Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, left, will step down as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte has been nominated to replace her, according to the Pentagon. (U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps. photos)
WASHINGTON — A Marine Corps general has been nominated to lead the U.S. Naval Academy for the first time, replacing the first woman to serve as superintendent of the institution, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday.
Vice Adm. Yvette Davids has led the school since January 2024 and is departing from her post ahead of a term that typically lasts no less than 3 years. Her nominated replacement is Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, the deputy commandant of manpower and reserve affairs.
Borgschulte is a 1991 graduate of the academy and a career fighter pilot who has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Instead of retiring at the end of her tenure as is required by law, Davids has been nominated to serve as the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans, strategy and warfighting development.
The move is essentially lateral, going from one three-star billet to another, according to a Senate aide speaking on condition of anonymity.
It was not clear Friday whether Davids is leaving her Naval Academy posting voluntarily.
The Trump administration has ousted several top military leaders in recent months, including Navy Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who was the first woman to be chief of naval operations, and Adm. Linda Fagan, who was commandant of the Coast Guard and the first female officer to lead a branch of the armed forces.
As superintendent of the academy in Annapolis, Md., Davids complied with orders from Hegseth to rid the school of diversity programming and “woke” initiatives, telling senators in March that two courses related to gender had been eliminated.
Davids in a statement Friday said she was honored to be nominated for her new role and looked forward to “continuing to serve alongside America’s strongest warfighters.” If confirmed, she would replace Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer.
The Senate aide said the fact that Davids is not being forced to retire is a good sign.
“It’s just maybe that they needed her in a different spot,” the aide said.
The nominations for Davids and Borgschulte will be considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee either at the end of the month or in September, according to the aide.
Navy Secretary John Phelan praised Davids in a statement Friday and said her “strategic vision and operational depth” will be an asset to the Navy and the Defense Department.
He also noted the historic nature of Borgschulte’s nomination. The Naval Academy has commissioned thousands of graduates as Marines in its nearly 180-year history but a Marine has never held the superintendent post.
The milestone reflects “the strength of our naval integration and the shared ethos of the Navy-Marine Corps team,” Phelan said.
Stars and Stripes reporter Matthew Adams contributed to this report.
