The Naval War College Foundation has given its highest honor to Vice Adm. John Mustin, the retired 15th chief of Navy Reserve.
Mustin received the Sentinel of the Sea Award on Nov. 5 at the New York Yacht Club in New York City. The award recognizes Americans whose service reflects the traditions of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport.
The date carried its own weight. On Nov. 5, 1915 — 111 years earlier — Mustin’s great-grandfather, then-Lt. Cmdr. Henry C. Mustin, made the first successful catapult launch of an aircraft from a ship underway, from the USS North Carolina.
“A fifth-generation U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Admiral Mustin carries forward a family legacy of Navy service dating to 1896,” said retired Rear Adm. A.B. Cruz III, the foundation’s chairman. Cruz noted that Mustin was the first Reserve officer to command a Navy strike group and led roughly 60,000 sailors as chief of Navy Reserve.
Before the presentation, Mustin spoke with Sandra Smith, co-anchor of Fox News Channel’s “America Reports,” about his family, leadership and the future of naval warfare. He emphasized wargaming, a cornerstone of the Naval War College’s curriculum.
“It’s a fool’s errand to think the next war will look like the last one,” Mustin said. “The Navy’s product is readiness.”
He also described what he sees as the college’s purpose.
“We don’t need to teach people what to think; we need to teach them how to think,” Mustin said. “The Naval War College funds the ambition of our future leaders.”
Past recipients of the award include retired Adm. James Stavridis, the former supreme allied commander in Europe; retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, the 26th secretary of defense; and the veterans’ advocates Gary Sinise and Tom Brokaw.
The Naval War College Foundation is based on Cushing Road in Newport and supports the college’s programs.
