This week Andy is joined once again by naval historian, author, and long-time friend of the show Claude Berube. With a new Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series on the horizon, they dive into what such an institution might really look like—drawing on Claude's two decades of experience teaching at the U.S. Naval Academy.

They explore questions like:

• How do you balance training officers with providing a wider education?

• Would Starfleet need multiple campuses, or does one Academy in San Francisco make sense?

• What role would enlisted personnel play in a fleet where we mostly see officers on screen?

• And is it finally time to retire the Kobayashi Maru?

The conversation then shifts to NavyCon 2025, the upcoming conference where naval professionals and sci-fi fans come together to explore the ties between fleets on the sea and fleets among the stars. Claude shares the history of NavyCon, what to expect from the next event, and how you can get involved.

Along the way, expect discussions of cadet love chits, training ships that aren't the Constitution, and the lessons Starfleet could learn from history.

Claude's essay appears in Second Star to the Right: Essays on Leadership in Star Trek

Learn more and submit for NavyCon 2025 via CIMSEC

And you can find more of Andy here:

https://linktr.ee/andy3e