US Removes First Female Naval Academy Chief, Appoints Marine Corps Officer
For the first time in 180 years, a Marine Corps officer has been selected to lead the US Naval Academy. Marine Corps Lt Gen Michael J. Borgschulte, a seasoned aviator, has been nominated to take over as superintendent, succeeding Vice Adm. Yvette M. Davids, who was the first woman to hold this position.
The announcement came from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been making several significant leadership changes within the military since his appointment. President Donald Trump officially nominated Borgschulte for the role, moving Davids to the Pentagon to become the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations Plans, Strategy, and Warfighting Development.
Vice Adm. Davids took charge of the Naval Academy in January 2024, but her term is ending earlier than the usual three-year period. According to US legislation, superintendents are expected to serve a full term and retire at the end unless Congress grants a waiver. In Davids's case, the Secretary of the Navy is expected to request such a waiver so she can continue serving without an immediate retirement.
Despite her new nomination at the Pentagon, Davids's reassignment marks the fourth time this year that a woman in a senior maritime leadership role has been removed or reassigned under the Trump administration. Others who were removed include Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Rear Adm. Joanna Nunan, who was the superintendent of the US Merchant Marine Academy. Rear Adm. Ann Phillips, the first female Maritime Administrator, resigned shortly before Trump took office.
Borgschulte and Davids were classmates at the Naval Academy in the late 1980s, although they chose very different career paths. Borgschulte opted for the Marine Corps and became a helicopter pilot, flying the AH-1 Cobra during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. He logged 700 hours of combat flight time and later led a helicopter unit in Afghanistan. Currently, he serves as the deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs, overseeing personnel policy and recruitment efforts.
As a student, Borgschulte played linebacker for the Naval Academy football team and was known by the call sign 'Meat.' In contrast, Vice Adm. Davids pursued a Navy surface warfare career, serving on various warships, including USS David R. Ray, USS Normandy, USS Higgins, and USS Benfold. She later commanded the USS Curtis during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, as well as the USS Bunker Hill and the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group. Davids also held key positions in Washington, including the role she has now been nominated to lead.
Despite her reassignment, Davids expressed her honor to continue serving and her eagerness for her new role. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan noted that both Davids and Borgschulte exemplify the best of the naval service, praising Davids for her leadership and strategic vision.
However, Davids's brief time at the Naval Academy was not without controversy. During her tenure, she implemented orders from Defense Secretary Hegseth that included censoring parts of the curriculum, removing books on race and gender from the academy's library, and canceling meetings and guest speakers. These changes led to several faculty resignations in protest of the restrictions. The modifications were part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to eliminate what it deemed 'woke' content in military institutions.
Before becoming the defense secretary, Hegseth publicly stated on a podcast that women should not be in combat roles, although he later retracted this statement during his Senate confirmation hearings.
Both Borgschulte and Davids will need Senate confirmation before taking on their new roles. If approved, Borgschulte will become the first Marine Corps officer to serve as superintendent of the US Naval Academy since it was founded in 1845.
