WINTER GRADUATION - Cadet parent, MICHAEL S. WILLS, sent NFFS a link to graduation day pictures of his newly minted Bachelor of Engineering graduate son, Cadet SEAN WILLS. Winter Graduation 2003 was held at Vander Clute Hall on Thursday, 23 January for upwards of 18 baccalaureate and 21 master's degree recipients. Congratulations to this new contingent of alumni.

SPAIN, SUN, SEALS - Yet another proud parent, BETTY TISKA, writes:"A quick note about my son, Maritime graduate and Navy SEAL Commander CARL TISKA [Class of 1986.] My husband, HENRY TISKA, and I will be attending Carl's Change of Command ceremony on Friday, 7 February, 2003 at 11 AM at the United States Naval Base in Rota, Spain. Carl will be relieving Commander John R. Houfek as the Commanding Officer for Navy Special Warfare Unit TEN." [Well done, Carl !]

COMING HOME TO SCHUYLER - Another change of command ceremony will be taking place at Fort Schuyler this summer. The head of the college's Naval Science Department, Commander ALLEN STUBBLEFIELD, reports that: "...CAPT HOWARD STONE [Class of 1979] ..has been named as my relief as the commanding officer of the NROTC Unit. CAPT Stone will relieve me this summer, probably the day after EMPIRE STATE returns from Summer Sea Term in July." [Stay tuned for details on Allen's next assignment.]

PLAY BALL - Mass Maritime's soon-to-be-completed training ship, ENTERPRISE, sports what looks like a nifty hatchball field. Clarification comes from ERHARD KOEHLER, Class of 1987, who writes: "Initially it was planned as a helo deck, which was considered for the troopship function. We later discovered a regulatory problem with the helo landing deck being located directly above the messdeck, so we changed it to a helo "winching" area only. This is a SOLAS designation for a hover area where people can be winched up from the ship in an evacuation. The markings are a large yellow circle, with the works "Winch Only." [And not "Play Ball"?]

CAMPUS HONORS AN ALUMNI ADMIRAL - On 30 January, faculty, staff and students attended a special breakfast honoring ADM "LEN" HERING, Class of 1977. According to a campus invitation to the event: "Rear Admiral Leendert 'Len' Hering will share some of his thoughts on leadership to the Maritime seniors." The announcement noted that: "Admiral Hering was recently promoted to flag rank in the Navy, and commands the Naval Surface Group in the Northwest United States." He is " A Surface Warfare Officer who graduated and was commissioned through Maritime's Naval ROTC Program in 1977....In addition to his Oceanography and Meteorology BS degree from Maritime," ADM Hering has also earned Master's degrees in International Relations and Strategic Study, and Business Management. [His detailed Navy biography may be found at: http://www.cnrnw.navy.mil/facts/Heringbio/heringbio.htm ]