A week ago on Fri. the 13th we had our periodic luncheon, the first since last May when we met at Pirate’s Cove.  The attendance at our luncheons is dropping for many reason, there are fewer of us and those few have health problems which sometimes preclude going out for lunch.  Thirty two people said they would attend and 26, including our guest speaker, came.  They were:

Bill & Elizabeth Reed
Cab & Libby Davis
Tony & Patty Duncan
Bob & Judy Flood
Dave & Betty Carruth
Kevin & JoAnne Hanlon
Charlie & Jean Mertz
Charlie & Marguerite Heid
Bing & Anne-Marie Sisson
Warren & Nancy Graham
Cliff Morgan
Gene Mulligan
Bill Arnold
Grace Harkins
Rosemary Hogg
And our speaker CAPT Paul Tortora

We were in the third floor dining room of the new Army/Navy Country Club.  It truly has a magnificent view from all the windows.  Our meal was OK but more on that later.

We need to make some changes in our routine brought on by Club request and by our own needs.  We must notify the Club of the number of attendees four days before the luncheon as opposed to three days.  From now on we will absolutely sit down at 1215 in order for the waitstaff to start serving.  That will insure that our soup is hot, as well as the rest of the meal.  To facilitate that we would like for those who have signed up to notify me or Warren by five days before the luncheon if something has happen which precludes your being there.  We will ask you to pay for the meal you missed if you miss telling us you can’t make it.  To insure that we don’t try to wait for your late arrival, if you are held up by traffic or whatever, please call me on my cell at 703-508-2424.  For all of you, please give me your cell phone numbers if you are comfortable doing so.

Since Warren was still feeling a bit under the weather Bob Flood was running the show this time.  He asked Charlie Heid to tell us how our $2mil gift to the IT department is doing and Charlie gave us the figure (over 2mil) so it is healthy.  Charlie Mertz says the memorial/flower fund is OK for the time being.  To insure that it doesn’t get hit to cover luncheon shortfalls is why we are now going to ask for payment when someone doesn’t tell us early enough to change the number with the club.

CAPT Paul Tortora ‘89 is Director of the Center for Cyber Security Studies.  He has a very impressive biography.  He graduated with a major in math and a minor in Spanish.  He earned his Submarine Warfare “Dolphins” and qualified as a Naval Nuclear Engineer Officer.  He made a lateral transfer to the Naval Intelligence Community where he served with Amphib Squad 8 then as Staff Intelligence officer to SECNAV.  After several more high level intelligence positions he reported to USNA in July of 2012 .

This is the second time he has spoken to members of our Class; he talked to us at the 65th.  After the 65th I commented that I would love to monitor Cyber ops classes; however, reading through the handout that Paul gave us I have concluded that I am now too old and totally devoid of the necessary background to absorb the material.  His first slide gives us what we need to know that the Naval Academy is on the leading edge of Cyber ops.  That first slide is as follows:

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT
All Midshipmen now take two Cyber Security Courses (Plebe year, 2/C year)

USNA now offers an interdisciplinary “Cyber Operations” Major

The US Navy considers “Cyber” as the 5th Operational domain: Sea, Air, Land, Space and Cyber.

I did not take pictures this time but it was good to see and talk to everyone.  I will pick up photography at the next luncheon in November.  I hope that more of you can make it then.