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Thomas A. Cropper

b. 1959

American naval officer

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About Thomas A. Cropper

Born 1959. Thomas A. Cropper is an American naval officer.

Thomas Albert Cropper (born June 20, 1959 ) is an American retired United States Navy rear admiral and retired academic administrator who previously served as president of the California State University Maritime Academy. Cropper was appointed on July 1, 2012 with the rank of honorary rear admiral in the U.S. Maritime Service.

Early life and education Born in Maryland, Cropper earned a Bachelor of Arts in engineering operations from Iowa State University in 1981. He also earned a Master of Arts in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee and Master of Arts in world politics from the Catholic University of America. He is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College, earning a third Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies.

Navy career

Operational assignments Upon his graduation from Iowa State University, Cropper entered the U.S. Navy as an ensign and commenced flight training. During his thirty-one-year naval career, he served in a variety of command and staff positions. He was designated a Naval Aviator upon graduation from the strike jet training pipeline in 1982, followed by operational assignments with three aircraft carrier-based jet squadrons where he flew the A-6 Intruder and the F/A-18 Hornet. He went on to serve as the commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 83 (VFA-83) an F/A-18 strike fighter squadron and as commander of Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) aboard USS Nimitz. Cropper has embarked on eight extended overseas deployments aboard the aircraft carriers 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.

Military awards Rear Admiral Cropper's personal decorations include:

Dates of rank

Navy

Maritime Service

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Naval War College, Iowa State University, University of Tennessee Space Institute, The Catholic University of America
Employers
Cal Poly Maritime Academy
Awards
Legionnaire of Legion of Merit; Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit; Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
Also known as
Thomas Albert Cropper, Thomas Cropper, Tom Cropper

People in Thomas A. Cropper's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Thomas A. Cropper's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Thomas A. Cropper?

American naval officer

When was Thomas A. Cropper born?

Thomas A. Cropper was born on 20 June 1959 in Leonardtown.

What is Thomas A. Cropper's occupation?

Thomas A. Cropper is a naval officer.

What nationality is Thomas A. Cropper?

Thomas A. Cropper is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Thomas A. Cropper

· Wikidata: Q21015950

· DBpedia: Thomas A. Cropper

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Thomas A. Cropper. https://biography.guide/thomas-a-cropper/

MLA: "Thomas A. Cropper." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/thomas-a-cropper/.

Chicago: "Thomas A. Cropper." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/thomas-a-cropper/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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