Source: United States Navy
What a terrific week this has been. The United States Navy is truly honored to have been able to host you here in Newport, and it was a great privilege for me personally to have spent the last few days with you. It’s been wonderful to see the extraordinary variety of uniforms, languages, cultures all gathered here together.
And I’ve really been delighted by the rich exchange of views, ideas, and perspectives that we’ve heard throughout our discussions. Over the course of the week, I’ve noticed that the breaks have gotten just a little bit longer, and that the volume has gotten a little bit louder of all our conversations. To me, that is a sign that the symposium is going very well, and that we’re building our relationships and strengthening the bonds of friendship. I’m very grateful for the time we’ve enjoyed together, so please allow me to thank you again for being here and for your engagement this week.
And let me again recognize our spouses for your presence and your contributions. ISS would simply not be the same without you here. To our panelists and our moderators, I’ve learned a lot from your presentations and our discussions over the past several days. So my thanks to you, both for the time and thought that you put into your remarks, and for taking on some of the most pressing issues that we all face. Fellow leaders, this symposium is one of the most important events our Navy does, and it’s so meaningful because all of you chose to invest your time and share your thoughts with one another.
So please let me also extend my thanks to your teams and your staffs for their support. I know how much work and effort goes into preparing for this symposium. As I look out in the audience and I’ve had a chance to interact with folks throughout the week, I see all of your assistance and your aids and all the supporting staff of the heads of navy and the coast guard. And I know that I’m looking at the leaders of the future, the admirals of tomorrow.
And I hope that when you all return to future iterations of ISS in 10, 20, or 30 years, when you’re the heads of your navy or your coast guard, I trust that you will continue to build on these vital partnerships you started here this week. And as you climb the ranks, I hope that you will keep a course at the Naval War College in mind. I can’t promise you that the Newport weather will be as great all the time as it’s been this week, but I can assure you that you will always have an invitation to come here and study and develop relationships with other rising naval leaders.
And I’ve seen throughout the week, the Naval War College is truly a lifetime global connector. So to Pete Garvin and the team here at the Naval War College, thank you for hosting yet another wonderful symposium. I’d like you to enjoy a wonderful weekend off, because you don’t need to start planning ISS 26 until Monday.
Let me also thank everyone else that has joined us from around the country to support ISS. My team from the OPNAV and Navy staff, our team of Naval Reservists, the interagency security teams here, local law enforcement, the interpreters, the musicians, all those who have prepared such excellent meals –especially the lobster last night – and so many others that have worked hard to support this symposium. You have my and our sincere thanks. How about a big round of applause to everyone that made this happen? Thank you so much.
Ladies and gentlemen, I view this week as just the beginning of a conversation between our maritime services, and it’s a conversation that I know will continue. After the first ISS, way back in 1969, I think it was probably a lot more difficult for delegates to stay in touch once they left Newport.
But it’s my understanding that just as ISS number one was taking place here in Newport, over on the other side of America, at the University of California at Los Angeles, the very first messages were being sent over what would eventually become the World Wide Web. Today, thanks to the internet, we have email, WhatsApp, Signal, Slack, Zoom, Skype, and many more. So in other words, we have many ways to keep these conversations going and no excuse not to stay in touch.
So I know that I look forward to hearing from you, I want to learn more from you, and I want to understand how the United States Navy can better partner with your maritime forces. ISS has brought us together, and now it’s up to us to leverage what we’ve learned. As we prepare to return to our home offices, we have important work to do – work that will make a real difference in the lives of our sailors, our families, and our world. We have opportunities to pursue, plans to formulate, commitments to uphold and, as I suggested yesterday, we have significant choices to make in addressing our overlapping challenges.
So, my parting message is this. Let’s build on the momentum and the bonds of friendship we have established here this week. Let’s move forward together. Let’s have the courage to have real conversations about tough, consequential issues and find solutions together. Let’s keep our faith in one another and let’s continue to earn one another’s trust. I am confident that in an interconnected world which is prone to systemic shocks, from pandemics, war, and a changing climate, our interdependence should be a source of stability, not of fragility.
Regional, transregional, and global maritime frameworks that are fit for purpose deliver strength and resilience. Every nation here is a vital link in the chain. Every navy and coast guard here makes a difference. A maritime partnership that is based on some key characteristics, collaboration and integration, inclusion, and the principles enshrined in international law will increase our collective prosperity and improve our collective security. And with such a partnership, I know that we will be stronger together.
I thank you all very much, and I look forward to seeing you around the world and at ISS number 26.
Thank you very much. And, again, thank you for being here.