Military Bowl to Move to Annapolis

First played in 2008, the bowl was previously played in RFK Stadium.

The Military Bowl is moving to military property. According to a report in The Capital Gazette, an agreement will be announced Monday to move the college football game from to the U.S Naval Academy's Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, starting with this year's game on Dec. 27. Sponsor Northrop Grumman historically gives 5,000 tickets to each Military Bowl to military personnel, according to the report, which also states a "military village" will be set up in the stadium parking lot to promote American armed forces. The game was previously played at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. Navy played the inaugural game—then called the EagleBank Bowl—in 2008, losing to Wake Forest by a score of 29-19. In 2010, Maryland beat East …

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Annapolis Firm Wins $22.9 Million Navy Contract

Eclipse Group beat out three other firms for the contract, which calls for the company to help the Navy carry out ocean tests.

An Annapolis company recently won a $22.9 million contract from the Navy to support testing of equipment in the open seas.  Eclipse Group will provide "operational and logistics support" for the Navy from its offices in Annapolis over the next three years, according to a press release from the Department of Defense. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division was the awarding agency.  The company will assist with the Navy's ocean tests as it uses ships, remotely operated vehicles and aircrafts.  Eclipse beat out three other companies in landing the contract. The company is female-owned and specializes in ocean search and recovery and supporting the oil, gas and marine industries.

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Blue Angels Cancel Remaining Air Shows in 2013

The season was canceled due to budget constraints in the defense department, an official said.

UPDATE (Wednesday 12:20 p.m.)—For yet another year, the Blue Angels won't be flying over Annapolis. Navy officials confirmed Tuesday that they are canceling the rest of the Blue Angels season this year due to budget constraints. In a press release issued Tuesday afternoon, the Commander of the Naval Air Forces said the Blue Angels will continue to train at their home base in Pensacola, FL, but their touring season has been canceled. "Recognizing budget realities, current Defense policy states that outreach events can only be supported with local assets at no cost to the government," according to the release. "The Navy intends to continue aerial demonstrations in the future as the budget situation permits." Word spread late in March that …

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Blue Angels Grounded, Says CBS

This will be the third year in a row without the Navy's precision flying team if grounding continues.

The Blue Angels will be grounded this year due to sequestration, according to CBS News.  While the Navy's precision flying team continued performing at some shows after sequestration was announced, they had cancelled a number of other appearances.  Annapolis still remains active on the team's schedule as of right now, but a grounding would cancel all appearances.  In Annapolis, the Blue Angels had been scheduled to fly in the much-loved performance over the Severn River on May 22, with a graduation fly-over on May 24. These appearances were to be in conjunction with the U.S. Naval Academy's Commissioning Week events. As some might remember, the group did not perform in Annapolis last year, due to a change in schedule of Commissioning Week …

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10 Years After Start of Iraq War, County Still Feels Effects of Casualties

Four military personnel from Anne Arundel County and 77 from Maryland have died since 2003.

Naval Academy Announces Next Commandant

Capt. Bill Byrne was recently selected to be the 85th Commandant of Midshipmen, a position similar to the dean of students.

The U.S. Naval Academy announced Thursday that Capt. Bill Byrne will be the next Commandant of Midshipmen. As commandant, which the Naval Academy says is a position similar to the dean of students at a civilian university, Byrne will be responsible for more than 4,400 midshipmen and their military and professional development. “I'm thrilled to become a part of the team that gets the next generation of leaders ready to enter the Fleet.  The ensigns and second lieutenants coming out of the Naval Academy seem to get better every year," said Byrne, who is currently serving as Chief of Staff for Commander, U.S. Third Fleet in San Diego. Byrne is a 1987 graduate of the academy and will replace current Commandant Capt. Robert E. Clark II, whose …

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Midshipmen To March in Presidential Inaugural Parade

The 24th company, which includes 87 students from 29 states, will walk the 1.5-mile parade route with President Barack Obama.

Eighty-seven students from the U.S. Naval Academy will experience President Barack Obama's inauguration firsthand by marching in the in 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade on Jan. 21. “We are honored to be invited to participate in such an important event," Midshipman 1st Class Ryan Hagelin said. "I'm personally very excited to march in the parade.” Hagelin is a New York native who commands the 24th Company, which the academy chose out of its 30 student companies to march in the parade. The school chose his company because it's the color company—meaning it's recognized by the academy for having superior academic, athletic and military professional performance. “As a company, we have practiced several times in order to prepare," Hagelin said…

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Police Seek Suspect in 'Bill the Goat' Replica Theft

The man in the photo is considered a suspect in the theft of $600 replica of the Naval Academy mascot.

Annapolis Police are searching for a man in connection with the theft of a stuffed replica of the Naval Academy mascot that was stolen from a Jeep during a football game against Indiana on Oct. 20.  The screen shot comes from a video obtained by police who say the man is considered a suspect in the stuffed goat's disappearance. The goat's owner told police he brought the stuffed animal to his Class of 1961 tailgate party, but left it inside his car parked at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for the game. Police said the man forgot to completely roll up a window, and the goat was missing when he returned to his car. The stuffed animal is a “realistic life-sized stuffed goat” that police said is worth more than $600. Anyone with …

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Navy Breaking Ground on New Academy Health Clinic in 2013

The 105-year-old Naval Health Clinic on Wood Road will be replaced with a new $59 million facility.

The Navy plans to break ground on a new health clinic for the U.S. Naval Academy in July 2013. "The existing facility is functionally obsolete, aged, beyond its useful life and cannot deliver the level of care necessary to support eligible beneficiaries," Navy spokesman Edward Zeigler said. "The risk of building system failures and subsequent danger to patients and staff will increase as the clinic infrastructure goes increasingly beyond life expectancy." The Navy built the current health clinic in 1907 at 250 Woods Rd., and Zeigler said its layout and design does not respond well to today's modern standards. "The insufficient size and obsolete design of clinics and ancillary functions will negatively impact quality of care, staff …

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Top 5 Stories: Navy Birthday and New Parking Garage Rules

Here's a quick look back at the biggest headlines of the week in Annapolis.

No. 1—Navy, Naval Academy Celebrates Their Birthdays Annapolis will celebrate the 167th birthday of the U.S. Naval Academy and the 237th birthday of the U.S. Navy with four days worth of events and birthday specials.  No. 2—Annapolis Man Sentenced for Child Porn Possession A U.S. District Judge sentenced David Gould, age 59, of Annapolis, to three years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for possession of child pornography on Friday. Gould pleaded guilty after a search of his home and storage unit in February turned up at least 29 videos and more than 600 images of minors younger than 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  No. 3—Suspicious Package Turns Out To Be Retail Security Tag The suspicious package that …

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