March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 46 F

2017 USNA Graduation and Commissioning

On May 26 the United States Naval Academy will graduate 1053 midshipmen under cool, cloudy and somewhat rainy (surprise) Friday to kick off the Memorial Day weekend. 767 will be commissioned as Navy Ensigns and 259 as Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenants, and 2 as officers in the US Air Force. There were 17 foreign national students graduating from Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Georgia, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Montenegro, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand .

The top graduate is Ethan William Doherty, from Londonberry, NH who was a Systems Engineering (with Honors) major. He will be commissioned as a Navy Ensign.

Christopher Louis Panuski of Davidson, NC was the class salutatorian. He was an Electrical Engineering and Physics dual major. He will be commissioned as a Navy Ensign.

This is the 167th traditional graduation ceremony. Since 1845, approximately 84,500 midshipmen have graduated from the Naval Academy. Since 1980, nearly 5500 women including the class of 2017 have graduated from the United States Naval Academy.

Vice President Mike Pence will address the graduates this morning at about 1020am. The Vice President will be joined on the rostrum by Acting Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley, VADM. Walter E. “Ted” Carter, Superintendent of the Naval Academy, Col. Stephen E. Liszewski, Commandant of midshipmen, Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford and several other military and political officials.

The US Navy Blue Angels are scheduled to do a flyover at 10:04am and the ceremony will be complete by 12:30pm

Additional photos and a recap will be coming soon.

NOTE: Photos with this article are 2016 Graduation

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