SECNAV Mabus nearing finale

Former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus, who is now the longest serving Navy Secretary since WWI, is nearing the end of a nomadic career in public service. In October, SECNAV will turn 68. The coming change to the presidency in January will mean Mabus’ exit. He grew up in Ackerman, graduated from Ole Miss, earned a master's from Johns Hopkins and left Harvard Law with a degree as magna cum laude. It was all because he grew up in a family that valued knowledge and education. All though much of his past has been in politics, Mabus said he doesn't think any of his future will be in any elected or appointed post. As SECNAV, he has logged 1.3 million miles, but plans to spend more time with his family. Perhaps, he said, they will no longer require him to wear a name tag at family events. (Source: Commercial Dispatch 09/26/16) His position as SECNAV is administrative - no uniforms, ribbons, or salutes. But what he described as a "cool" perk is authority to name ships. Sometimes "memos" come from Congress with "suggestions" for ship names, but otherwise, from the days of George Washington, secretaries have named ships.