Dear Alumni,
Greetings from the corner of Freret and McAlister!
This is my first offering for this newsletter since assuming command of the unit in October 2018. Patrick Huete is a hard act to follow, and I’ve consulted with him quite a bit to make sure I’m not standing into danger! That said, this assignment has already exceeded my expectations in so many ways. My wife, Lorraine, often asks “how was work?” I simply tell her: “it’s really not work.” I thoroughly enjoy what I do, and that is primarily due to the outstanding active duty staff and midshipman battalion assembled here.
We are in the midst of a typically busy spring semester. The midshipman battalion marched in the Pontchartrain Parade and then hosted a superb Mardi Gras Drill Meet. I was so amazed at how easily they coordinated and executed such a complex event. I just couldn’t be more proud of their professionalism, dedication, and commitment to being perfect hosts to the 26 competing units from 19 schools!
MIDN 2/C Trusty and MIDN 2/C Mastendino represented the unit at the Notre Dame Naval Leadership Weekend. As with previous years, their participation in this terrific event was made possible by the generosity of our alumni, especially Mr. John Stelly (’77), who provided the air travel, Mr. James McGowan (’77), who provided attendance fees, and Mr. Fritz Teuscher (’89), who opened his home to them.
The 29 March dedication of the new Louis Watson Wardroom was a wonderful opportunity for alumni to spend time with the staff and midshipmen. Through the incredible generosity of the late Louis Watson (’60), his family, and the Alumni Association, we were able to undertake a massive renovation to the unit wardroom. It is almost unrecognizable from its previous iteration, and the bulk of the gratitude goes to our own Master Sergeant Bryan Smith, who lovingly applied his enviable woodworking skills to build a full size bar and shelves. He was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal at the event to formally recognize his unmatched dedication and enthusiasm for this unit.
I hope to see many of you at this year’s battalion change of command and awards ceremony on 9 April at 0700 on the LBC quad!
Thank you, again, for your continued support of your unit and your midshipmen!
Very respectfully,
Dan Senesky