Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda, who the program is sometimes
named for, is the only STA-21 sailor to have both risen to the rank
of Admiral from the enlisted ranks, and the only one to date to
also serve as CNO. He is also the only Admiral to ever serve as CNO
who was not a graduate of the Naval Academy. In these regards,
Admiral Boorda was a very unique individual. Boorda became the 25th
Chief of Naval Operations on April 23, 1994.
His record was unfortunately clouded by allegations by highly
decorated soldier David Hackworth that he wasn't authorized to wear
the Combat "V" devices on his Navy Achievement and Navy
Commendation Medals. Boorda, rather than drag himself and the
service through what he knew would be a media circus, shot himself
on May 16, 1996. A review by the Board for Correction of Naval
Records, at the request of Boorda's son, investigated Boorda's
record of service and found that he in fact was not authorized to
wear the Combat "V" device as Hackworth had alleged, even though
Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, former CNO during the Vietnam War, had stated
publicly that he was. However, the BCNR is the final authority for
such matters.
It was Boorda who renamed the program "Seaman To Admiral"
