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Midshipman 4/Trash
NAUGHTON RESIGNS FROM SUPERINTENDENT'S POST OVER SENTRY INCIDENT
The Associated Press State & Local Wire 060403 (C06-05)
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.
June 5, 2003, Thursday, BC cycle
12:20 AM Eastern Time
SECTION: State and Regional
LENGTH: 625 words
HEADLINE: NAUGHTON RESIGNS FROM SUPERINTENDENT'S POST OVER SENTRY INCIDENT
BYLINE: By GRETCHEN PARKER, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: ANNAPOLIS, Md.
BODY:
Mayor Ellen Moyer was one of several people to react with surprise Wednesday at the sudden resignation of the Naval Academy superintendent.
Vice Adm. Richard J. Naughton, 56, resigned in response to a Navy investigation that found he grabbed the wrist of a Marine guard who asked for his identification on New Year's Eve, the Navy announced Wednesday.
"There is nothing malicious on the part of any parties - either the admiral or the enlisted personnel," Moyer said. "I'm absolutely amazed that this kind of situation could lead to a resignation.
"This is a tragedy because it has brewed out of such innocent mistakes. I'm very saddened by it," Moyer said.
The Navy said Naughton resigned Tuesday during a meeting with the Navy's top officer, Adm. Vern Clark. Naughton had met May 28 with Adm. William J. Fallon, the vice chief of naval operations, who agreed with the substantiation of improper contact with the guard. The investigation by the Navy's inspector general also found a "general failure to promote good morale."
Only a few days earlier, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had come to Annapolis to address the midshipmen at commencement and help Naughton award degrees to the graduates at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
"He needs to be remembered for his service to his country, not some really isolated incidents," said Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md., who is a member of the academy's Board of Visitors.
An Iowa native, Naughton began his Navy career in 1964 as a midshipman. Before he was sworn in nearly a year ago as superintendent, he was in charge of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, a "Top Gun" training ground for Navy pilots in Nevada.
Naughton also served as executive officer and commander of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, he commanded the USS New Orleans, which landed Marines in Kuwait and led mine-clearing operations in Kuwait's harbor.
Cmdr. Rod Gibbons, an academy spokesman, said the academy was "shocked and saddened."
"Vice Adm. Naughton is well respected, and we will be sad to see him leave," Gibbons said. "His departure creates a leadership void that will challenge the academy."
The academy was founded in 1845 and has a student body of 4,000 midshipmen - future naval and Marine officers. Gilchrest said its reputation won't be harmed by Naughton's resignation.
"It's tradition is strong and deeply rooted," he said. "The Naval Academy is never made up of one person or one incident."
Gibbons said Naughton was at his home on the academy grounds Wednesday night. In a statement released by the academy, Naughton said: "Over the past few months, too much attention has been focused by media and others on the superintendent. Because of this attention, I have asked the chief of naval operations to reassign me elsewhere and to bring in new leadership that can take the academy where it needs to go."
Moyer said Naughton had worked closely with the city to help include the Naval Academy in this year's "First Night" New Year's Eve celebration. Academy officials were initially concerned about security, Moyer said.
"I don't think in the city's recent history, there's been a time that we've had such a close, productive relationship with the academy as we've had with Adm. Naughton," Moyer said.
The academy's reputation was marred in the 1990s by scandals involving students' cheating and drug use, and academy officials announced last month that they were investigating history professor Brian VanDeMark because other authors said passages in his recent book resembled their writings.
Associated Press writer Foster Klug in Baltimore contributed to this story.
GO NAVY BEAT ARMY
The Associated Press State & Local Wire 060403 (C06-05)
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.
June 5, 2003, Thursday, BC cycle
12:20 AM Eastern Time
SECTION: State and Regional
LENGTH: 625 words
HEADLINE: NAUGHTON RESIGNS FROM SUPERINTENDENT'S POST OVER SENTRY INCIDENT
BYLINE: By GRETCHEN PARKER, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: ANNAPOLIS, Md.
BODY:
Mayor Ellen Moyer was one of several people to react with surprise Wednesday at the sudden resignation of the Naval Academy superintendent.
Vice Adm. Richard J. Naughton, 56, resigned in response to a Navy investigation that found he grabbed the wrist of a Marine guard who asked for his identification on New Year's Eve, the Navy announced Wednesday.
"There is nothing malicious on the part of any parties - either the admiral or the enlisted personnel," Moyer said. "I'm absolutely amazed that this kind of situation could lead to a resignation.
"This is a tragedy because it has brewed out of such innocent mistakes. I'm very saddened by it," Moyer said.
The Navy said Naughton resigned Tuesday during a meeting with the Navy's top officer, Adm. Vern Clark. Naughton had met May 28 with Adm. William J. Fallon, the vice chief of naval operations, who agreed with the substantiation of improper contact with the guard. The investigation by the Navy's inspector general also found a "general failure to promote good morale."
Only a few days earlier, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had come to Annapolis to address the midshipmen at commencement and help Naughton award degrees to the graduates at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
"He needs to be remembered for his service to his country, not some really isolated incidents," said Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md., who is a member of the academy's Board of Visitors.
An Iowa native, Naughton began his Navy career in 1964 as a midshipman. Before he was sworn in nearly a year ago as superintendent, he was in charge of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, a "Top Gun" training ground for Navy pilots in Nevada.
Naughton also served as executive officer and commander of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, he commanded the USS New Orleans, which landed Marines in Kuwait and led mine-clearing operations in Kuwait's harbor.
Cmdr. Rod Gibbons, an academy spokesman, said the academy was "shocked and saddened."
"Vice Adm. Naughton is well respected, and we will be sad to see him leave," Gibbons said. "His departure creates a leadership void that will challenge the academy."
The academy was founded in 1845 and has a student body of 4,000 midshipmen - future naval and Marine officers. Gilchrest said its reputation won't be harmed by Naughton's resignation.
"It's tradition is strong and deeply rooted," he said. "The Naval Academy is never made up of one person or one incident."
Gibbons said Naughton was at his home on the academy grounds Wednesday night. In a statement released by the academy, Naughton said: "Over the past few months, too much attention has been focused by media and others on the superintendent. Because of this attention, I have asked the chief of naval operations to reassign me elsewhere and to bring in new leadership that can take the academy where it needs to go."
Moyer said Naughton had worked closely with the city to help include the Naval Academy in this year's "First Night" New Year's Eve celebration. Academy officials were initially concerned about security, Moyer said.
"I don't think in the city's recent history, there's been a time that we've had such a close, productive relationship with the academy as we've had with Adm. Naughton," Moyer said.
The academy's reputation was marred in the 1990s by scandals involving students' cheating and drug use, and academy officials announced last month that they were investigating history professor Brian VanDeMark because other authors said passages in his recent book resembled their writings.
Associated Press writer Foster Klug in Baltimore contributed to this story.
GO NAVY BEAT ARMY