Northrop Grumman-U.S. Naval Institute Partnership Flourishes in 2009
"Next year, the U.S. Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft," Air Force Lieutenant General Norman R. Seip, commander of Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern), has predicted. Will advances keep up with the needs of our military, first responders, and the hazmat industry? Have developers bumped up against technological obstacles, or are new breakthroughs the inevitable outcome of ongoing research?
A new partnership in 2009 between old friends Northrop Grumman and the Naval Institute addressed these challenges. The Robotics Essay Contest focused on new and enhanced applications for robotics, and offered substantial prizes—$10,000, $5,000, and $2,500—guaranteed to attract the best and brightest. Winners also received life membership in the Naval Institute.
The winners of the inaugural Robotics Essay Contest are:
1st Prize: Lieutenant Benjamin Drew, U.S. Navy, of San Diego, California, for "A Revolution in Robotic Affairs: Unmanned Solutions for Defense, Disasters, and Doctors" (published in the October 2009 Proceedings).
2nd Prize: Craig Robinson of San Antonio, Texas, for "Robotic Aerial Vehicles (RAVs) Will Complete the UAV (R)evolution."
3rd Prize (two given): Steven J. Forsberg of Las Cruces, New Mexico, for "Undersea Robotics: New Technology for New Targets."
3rd Prize: Paul Scharre of Alexandria, Virginia, for "Controlling Autonomous Systems: Facing the Challenge of an Unmanned Revolution in Warfare."
Your Tax Deduction is Our Strength
Gift income is invaluable to the Naval Institute's educational goals. Please take a minute before year's end to make a tax-deductible contribution to support the Naval Institute. If you've already made a gift, thank you—we would be grateful if you'd consider making another. Donations postmarked by 31 December and received within the first week of January 2010 are eligible as a deduction from your 2009 taxes.
It is easy to make a gift using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express at the Institute's Web site, www.usni.org (click on "Donate" at the top right). You can charge a gift over the phone by calling Helen McMickle at (410) 295-1052. Gifts by cash, check, or charge can be sent to the Naval Institute Foundation at 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, MD 21402.
A reminder of charitable IRA legislation signed in October 2008 that remains in effect through December 2009: Individuals aged 70- and older can make tax-exempt charitable contributions up to $100,000 directly from their IRA to the Naval Institute. This could be advantageous to many IRA holders because it satisfies the minimum qualified distribution rule, and the contributed amount is deducted from the adjusted gross income and is, therefore, tax-exempt.
'Tis the Season
Our sincere thanks to all who have so generously supported the Naval Institute in 2009. Please accept our best wishes for the holiday season and throughout the new year. Your Naval Institute family strives to continue serving your interests in 2010.
Naval History Gets Another Boost
A charitable foundation that wishes to remain anonymous and has so generously supported Naval History magazine for the past several years has agreed to do so again in 2010. This year, the benefactor underwrote two special gatefold issues offering in-depth views of naval operations on D-Day and the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay. In 2010, Naval History special issues will cover the U.S. Marines' Pacific War experience and the evolution of carrier operations during World War II.