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SUBJ/2023 CNO NAVAL HISTORY ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS// 
 
REF/A/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/161252ZFEB23// 
NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 039/2023 CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS NAVAL HISTORY ESSAY 
CONTEST. 
POC/Ms. K. Denise Rucker Krepp//LOC: WASHINGTON, 
DC/EMAIL: kathryn.r.krepp.civ@us.navy.mil// 
 
RMKS/1.  The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) announces the winners of the 
2023 CNO Naval History Essay Contest. 
 
2.  Admiral Gilday announced the annual CNO Essay Contest in reference (a). 
    a.  Due to the exceptional quality of the essays, judging was again 
challenging. Entrants submitted 117 essays: 13 in the Professional Historian 
category, 67 in the Rising Historian category, and 37 in the Midshipmen and 
Cadets category. 
    b.  Congratulations to the winners and BZ to all the entrants as the 
overall quality of this year's essays was superb. 
 
3.  Winners of the 2023 CNO Naval History Essay Contest 
    a.  Professional Historian Category: 
        (1)  First Prize: Mr. Andrew Blackley for his essay A Double-Edged 
Sword: The Legacy Bases of the Central Pacific. 
        (2)  Second Prize: Commander Jeff Vandenengel, USN for his essay 
Fighting Sail and Submarines. 
    b.  Rising Historian Category: 
        (1)  First Prize: Major Ryan Ratcliffe, USMC and Dr. Douglas Bryant 
(co-authors) for their essay Learning from History in the Making. 
        (2)  Second Prize: Commander Richard O. Morgan, USNR for his essay 
Disruptive Technologies and Great Power Conflict. 
        (3)  Third Prize: Lieutenant Vince Kindfuller, USN; Rethinking 
Innovation in Naval Exercises: Lessons from the Fleet Problems. 
    c.  Student History Category: 
        (1)  First Prize: Midshipman 1/C Liam Nawara, United States Naval 
Academy (USNA) for his essay Lessons for a Wartime US Navy: STUFT Vessels 
in the Falkland War. 
        (2)  Second Prize: Midshipman 1/C Nels J. Waaraniemi, USNA for his 
essay The Invasion that Never Was: Causeway and its Lessons. 
        (3)  Third Prize: Midshipman 3/C Pierre S. Briand, University of 
Southern California, NROTC for his essay Rivalry and Confusion at Leyte: 
Lessons for Sea Control in the Pacific. 
 
4.  The winning authors will receive: 
    a.  Invitational Travel Orders to the 2023 CNO Naval History Essay 
Contest Awards Luncheon on 21 September 2023 as part of the McMullen Naval 
History Symposium at the USNA. 
    b.  Cash prizes (courtesy of the U.S. Naval Institute). 
        (1)  First Prize - $5,000 (Professional and Rising Historian); 
        (2)  First Prize - $4,000 (Students); 
        (3)  Second Prize - $2,500 (Professional and Rising Category); 
        (4)  Second Prize - $2,000 (students); 
        (5)  Third Prize - $1,500 (Rising Category only); 
        (6)  Third Prize - $1,000 (Students). 
    c.  Publication of the essays in the Naval Institutes Naval History or 
Proceedings magazines (print and/or online). 
    d.  Copper sheathing from USS CONSTITUTION courtesy of the Naval History 
and Heritage Command (NHHC). 
    e.  Recognition on NHHC website. 
    f.  A one-year Naval Institute membership and a one-year subscription to 
Naval History magazine (courtesy of the Naval Institute). 
 
5.  Many thanks to the professional efforts of the U.S. Naval Institute, 
USNA, Naval War College, Naval Postgraduate School, NHHC, and all judges: 
    a.  Professional Historian Category 
        (1)  Dr. Angelina Callahan, SecNav Historian 
        (2)  Dr. David Kohnen, Naval War College 
        (3)  Dr. Abigail Mullen, Naval Postgraduate School 
        (4)  Dr. Chris Costello, U.S. Naval Academy 
        (5)  Dr. Scott Mobley, University of Wisconsin-Madison 
        (6)  Dr. Regina Akers, Naval History and Heritage Command 
    b.  Rising Historian Category 
        (1)  Mr. Neil Hogg, SES, OPNAV N8B 
        (2)  Dr. J. Ross Dancy, Naval War College 
        (3)  Dr. James Willson-Quayle, Naval History and Heritage Command 
        (4)  Dr. Kathleen Williams, Cogswell Polytechnical College and City 
University of New York 
        (5)  Dr. Lori Whitmire, Naval History and Heritage Command 
    c.  Student Historian Category 
        (1)  Mr. Ryan Peeks, Joint History and Research Office 
        (2)  Dr. Stan Fisher, Naval War College 
        (3)  Dr. Carter Malkasian, Naval Postgraduate School 
        (4)  Dr. Abigail Mullen, Naval Postgraduate School 
        (5)  Dr. Caroline Johnson, Naval History and Heritage Command 
 
6.  For questions, please contact Ms. K. Denise Rucker Krepp, NHHC:  
email: kathryn.r.krepp.civ@us.navy.mil. 
 
7.  Released by Mr. Andrew S. Haeuptle, Director, Navy Staff.// 
 
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