Two N.C. girls receive 2025 Military Child of the Year award
The recipients of this prestigious award are Isabella Smith, 17, of Hubert, NC, and Emily Baldeosingh, 18, of Havelock, NC.
Operation Homefront Photos
Operation Homefront is a national non-profit that hopes to build strong, stable, and secure military families. The annual Military Child of the Year Award celebrates the achievements of America's military children, reflecting on the positive impact these young people made on their families, school, and communities.
Those who receive this award are selected for their excellence in scholarship, volunteerism, leadership, and extracurricular activities. They will also receive $10,000, a laptop computer, and other donated gifts.
There will be a gala to honor the 2025 Military Child of the Year recipients in April in Arlington, Virginia.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
U.S. Naval Academy gets first Marine superintendent, change of command ceremony held in Maryland
The U.S. Naval Academy held a change of command ceremony in Maryland Friday, where Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte became the first Marine Corps officer to be superintendent. Borgschulte was deputy commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in Quantico, Virginia, before being nominated to be the 66th superintendent of the military academy in Annapolis. Borgschulte, who graduated from the academy in 1991, said he would safeguard its proud traditions while preparing future generations of officers for the challenges of an increasingly complex world. "The academy exists not to pursue academic rankings or institutional accolades — yes, we have those — but to fulfill a sacred mission, and that's to develop the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps officers who will protect and defend the freedoms we as Americans so often take for granted," Borgschulte said during a ceremony marking the change in command. John Phelan, the secretary of the Navy, called Borgshulte "a decorated naval aviator and a veteran of three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan who's led sailors and marines at all levels." "He is someone who his fellow Marines describe as a military hybrid of modern tactics and ancient attitudes," Phelan continued, adding that he oversaw the highest recruitment and retention in Marine Corps history and will further cultivate "a culture of winning and warfighting here at the academy." "Get ready, midshipmen. It's time to buckle your chinstraps," Phelan said. This year, the academy commissioned 776 Navy ensigns and 258 second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Borgschulte replaces Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, who in January 2024 became the first woman to be superintendent. Davids is moving to the Pentagon to be deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans, Strategy and Warfighting Development. Phelan said Davids fulfilled her role with distinction, and she is the best person for the Pentagon post. "Vice Adm. Davids' experience, operational record and strategic mind made her the natural fit for the job and will serve her and the Navy well in this future role," Phelan said.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
VMI appoints new leader to replace school's first Black superintendent
The Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors appointed retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David Furness as its 16th superintendent on Friday, replacing retired Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, the institute's first Black leader, who was ousted from his position this year over his diversity, equity and inclusion policies. 'His impeccable military record, passion for the VMI experience and proven record advancing the mission of complex organizations make him the right person to lead the Institute in this next chapter of its history,' board president Jamie Inman said of Furness in a statement. Furness, who is White and graduated from VMI in 1987, takes over an institute reeling after years of tension on campus that began with a 2020 Washington Post report about racism at the school. A statewide investigation followed, finding the institution tolerated a 'racist and sexist culture.' When Wins implemented policies to try to rectify that, conservative White alumni fought back, alleging those policies themselves were racist and eventually calling for Wins's removal. Furness served in the Marine Corps for 36 years, retiring in 2023 as a three-star general. He had been rumored as the board's pick for the job since the spring, after the board decided not to extend Wins's contract, but was chosen after the governing body formed a selection committee with alumni and students and hired an outside firm. 'The committee's search process was transparent, inclusive, and, above all, thorough, screening hundreds of candidates, interviewing six, and conducting on post visits with three finalists,' the school said in a statement. Furness said in a statement he was 'thrilled' to return to his alma mater as its new leader. 'I am indebted to the Institute for molding me into the man I am today, and it is an immense honor to give back and serve the VMI community as Superintendent,' he said. Furness, originally from Columbus, Ohio, majored in history at VMI before entering the Marine Corps. There, he served as a senior military officer in Djibouti and later helped oversee operations around the world, managing more than $2 billion in assets. He also earned two master's degrees, including one in military studies from Marine Corps University and another in national security and strategic studies from the National Defense University. After retiring, he worked at J.A. Green & Company, a bipartisan government relations firm, as executive vice president of defense programs. Furness has not served on any university or alumni boards since graduating, though he was a guest speaker at a VMI dinner in Richmond. In 2019, Furness received criticism from a junior Marine officer for being a micromanager with a rigid daily routine that mandated 5:30 a.m. reveilles, reported at the time. Furness defended his policies in that article, arguing that 'attention to detail' in a Marine's personal life makes for a better fighter. 'Marines in the division … I think they understand, there is an issue here. We may have slipped a little bit; we need to do a better job,' he told the outlet. 'The sergeants remain supportive; they believe we're doing the right thing for the right reason.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
US Naval Academy gets first Marine superintendent
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte became the first Marine Corps officer to be superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in its 180-year history on Friday. Borgschulte was deputy commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in Quantico, Virginia, before being nominated to be the 66th superintendent of the military academy in Annapolis. Borgschulte, who graduated from the academy in 1991, said he would safeguard its proud traditions while preparing future generations of officers for the challenges of an increasingly complex world. 'The academy exists not to pursue academic rankings or institutional accolades — yes, we have those — but to fulfill a sacred mission, and that's to develop the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps officers who will protect and defend the freedoms we as Americans so often take for granted,' Borgschulte said during a ceremony marking the change in command. John Phelan, the secretary of the Navy, called Borgshulte 'a decorated naval aviator and a veteran of three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan who's led sailors and marines at all levels.' 'He is someone who his fellow marines describe as a military hybrid of modern tactics and ancient attitudes,' Phelan continued, adding that he oversaw the highest recruitment and retention in Marine Corps history and will further cultivate 'a culture of winning and warfighting here at the academy.' 'Get ready, midshipmen. It's time to buckle your chinstraps,' Phelan said. This year the academy commissioned 776 Navy ensigns and 258 second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Borgschulte replaces Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, who in January 2024 became the first woman to be superintendent. Davids is moving to the Pentagon to be deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans, Strategy and Warfighting Development. Phelan said Davids fulfilled her role with distinction and she is the best person for the Pentagon post. 'Vice Adm. Davids' experience, operational record and strategic mind made her the natural fit for the job and will serve her and the Navy well in this future role,' Phelan said. Solve the daily Crossword
