Captain John Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired), retired from the Navy in 2013 after 30 years of service. He commanded the USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) and USS San Jacinto (CG-56), and received the U.S. Navy League’s Captain John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership in 2010.

Articles by John P. Cordle

Retired Marine Major General Leo V. WIlliams III with JROTC students. In 1970, Williams became the first Black Naval Academy graduate from Virginia. Nominated by a congressman from Detroit after his application was rejected by Virginia’s congressional delegation, he told NPR Senator John Stennis was responsible for holding back a generation of Black leaders.

The Tragedy of the Lost Generation

By Captain John P. Cordle and Lieutenant Commander Reuben Keith Green, U.S. Navy (Retired)
August 2024
Renaming the John C. Stennis is both prudent and necessary. Ultimately, it is not about changing history but learning from it and acting on what we have learned.
Rear Admiral Rickover; Commander William Anderson, Nautilus commanding officer; and New York mayor Robert Wagner celebrate the submarine’s historic trip under the polar ice cap. Additive manufacturing needs a visionary leader like Rickover to move it forward.

Additive Manufacturing Needs a Champion

By Captain Brad Baker and Lieutenant Commander Jake Lunday, U.S. Navy, Captain John P. Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired), and Michael Pecota
November 2023
If the Navy does not give AM a makeover, it will not be the significant force readiness multiplier it could be.
dog

Deploy with Dogs

By Captain John P. Cordle and Commander Bob Alpigini, U.S. Navy (Retired)
August 2023
Dogs have been part of the maritime world for centuries.
Officers, archive photo

The Navy, In Black and White

By Captain John Cordle and Lieutenant Commander Reuben Keith Green, U.S. Navy (Retired)
February 2022
Two Navy retirees, one black and one white, discuss the future and reflect on the past in tandem.
Starting with the Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) Carrier Strike Groups, every deploying ship will have a chaplain on board. Whatever a sailor’s definition of spiritual health, there will be a command chaplain who will listen and help them through mental health challenges. Credit: U.S. Navy (Indra Beaufort)

Moving Out on Mental Health

By Captain John P. Cordle, U.S. Navy (Retired)
November 2020
The Navy has implemented several changes to make mental health services less stigmatized and more available for service members.