Source: United States Navy
Good morning, everyone! It is wonderful to be here at Navy Yard with you today to celebrate the culmination of over 40 years of faithful service in defense of our Nation by my dear friend, Vice Admiral Bill Galinis.
Admiral Franchetti, Mr. Stefany, and other distinguished guests, thank you for joining us this morning. Your presence is a testament to Vice Admiral Galinis and the work he has done throughout his career to build partnerships not just across our Department, but throughout our defense ecosystem to ensure our Sailors have the right combination of systems, platforms, and technologies they need to be successful in their mission.
I would also like to thank our classmates from the United States Naval Academy’s Great Class of 1983 who journeyed to the Navy Yard today to celebrate this milestone in Vice Admiral Galinis’s career.
As we think back to our I-Day over 44 years ago, who would have thought that Vice Admiral Galinis would be the last man standing on active duty? Sean Buck certainly gave him a run for his money!
Finally, thank you to Vice Admiral Galinis’s family—Diana, Jared, Laura, his parents, his brothers, and his brother-in-law—for joining us this morning to celebrate the culmination of an incredible career.
44 years is indeed a long time, and since July 6th, 1979, Vice Admiral Galinis has dedicated himself to our Navy, and to our Nation.
Inspired by his father’s naval service, Vice Admiral Galinis knew early on that he wanted to serve our country.
After our graduation from the Naval Academy, he commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer, serving in engineering roles onboard the USS Roark (FF 1053) and USS Vreeland (FF 1068).
After transitioning to the Engineering Duty Officer community, Vice Admiral Galinis served in several roles of increasing responsibility, including as the LPD-17 Program Manager, Commanding Officer of the Norfolk Ship Support Activity, Commander of Navy Regional Maintenance Center, and as Program Executive Officer-Ships.
All of these experiences prepared him well to take on the role as the 45th Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command.
As the commander of NAVSEA, Vice Admiral Galinis led a team of over 80,000 personnel stationed not just across the United States, but around the globe.
For over three years, he has been responsible for all activities surrounding the development, construction, delivery, and maintenance of our Navy’s ships, submarines, and related systems.
And for the past three years, Vice Admiral Galinis has led the men and women of NAVSEA with the utmost integrity, developing a strong, mission-focused team while never wavering in his commitment to take care of his people.
This commitment is evident in the incredible progress and milestones accomplished during his tenure.
Since June 2020, the NAVSEA team has delivered 20 surface ships across multiple classes, including our first Flight 3 Arleigh Burke Class destroyer, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), as well as two Virginia Class submarines.
NAVSEA also shepherded the first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) through several milestones on its way to its first COCOM-controlled deployment this past May, including 18 months of post-delivery test and trials, multiple certifications for its onboard systems, and the completion of thousands of aircraft launches and recoveries.
What’s more, they oversaw the successful completion of thousands of maintenance availabilities, all while taking critical steps to reduce maintenance delays across both private and our public shipyards.
With each new ship delivered and every maintenance availability completed, Vice Admiral Galinis and his team ensured our fleet remained ready, lethal, and capable of responding to the demands of our Fleet and Combatant Commanders around the world.
Beyond our own Navy, NAVSEA has provided critical support to our international partners and allies. During Vice Admiral Galinis’s tenure, NAVSEA annually oversaw over 900 active foreign military sales cases, totaling $37 billion in support of 120 countries—to include the delivery of 90 vessels, as well as supporting the presidential drawdown for weapons shipments to our Ukrainian partners.
And although Vice Admiral Galinis’s turn at the helm of NAVSEA is concluding, I have no doubt the incredible work of this command will continue under its acting commander, Rear Admiral Thomas Anderson.
Rear Admiral Anderson, allow me to extend my thanks to you for stepping into this role as the Acting Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command.
Mr. Stefany, Admiral Franchetti, and I are confident in your abilities to lead this organization and continue to deliver the ships, platforms, and systems our Sailors, allies, and partners need to confront the challenges of our world today.
Your career has undoubtedly prepared you for this moment, and we look forward to working with you to ensure our Fleet remains responsive to the needs of our Nation.
And Rear Admiral Downey, we look forward to the day your nomination to serve as the 46th Commander of NAVSEA finally receives its due consideration by the United States Senate.
Now, as we prepare to send Vice Admiral Galinis ashore for the final time, let me again recognize the members of his family who are here with us today. Diana, Jared, Laura, you are as much a part of this ceremony as your husband and your father.
Diana—you have been there since the beginning of your husband’s career—all the way back to our Plebe year. Through 12 moves and three deployments, I have no doubt your love and support for your husband propelled him to where he is today. Thank you for keeping the faith, and for your friendship to Betty and myself.
Jared and Laura, it has been a true pleasure to watch you grow up in our Navy and support your father. I know that this life is not an easy one, but your strength and resiliency are the hallmarks of our military children.
I would also like to recognize Jared for continuing his family’s legacy of service to our Nation, both as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and Air Force Officer, and now as a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department.
We are also honored to be joined by Vice Admiral Galinis’s parents—Betty and Ernie, who is a Navy veteran himself—as well as his brothers Mike and Jeff, and his brother-in-law, Beau.
And I know his brothers Joe, Paul, and Tom, who could not join us today, are no doubt here in spirit.
For over 44 years, you all have supported Vice Admiral Galinis, Diana, Jared, and Laura.
Serving in the Navy, as you know, truly is a family affair, and your love for them and for our country is evident as you served alongside them for the past four decades.
Vice Admiral Galinis, since our first meeting in Double-E class all those years ago, I have always valued your friendship, and admired your selfless service to our Nation.
For me personally, it was a true honor and privilege to serve alongside you again these past two years. On behalf of our entire Department—thank you, and Bravo Zulu.
May God always bring fair winds and following seas to the Galinis family, as well as to our Sailors, Marines, and Civilians around the globe, and their families.
Thank you.