Thomas A. Cropper

Thomas Albert Cropper[2] (born 1959[3]) is an American retired United States Navy rear admiral and academic administrator serving as president of the California State University Maritime Academy. Cropper was appointed on July 1, 2012 with the rank of honorary rear admiral in the U.S. Maritime Service.[4]

Thomas A. Cropper
Rear Admiral Thomas A. Cropper, USN
Born1959 (age 61–62)
Leonardtown, Maryland[1]
Allegiance United States
Service/branchUnited States Navy
United States Maritime Service
Years of service1981–2012 (USN)
2012–present (USMS)
RankRear Admiral (USN)
Rear Admiral (USMS)
Commands heldCommander, Strike Force Training Pacific (2010–2012)
California Maritime Academy (2012–present)
Battles/warsOperation Desert Storm
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Alma materIowa State University (BA)
University of Tennessee (MA)
Catholic University of America (MA)
Naval War College (MA)

Early life and education

Born in Maryland, Cropper earned a Bachelor of Arts in engineering operations from Iowa State University in 1981. He also earned a Master of Arts in aviations systems from the University of Tennessee and Master of Arts in world politics from the Catholic University of America. He is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, earning a third Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies.[5][6]

Operational assignments

Upon his graduation from Iowa State University, Cropper entered the navy as an ensign. During his thirty-one-year navy career, he served in a variety of command and staff positions. He was designated a naval aviator in 1982, followed by operational assignments with three aircraft carrier-based jet squadrons. He went on to serve as the commanding officer of an F/A-18 strikefighter squadron and as commander of the air wing aboard USS Nimitz. Cropper has embarked on eight extended deployments, on USS America (CV-66), USS Forrestal (CV-59), USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Eisenhower (CVN-69), and USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and flew nearly 5,000 hours in 43 different aircraft while logging over 1200 carrier arrested landings.[5]

The PBS television series Carrier was filmed while Cropper commanded the air wing aboard the USS Nimitz, and he appears in several episodes.

Ashore

Cropper attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, served as a military assistant in the Office of Secretary of Defense William Cohen, and as the Navy Federal Executive Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He also led "Strike University" at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, served as chief of staff, U.S. Third Fleet, and headed the Joint Chiefs of Staff Working Group chartered with the development of national level security strategy.[5]

Flag officer assignments

As a flag officer, Cropper served as Deputy Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, leading and managing over 24,000 people in combat operations as deputy commander, U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command. as well as Commander, Strike Force Training Pacific, where he directed education and at-sea training for navy ships and aviation squadrons deploying to the Western Pacific and the Middle East.[5]

Retirement

He retired from the navy at the rank of rear admiral - lower half in 2012 and soon after assumed the duties as the California Maritime Academy president.[7]

California State University Maritime Academy

The fourteenth person to hold the post since the institution's establishment in 1929, Cropper heads an institution with a student body of approximately 945 cadets. California State University Maritime Academy is located in Vallejo, California, approximately 30 miles from San Francisco on a waterfront campus covering more than 89 acres (360,000 m2). It is one of the nation's seven sources of licensed merchant marine officers and is renowned for its maritime education and training programs. California State University Maritime Academy is one of the 23 campuses in the California State University system and is one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States and the only one on the West Coast.[8]

Military awards

Rear Admiral Cropper's personal decorations include:

Dates of rank

Maritime Service

See also

References
  1. "Meet Cal Maritime's 14th President". Cal Maritime. Vallejo, California: The California State University. Winter 2012. p. 14. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  2. "Membership" (PDF). Naval Order of the United States. Vol. XXVII no. 2. Spring 2017. p. 24. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  3. Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Reserve Officers on the Active-Duty List. Bureau of Naval Personnel. October 1, 1984. p. 126. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  4. Rohrs, Sarah. "Retiring rear admiral named new California Maritime Academy president". Times-Herald News. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  5. Dan Petty. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". navy.mil.
  6. "Rear Admiral Thomas A. Cropper | CSU". www2.calstate.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
  7. "CSUM". csum.edu.
  8. "CAL MARITIME - CALIFORNIA MARITIME ACADEMY AT VALLEJO - MERCHANT MARINE, TRANSPORT & ENGINEERING PROGRAMS". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
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