Meet Lieutenant Blake Lusty ‘08 USN, the Commencement Speaker for the Class of 2022
Left: Lieutenant Blake Lusty
Right: Lauren Lusty (left), daughter Emmerson, with Lieutenant Blake Lusty (right) ’08
A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Lieutenant Blake Lusty graduated from Admiral Farragut Academy in May 2008 and the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science in 2012 and was commissioned as an intelligence officer.
Ashore, Lieutenant Lusty was assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence on the Nimitz Operational Intelligence Watch Floor where he served as the Senior Watch Officer for the watch floor. He also served as the EUCOM Desk Officer and Worldwide Submarine Tracking Team.
In 2015, Lieutenant Lusty lateral transferred to Surface Warfare. Lieutenant Lusty completed his division officer tours aboard USS FORREST SHERMAN (DDG 98) as the Strike Officer and First Lieutenant. He completed an extended DSRA, Basic Phase through Sustainment inspections, an INSURV and two deployments as part of the HARRY S. TRUMAN Strike Group: an April 2018 deployment in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE and an August 2018 Arctic/High North Deployment.
In May 2020, Lieutenant Lusty reported to the USS HALSEY (DDG 97) as the Weapons Officer and completed a deployment to U.S. 4th Fleet to participate in U.S. Southern Command and Joint Interagency Task Force South’s (JIATF-S) enhanced counternarcotics operations missions in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean alongside embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET). The HALSEY then transitioned to U.S. 7th Fleet and conducted enforcement coordination cell (ECC) operations and operated with the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (RRCSG).
In June 2021, Lieutenant Lusty fleet-up to Combat Systems Officer on the HALSEY and completed a deployment with the RRCSG to 5th and 7th Fleet in support of OPERATIONAL FINAL COUNTDOWN and presence operations in the Indo-Pacific region. The ship conducted multiple strait transits and presence operations in the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea.
Small Personal Story
Lieutenant Lusty’s life was changed forever on April 19th, 2010. At 20 years old he was diagnosed with Stage IV testicular cancer. The first few days he knew he had to move past the shell shock and make a choice on how to face a fight with cancer. After fighting the hurricane of emotions, and feelings, and moving past the “why me”, he made the deliberate decision to fight until the end and adopted the mindset of “Don’t Give up the Ship!” (Captain James Lawrence).
From that defining moment of 12 years, he has made it his life goal to lead with energy and inspire those around him that nothing is impossible with a focused mindset, positive attitude, and a will to Fight and Win! He has taken more from cancer and not let it define him!
His graduation speech was also inspired by his commencement speaker from fourteen years ago, Mr. Richard Fisher ‘67N. “The lessons and discipline learned at Farragut will help guide you through life’s adventures.”
On behalf of Admiral Farragut Academy, we thank Lieutenant Lusty and his family for making the big trip to be a part of our graduation ceremony.