Vice Admiral John “Jay” Donnelly (United States Navy, Retired) is Vice President of Advanced Technologies for Huntington Ingalls Industries. Jay serves as an active Board Member of the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation. Donnelly graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1975 and served 35 years in the Navy. A submarine officer by training, his commanding officer assignments included USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709) and USS McKee (AS 41). His final assignment was as Commander, Submarine Forces, responsible for establishing force-wide strategies on core submarine issues such as force structure, budgetary requirements and manpower.
Vice Admiral Donnelly speaks about what it means to be part of a three generation Naval family and the values he developed at the Naval Academy: integrity, honor and service above one’s self. Learn about life on a submarine and the rationale behind the decisions to allow women to serve in the submarine force and the elimination of smoking on submarines.
Vice Admiral Donnelly encourages young people to start their career in the military because it prepares one for success in life. Military service is an opportunity to develop self-discipline, teamwork and the other skills critical for success in any field: communication, leadership, integrity, doing things right and doing hard things well.
For Vice Admiral Donnelly, valor is the application of sacrifice and service to others in a time of great peril. To live with valor means to act with valor.
Donnelly lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife of 39 years. They have three married children who each became naval officers following college. They are happily accumulating grandchildren.
To learn more about the Bob Feller Act of Valor Foundation, please visit: http://www.actofvaloraward.org/
Editor: Jack Metcalfe
Hosts: Tyler Buchholz and Nathaniel Cameron