Thomas A. Cropper

Thomas A. Cropper
Rear Admiral Thomas A. Cropper, USN
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy United States Maritime Service
Years of service	1981-2012 (USN) 2012-Present (USMS)
Rank	Rear Admiral (USN) Rear Admiral (USMS)
Commands held	Commander, Strike Force Training Pacific (2010-2012) California Maritime Academy (2012-)
Battles/wars	Operation Desert Storm
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal

Thomas A. Cropper, is a retired United States Navy rear admiral, who after his retirement from the Navy, was installed as President of California Maritime Academy on July 1, 2012 where he was appointed with the rank of rear admiral in the U.S. Maritime Service.

Cropper is a 1981 graduate of Iowa State University. He also earned master's degrees in from the University of Tennessee and Catholic University of America. He is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.

Upon his graduation from the Iowa State University, Cropper entered the Navy as an ensign. During his thirty-one-year Navy career, he served in a variety of command and staff positions. He was designated a naval aviator in 1982, followed by operational assignments with 3 aircraft carrier-based jet squadrons. He went on to serve as the commanding officer of a F/A-18 strikefighter squadron and as commander of the air wing aboard USS NIMITZ. Cropper has embarked on eight extended deployments in USS America (CV 66), USS Forrestal (CV 59), USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Eisenhower (CVN 69), and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and flew nearly 5,000 hours in 43 different aircraft while logging over 1200 carrier arrested landings.

Cropper attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, served as a military assistant in the Office of Secretary of Defense William Cohen, and as the Navy Federal Executive Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He also led “Strike University” at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, served as chief of staff, U.S. Third Fleet, and headed the Joint Chiefs of Staff Working Group chartered with the development of national level security strategy.