Dylan Daughtry ‘17 & Ethan Lipsky ’18 Graduate United States Merchant Marine Academy Class of 2023

Dylan Daughtry ’17 with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Dr. Kathleen Hicks

Ethan Lipsky ’18 with Academy Superintendant, Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan

Farragut graduates Dylan Daughtry ’17 & Ethan Lipsky ‘18 recently graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY on June 17th.  Both men earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission in the U. S. armed forces as well as a Merchant Marine officer license, qualifying them to serve as officers on any ship in the U.S. flag merchant marine.

The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of five U.S. federal service academies. It educates and graduates licensed Merchant Marine officers to serve the nation during peace and war. In addition to the rigorous academic and physical requirements for admission, applicants must be nominated by their Congressman or Senator.

All USMMA graduates incur an obligation to serve the United States. The U.S. Flag Merchant Marine – manned exclusively by American mariners – is essential for securing the country’s commerce in peacetime and delivering warfighters, weapons, and military supplies in times of conflict.

The majority of “Kings Pointers” serve for eight years as Navy reservists in the Strategic Sealift Officer Program while working aboard U.S. flag vessels; others will serve on active duty in our nation’s armed forces.

By virtue of their elite training and real-world experience, graduates are ready to go on day one in service of American military strength and economic power. As part of their four-year education, Daughtry and Lipsky each spent one year training as cadets aboard ocean-going vessels around the globe.

The Academy welcomed Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks as the commencement speaker.

Dr. Hicks told the graduates “Again and again throughout history, America’s merchant mariners have delivered. And today, merchant mariners remain an indispensable component of our national defense, because they continue to deliver: To Europe, where more than 70 vessels have helped bring supplies and equipment to U.S. allies and partners after Russia once again invaded Ukraine; And to the Indo-Pacific, where multiple strategic sealift ships provide critical maritime prepositioning of U.S. military equipment and supplies. What so many of you will do as merchant mariners enables our ability to project power globally, to respond to crises and contingencies on short notice, and to campaign in support of joint operations.”

AFA Alumni in attendance at the Kings Point Graduation were: (L-R) Art Musicaro ‘73N, RADM Mark Buzby ‘75N, Rob Pfeifle ‘76N, Art’s son Christopher, Ethan ’18, David Lipsky ‘75N and Harry Theurer ‘75N.