“Holiday Journeys on Us: IAM Treats Aspiring Navy Leaders to Complimentary Rides”

The fare from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., to the nearby BWI/Thurgood Marshall Airport is generally about $40 using most rideshare services. Alumni of the academy and parents of midshipmen have been working to reduce the cost of airport transportation for midshipmen during the festive season by volunteering to provide free pick-up and drop-off for these aspiring leaders using their own vehicles. This initiative is referred to as the “Mid-Express.”

Three years earlier, IAM member Chuck Lowe recognized that an IAM bus could accommodate more than a handful of midshipmen at a time, so he requested permission from leaders at the William Wipinsinger Center, where he is employed, to see if the IAM could assist in the endeavor.

It was an obvious choice. During the last holiday season, the program aided 330 midshipmen in reaching their destinations for holiday travel.

Lowe’s son, Ryan, is a “firstee,” or senior class member at the Naval Academy, anticipated to graduate in May. Chuck mentions that Ryan decided he wanted to attend the academy following a visit for a soccer tournament while in the 6th grade.

“He was born on Sept. 11, 2002, one year subsequent to the terrorist attacks. Patriot’s day. He has always been keen to serve and embody patriotism,” stated Lowe. “So when he informed me that midshipmen required this assistance during the holiday season, I recognized it was my opportunity to support them.”

Lowe is a founding member of the IAM’s Veteran Services Steering Committee, which was initiated in 2020 to offer IAM members who are military veterans enhanced support in acquiring their VA benefits. Lowe, himself a veteran, has dedicated his post-military career to advocating for fellow veterans, but he eagerly embraced the chance to help establish the committee as he perceived an opportunity to influence the necessary actions at local and district levels across the IAM.

Ryan specializes in aviation and robotics at the academy. His goal is to become a Navy pilot and robotics engineer following graduation. If the holiday rides on the “mid express” help save 330 midshipmen $40 on airport fares, that totals more than $13,000 saved each year. His father, Chuck, who marks 25 years with the IAM this year, envisions his son expending $13,000 in aviation fuel within the first six minutes of afterburner in an IAM-manufactured F-35 fighter jet safeguarding our skies over the vast ocean sometime soon.