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Subj: New Commandant of Midshipmen Announced
Refer to: Central Region Letter 25-03; August 29, 2003
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PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY TO E-MAIL ME. I WILL NOT GET IT. E-MAIL ME DIRECTLY
AT MY USNA ALUMNI CLASSMAIL ADDRESS, len.wass@1964.usna.com
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Chapter Officers - Please give this e-mail the widest possible distribution
among your members and other alumni in your area.
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This announcement was just received from Alumni House and
the Naval Academy regarding the normally scheduled relief of Brig. Gen.
(SEL) John R. Allen, USMC, USNA Class of 1976 by Captain C. Joseph Leidig,
Jr., USN, USNA Class of 1978. The relief is scheduled for September 17,
2003. We will all miss the leadership provided by John Allen who, in my
and the opinion of all whom I have talked to, has done a superb job. Gen.
Allen has taken the Brigade of Midshipman up several notches in their
development and readiness to assume the "highest responsibilities of command,
citizenship, and government." We are all indebted to him for this major
contribution and wish him, his wife Kathy, and their family all of God's
blessings. Gen. Allen's new post will be in the Pentagon in the Office
of the Secretary of Defense. I have not met Captain Joe Leidig, but Gen.
Allen holds him in the highest regard and has full confidence in his continued
leadership and support of the "Commandant's Intent", a splendid road map
for Midshipman development that I shared with you in a Newsletter last
year. (It can be referenced in the archives of these newsletters.) We
wish Captain Leidig the very best success in his new and most important
post, and will provide him with our full support. We also welcome his
wife, Meg, and family to the Yard. Here is the announcement:
Captain Charles J. Leidig, Jr.
Deputy Commandant
United States Navy
United States Naval Academy
Captain Leidig, from Baltimore, Maryland, graduated with distinction from
the U.S. Naval Academy in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics.
His operational tours include service in both attack and ballistic missile
submarines. He served as Reactor Controls Assistant and Communications
Officer on USS HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN 655), as Engineer Officer on USS
SAM RAYBURN (SSBN 635), as Navigation and Operations Officer on USS STONEWALL
JACKSON (SSBN 634), and as Executive Officer on USS POGY (SSN 647).
His command tours include service as Commanding Officer of USS CAVALLA
(SSN 684) from 1994-1997, where he led the Navy's first unclassified science
mission to the Arctic Ocean, and twice deployed to the Western Pacific.
Under his command USS CAVALLA set the Pacific Fleet endurance record of
63 consecutive days of Arctic under-ice operations, earned two Meritorious
Unit Commendations and in 1996 was awarded the Navy Battle Efficiency
'E', Engineering Excellence 'E', and Tactical Operations Excellence 'T'.
He subsequently served as Commander, Submarine Development Squadron Five
from 1999-2001 where he was the operational commander for the Navy's Deep
Submergence Program and the Tactical Development Authority for the Submarine
Force's off-hull sensors, Arctic warfare and submarine rescue and escape
programs.
Captain Leidig's staff assignments include service as an instructor at
the U.S. Naval Academy, as Material Officer on the staff of Submarine
Squadron Eleven, as Senior Member of the Nuclear Propulsion Examining
Board for Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet and on the Joint Staff
as Assistant Deputy Director for Regional Operations in the Operations
Directorate and as Executive Assistant to the Director of the Joint Staff.
He assumed the position of Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen in June 2003.
Captain Leidig received the David Lloyd Leadership Award and the L.Y.
Spear Award upon completion of the Submarine Officer Advanced Course in
1985. He earned a Master's Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies
from the Naval War College, graduating with distinction in 1994, and subsequently
completed the National Security Management Program at the Syracuse University
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 2001.
Captain Leidig has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, the
Legion of Merit (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards),
the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal (four
awards), and the Navy Achievement Medal along with other unit and service
awards.
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