Jeff Crenshaw

07/03/2026

The spring 2026 season has been a whirlwind of activity for the VMI pistol club.

07/02/2026

The Next Step: Rachel Baez '28

This summer, Rachel Baez '28 will serve as an intelligence analyst intern with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), gaining hands-on experience in protecting the nation.

Guided by discipline, resilience, and a drive to serve, Baez is building a future in intelligence — on track to make a lasting impact both in and out of uniform.

Read more here: https://pulse.ly/z9rgmjwju9

06/29/2026

On Thursday, June 18, 2026, retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. John Ripley, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who served as head of VMI’s Naval ROTC in the early 1990s, was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump in a ceremony hosted at the White House. Accepting the award on Ripley’s behalf was his son, Tom Ripley ’93. Also present at the ceremony were Tom’s brothers, John Ripley ’96 and Stephen Ripley.

Ripley was originally awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions in destroying the D**g Ha Bridge during the Vietnam War, thereby halting a North Vietnamese advance. Hanging underneath the bridge while exposed to enemy fire, Ripley worked alongside another Marine, Maj. James Smock, to position approximately 500 pounds of TNT so the bridge could be destroyed before the North Vietnamese Army could cross it.

In March 2026, the U.S. Congress voted to upgrade Ripley’s Navy Cross to the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest and most prestigious military award bestowed by the U.S. government.

The Ripleys are a multi-generational VMI family with a long legacy on post. In addition to Tom Ripley ’93 and John Ripley ’96, other family members who have attended the Institute include retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. George Ripley ’52 and Scout Ripley ’23, a recipient of the VMI Keydet Club’s Three-Legged Stool Award.

Photo courtesy U.S. Marine Corps.

06/26/2026

06/23/2026