted in the following (bullet) format.
USNA and Military Highlights, Awards and Medals
- Highlight | Highlight | Highlight | Highlight
- Award or Medal | Award or Medal | Award or Medal
Government / Civilian / Business / Community Highlights, Awards,
Certificates
- Highlight | Highlight | Highlight | Highlight
- Award or Certificate | Award or Certificate | Award or Certificate
Summary of Support of / Service to USNA and Brigade of Midshipman
- Support or Service | Support or Service | Support or Service
Summary of Support for the Alumni Association and / or Foundation (gifts of “time, talent, and / or treasure”)
- Time or Talent or Treasure | Time or Talent or Treasure
Other Notable Achievements
- Achievement | Achievement | Achievement
Pages 3 – 5 (Endorsements of Nominee). Within the 3-page limitation, packages shall have a minimum of two (2) endorsements. These endorsements shall be scanned and imported into the word document to facilitate pagination of the nomination package. Each endorsement shall contain a “Certified True Copy and the name of the preparer” in the lower left corner of the last page of the endorsement in size 9 font. The preparer of the package shall sign his name over the certified true copy statement. Preparers shall maintain the original endorsements until notified by the Chairman, Class of 1973 DGA Committee that they are no longer required.
Pages 6 – 10 (Narrative). The structure of the nomination package narrative is up to the preparer of the package within the guidance of the USNAAA Distinguished Graduate Award Nomination Packet Guidelines. The structure of the narrative should be done in such a way to best represent the nominee. The structure of the narrative should create a natural flow for the reader.
Pages 11 – 13 (Miscellaneous). The selection of this information is up to the preparer of the package within the guidance of the USNAAA Distinguished Graduate Award Nomination Packet Guidelines. The miscellaneous pages may be submitted as .pdf or .jpg files but must contain the proper pages and footers required by governing documents.
CLASS OF 1973 DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES
The following classmates have received the Naval Academy Alumni Association’s Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA):
- ADM Robert F. Willard, USN (Ret) received the award in 2019. The following link will take you to a copy of the program for the ceremony. DGA Program
- ADM Eric T. Olson, USN (Ret) received the award in 2017. The following link will take you to a copy of the program for the ceremony. 2017 Program
The Naval Academy Alumni Association has added videos of the 2017 and 2019 DGA ceremonies to its website (see the links below). You will be able to view the full ceremonies.
2019 Ceremony: 2019 Program ~ 2019 Ceremony Video ~ Photos
- Admiral Robert F. Willard, USN (Ret.), Class of 1973 ~ Biographical Video
2017 Ceremony: ~ 2017 Ceremony Video (includes biographical videos)
The following photos were taken at a reception that the Class held for Bob Willard the Naval Academy Club prior to his award ceremony.
