Category: United States Navy

Source: United States Navy

Below is a transcript of the remarks as delivered:

Thank you so much, and Phyllis, thank you very much for your kind words. I never could have imagined that we actually grew up in the same place. It is really an honor to be here. Thank you so much for the invitation. Secretary Dalton, thank you so much for your story, your leadership, for everything that you’ve done for our Navy. How about another big round of applause?

Mr. Secretary, Admiral Grady, Admiral Richardson, Admiral Howard, Deputy Under Secretary Gebhardt – so great to see you in that role – Vice Admiral, not here, Davids, but if you’re watching Admiral Davis, I hope you feel better, Admiral Lower, Ambassador Cabral, MCPON13 Stevens, interagency colleagues, industry partners, veterans, Sailors, families, all of our active, reserve, retired Sailors, DOD civilians, friends, family… hello, Jim and Isabelle, great to see you – my husband and daughter joining today. I am really thrilled to be back here at the Military Women’s Memorial to celebrate such a momentous occasion as we mark the 30 years of women serving on combatant ships.

I really want to thank you, Phyllis, I want to thank the Military Women’s Memorial Board of Directors and the entire team here for putting on this incredible event and curating, what I already got a sneak preview on, is a truly inspiring and memorable exhibit.

Again, Secretary Dalton, it is truly an honor to have you here with us today. Thank you for your leadership, your focus, and really your commitment to ensuring that women have the opportunity to serve at every single level of our Navy. We wouldn’t be here without you. I also want to say thank you, although they may have left, to our brass quartet for their wonderful music, they always add so much to our celebration. And I want to continue that vein of thanks by saying thank you to all of you for making the time to be here, for taking an interest in telling, sharing and preserving the stories of women past and present who serve our nation.

I am so honored and humbled to be part of opening this exhibit, “Sea Change: Navy women on Combatant Ships”. Earlier I mentioned over 30 years into this very important sea change, made possible by the repeal of the combat exclusion law on November 30, 1993 – really the landmark piece of legislation that repealed laws that barred women from serving aboard combatant shifts and aircraft and opened the door for someone like me to be standing before you today as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations.

And although 30th of November is the day we mark, I think it’s really important that we pause and reflect on the hard work and dedication of the many women – and men – trailblazers who spent decades paving the way for this piece of legislation, and for the generations of women leaders who lead our sea services today.

When I think of trailblazers, I think of Frieda Hardin, she’s the first panel in the exhibit that you will see today, and one of just 12,000 women who served our Navy-Marine Corps team as nurses, clerks, draftsmen, translators, camouflage designers and recruiters during World War One, She was a Yeomanette, a Yeoman “F” for female, on active duty from September 1918 to March 1919 at the Norfolk Naval Yard in Virginia, when a formal role for women in the Armed Forces was really hard to even conceptualize at a time when women could not even vote.

When I think about the trailblazers, I think of the more than 100,000 women who served in the Navy as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) during World War II, performing a variety of jobs from clerical work and weather forecasting to hospital work, engineering and even training male pilots to be able to fly their aircraft. A little over a week ago, we celebrated the 82nd anniversary of the WAVES legislation.

When I think of trailblazers, I think of Admiral Elmo or “bud” Zumwalt, our 19th Chief of Naval Operations, through his Z gram 116 which was released in 1972, and it was entitled “equal rights opportunities for women in the Navy”, he would initiate and direct the process of more fully integrating into the Navy so they could, and I quote, “contribute their extensive talents and achieve full professional status.” His message allowed the assignment of women on ships one day, it opened all Staff Corps and restricted line communities to women. It welcomed the acceptance of women midshipmen into the Naval ROTC program, and it improved pathways for women to progress to Flag rank. All of these trailblazers, many of whom you’ll see in the exhibit later tonight, understood that incorporating the talent and expertise of American women was necessary to ensure our nation’s warfighting advantage far into the future. They realized that just like men, women bring their critical skills and innovative ideas that we need to be the world’s most formidable fighting force, ready to deter, fight, and win whenever and wherever our nation asks us to do so.

I’m going to tell a little bit of a story about myself, my personal path to joining the Navy, because it really was all made possible because of Z gram 116. I commissioned through the ROTC program at Northwestern University back in 1985 when the Combat Exclusion Law was still in effect. At a time when there were a lot of things that women could not do, at a time when there were only 17 spots a year for women officers to serve on ships, and then only on noncombatant ships. Sadly, I did not get one of those spots, and I became a girl, GURL, a general unrestricted line officer. And I headed up from Great Lakes, where I served at Naval Reserve Readiness Command Region 13 for my very first tour. And after a few months there, my COO at the time, Captain Gary Bair, a Surface Warfare Officer, pulled me aside and told me that I had the makings of the division officer at sea. With his full support and the

encouragement from the rest of my command, they pushed me to pull every lever available to me to get the training and the qualifications I needed to prove my desire and my ability to serve at sea. Long story short, after taking a six-week course at the Boiler Tech Machinist’s Mate school at Great Lakes, qualifying Engineering Officer of the Watch at the Great Lakes “Hot Plant”, I put a package together, and I found a path forward. I could resign my active commission. I could take a reserve commission, and I could become a TAR, a Training and Administration Reserves Officer, and I could get one of the three spots that were held open for members of the Naval Reserve. So, with Captain Bair’s support and encouragement, I went for it, just like Rita said, and I was selected. Reported to Surface Warfare Officer School on the day I promoted to Lieutenant JG.

I share that story because I think it really highlights how limited the opportunities for women were before the repeal the combat exclusion law. But after my first division officer tour onboard USS Shenandoah, a Destroyer Tender, I could see those opportunities were starting to increase, and in 1988, a policy change allowed women to be assigned to the Combat Logistics Force. So, I passed up ashore duty, and I took a second division officer tour on USS Monongahela, an oiler, to take advantage of this new opportunity and get some more experience, just in case.

After Monongahela, I went ashore, and while I was there, I started to hear rumblings that the combat exclusion law might be repealed. I headed to department head school with excitement and dreams of going to a combatant, and I really hoped that my timing would work out. But it didn’t. I took my T-O exam. I got the top score in my class, and then I went to my desk to open the little envelope that contained my next assignment. And I was the Chief Engineer on the USS Kiska, an ammunition ship, not a combatant, the law and policy changes were not complete.

So, with a very heavy heart and thoughts that my dreams of taking command of a combatant ship were over, I dutifully went through the steam engineer pipeline. But when I was just about to graduate, I was called to the CO’s office, and I was told exciting news. “You have new orders. You’re going to be the Operations Officer on the USS Moosbrugger, a destroyer out of Charleston, South Carolina. Congratulations.” I could not have been more shocked, more excited, or more happy. Immediately I got to work learning everything I could about being Operations Officer on the Spruance-class destroyer, mostly from my peers, and also how to lay the groundwork for this all-male ship to become co-ed.

When I arrived on Moos in 1994 there were three women, Radioman Senior Chief Petty Officer Douget, Lieutenant Junior Grade Pisani, and me. In addition to our normal jobs, it was also our responsibility to help prepare the crew to embark our first group of women. People were excited. They were scared and they were nervous, but our CO, Captain Steve Nimitz, set a positive tone. He welcomed our new teammates without any fanfare and set about fully integrating them into the team. The rest is literally history.

I understand that we have some women here from those initial groups, those who had their own personal journey alongside the combat exclusion law, those that were on the Eisenhower, the USS Moosbrugger, the hailer, the Briscoe, others, even aviation squadrons back then. So, I would like you all to stand so we can give you a round of applause.

And it was true that once women were able to serve on combatants, the doors to command, command ships, aircraft squadrons, destroyers squadrons, strike groups, fleets and even being the CNO were opened. All that we needed was time at sea, experience on staffs, and the opportunity to lead.

When I tell this story to Midshipmen and young Petty Officers now, they look at me like I’m crazy. They have absolutely no idea that there was a time where women were not on every single ship in the United States Navy. Even below the surface, since 2011, women have been serving on submarines, and today, Commander Amber Cowan and Master Chief Coover are leading their sailors for the USS, Kentucky Gold and the USS Louisiana as the first female XO and the first female Chief of the Boat on a nuclear-powered submarine.

But none of us got here alone, and I am just one small part of this history. Just as our young Sailors of today look up and learn from those ahead of them on their journey, I learned from those ahead of me. Trailblazers really cleared the path, two of whom are here tonight, the first Admiral Deb Loewer. Deb is one of the first women officers selected for shipboard duty and made history as the first warfare-qualified woman to achieve Flag rank in 2003. She was my XO onboard Monongahela and remains an exceptional mentor to this day. Deb, can you please stand so we can give you a round of applause.

And the second Admiral Michelle Howard, one of the first women to graduate from the Naval Academy, way back in 1982, Michelle was the first black woman to command a US Navy combatant ship, USS Rushmore in 1999 and was the first woman to command a Fleet, a four-star Fleet and be promoted to the rank of four-star Admiral in 2014. Upon her promotion, Michelle became the highest-ranking woman in the US Armed Forces history, and the highest-ranking black woman in Naval history. Michelle, please stand so we can give you a round of applause.

Without their hard work and example, and that of others like them, like commander Kathleen McGrath, the first woman to command a US Navy combatant the USS Jarrett, Master Chief Janice Ayers, the first woman to serve in Command Master Chief at sea, and I now know that Darlene Iskra is here, the first woman to ever command a Navy ship.

And you know it’s very clear to me that our Navy today is very different from the Navy I joined when I was 22 years old, just as it was different from the Navy Frieda Hardin joined when she too was just 22 years old. As the Secretary said, today in 2024 all the doors of service have opened, and women not only serving, but they are leading Fleets, strike groups, destroyers, aircraft carriers, aviation squadrons,

submarines, air wings, destroyer squadrons, hospitals, supply depots, bases, shipyards and many, many more things. They have demonstrated their capability, determination, resilience and warfighting prowess. They are serving on the front lines of freedom, operating at the point of friction with our adversaries and the point of friendship with our Allies and partners all around the world. Performing just like we expect all our sailors to do in complex environments like those we see today in the Middle East.

Our ships and aircraft manned by highly skilled women and men have shot down hundreds of UAVs, USBs, cruise missiles, and for the first time in history, anti-ship ballistic missiles – saving countless lives, deterring escalation and upholding the rules-based international order and the values that we all hold so dear. One of those shifts USS Thomas Hudner was commanded by a woman – commander, Shelby M. Nikitin. And under her leadership, her team shot down cruise missiles in self-defense and in defense of Allies and partners to ensure that our sea lines of communication remained open and to guarantee our nation’s security and prosperity.

I’m here, and we are all here today, to recognize the contributions of our history-making women leaders, those who place the path, those who are on the path, and those who one day will be on the path and join our team. Because of them, and the reforms made by the Navy, the Department of Defense, Congress and the White House, our Navy is the most powerful fighting force in the world.

And as this exhibit reminds us, we have come a long way, and although there is never really a finish line, I am certainly glad that we are nearing the end of firsts, and that women serving at all levels of our military, whether they’re active, reserve, or civilian, they’re not a novelty. They’re not even an interesting milestone anymore, but just an everyday part of our DNA. I’ve been fortunate to have this front row seat to history, and while there will always be more work to do to unlock the full potential of our teams, I am confident that we have the right people in place to continue the momentum that has brought us thus far.

As we’re gathered here today to celebrate the launch of this new exhibit and the 30-year anniversary of women serving on combatant ships, I’m proud to say that women’s Sailors no longer ask the question, “What can I do?” The advancements made by and for needy women over the past 30 years have reframed that question, now it’s all about “what do I want to do?”

My story is just one ripple in the many waves of those who came before me, made possible by all the pioneering women and men who believed in equality and diversity, who believe in this sea change. I am grateful to the Military Women’s Memorial for everything they do to capture and share the incredible stories of bold and daring women, the ones in this exhibit and beyond. To preserve and celebrate the service of all women – in every branch of our military throughout our nation’s rich history.

So, before I finish and I ring that bell to open up an honorable exhibit, there is one final woman Trailblazer that I would like to recognize, who unfortunately is not here with us today, but is here in

spirit. And that woman is Air Force Brigadier General retired, Wilma L. Vaught. She is the driving force behind this tremendous Memorial, for without her efforts, we would surely not be gathered here today.

So, I’ll wrap up this evening with some words from Frieda Hardin the World War One yeomanette During the first remarks that she made here at the memorial in 1997, and I think this quote is as relevant today as it was back then. And this is what she said: “to those women who are now in the military service, I say go for it. To those young women who may be thinking about a career in the military service, I say go for it. You will find a world of opportunity waiting for you.”

So, in the words of freedom, let’s go for it and see what the next 30 years bring to our Navy and to our great nation. Thank you very much.

Source: United States Navy

NEWPORT, Rhode Island – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro met with Officer Candidates and Surface Warfare Officers in Newport, R.I., Aug. 8.

While speaking at Officer Training Command Newport to the officer candidates and at Surface Warfare Schools Command to future second-tour division officers, department heads, executive officers, and faculty, Secretary Del Toro expressed how grateful he was for their decision to serve their country and urged them to share their stories with friends and family back home.

“I need you to be leaders when you get out to the fleet,” said Secretary Del Toro to both groups. “Leaders of our young men and women in uniform. But I also need you to recruit our next generation of Sailors. We need people who will think strategically about the hard issues—issues like how we win the war for talent we find ourselves in.”

Secretary Del Toro also reflected on the initiatives and his priorities over his last three years in office.

“When I became Secretary of the Navy, I laid out three enduring priorities for the Department,” said Secretary Del Toro. “First is strengthening our maritime dominance—building and buying the equipment you all need to succeed in your missions. The second is building a culture of warfighting excellence—investing in you, our Sailors and Marines, your education, and your quality of life, and not accepting any discrimination, racism, or extremism in our ranks. And the third is enhancing strategic partnerships—that means building lasting, strong relationships with all of our stakeholders: our global network of allies and partners, with industry, and with Congress.”

Secretary Del Toro additionally met with senior area leaders while in Newport.

Source: United States Navy

NEWPORT, Rhode Island – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro delivered remarks at the Future Warfighting Symposium at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., Aug. 8.

Secretary Del Toro addressed new Naval War College (NWC) students, faculty, and staff on the eve of his third anniversary in office.

“To remain competitive in today’s age of conflict, we must leverage every advantage available to us,” said Secretary Del Toro. “We need you, our warrior scholars, at the tip of the spear, because we face existential threats and challenges in every corner of the globe.”

This year’s theme of “Navigating the Future: A Summit of Geopolitical Risks” aligns with Secretary Del Toro’s enduring priorities to strengthen maritime dominance, build a culture of warfighting excellence, and enhance strategic partnerships.

In his remarks, Secretary Del Toro reflected on his three years in office, including his call for a new Maritime Statecraft in September 2023.

“Maritime Statecraft encompasses not only naval diplomacy, but a national, whole-of government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval,” said Secretary Del Toro. “Maritime Statecraft depends not only on a strong Navy and Marine Corps, but also active engagement in areas of economic development, trade, education, science, innovation, and climate diplomacy to enable us to compete on a global scale.”

Secretary Del Toro also discussed his continued efforts alongside government and shipbuilding industry leaders to solve common issues and overall improvements. He closed his remarks at the event by reiterating that the future of warfighting is here.

“As a Department of the Navy, we must be ready to fight and prevail in this new era of conflict and technology,” said Secretary Del Toro. “I call on each of you to continue pushing the envelope and to innovate at the speed of relevancy to ensure our competitive edge over our adversaries.”

Secretary Del Toro also attended the portrait unveiling at the Naval War College of Professor John Hattendorf.

“Professor Hattendorf, sir, your passion for history and love for education has transformed so many lives. Our Navy, our Nation, and indeed our world are better off because of your service to others, and we are proud to be a part of your enduring legacy,” said Secretary Del Toro. “May this portrait forever serve as a reminder to future generations of Naval War College students of your dedication to this college, your relentless pursuit of knowledge, and the thousands of lives you have influenced.”

Professor John B. Hattendorf is the Ernest J. King Professor Emeritus of Maritime History, a chair he occupied at the U.S. Naval War College from 1984 to 2016.

Click HERE to read Secretary Del Toro’s full remarks at the Future Warfighting Symposium.

Source: United States Navy

Good afternoon, everyone!

Thank you, Rear Admiral Garvin, for inviting me to speak to this group of rising in-resident students at the Naval War College and for your incredible leadership at this bastion of military education and strategy.

To all of our general officers, flag officers, senior enlisted leaders, distinguished visitors, guests, and students: welcome, and thank you for joining us today.

I am grateful to be here with you, to speak at the Future Warfighting Symposium.

And I believe this year’s theme—“Navigating the Future: A Summit of Geopolitical Risks”—is particularly apt here and now at the Naval War College.

To remain competitive in today’s age of conflict, we must leverage every advantage available to us.

And we are laser-focused on the future of warfighting because of the uncertainty and challenges we face in the world today.

We need you, our warrior scholars, at the tip of the spear, because we face existential threats and challenges in every corner of the globe.

In Europe, Russia is well into the third year of its full-scale and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Last month, we and our NATO allies gathered in Washington to re-affirm our commitment to our Ukrainian partners.

Ukraine is fighting not just for their own liberty and freedom—they are fighting to protect democracy in Europe and indeed around the world.

We are proud to stand beside them in support of their just and noble cause.

For the first time since World War II, we face a comprehensive maritime power—our pacing challenge—in the Indo-Pacific.

The People’s Republic of China continues to exert its excessive maritime claims through their navy, coast guard, and maritime militia.

And the PRC is observing lessons from the ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Red Sea.

In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, we continue working alongside our NATO allies and Middle East partners to protect innocent, civilian mariners and commercial shipping against Iranian-aligned Houthi attacks.

Immediately following the October 7th attacks in Israel, our Navy and Marine Corps were on station, a ready integrated force capable of responding to any threat.

Our ships and aircraft deterred and defeated missiles and drones which threatened innocent maritime shipping—Carney, Mason, Gravely, Laboon, Thomas Hudner, and Eisenhower—these ships’ exemplary performance under fire calls back to their namesakes’ warfighting legacies.

Carrier Air Wing Three—our “Battle Axe”—deployed over sixty air-to-air missiles and over 420 air-to-surface weapons in defense of civilian mariners in the Red Sea.

And Bataan Amphibious Ready Group with embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit deterred hostile Houthi attacks against innocent ships and helped prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the region.

These warfighters earned the Navy Unit Commendation and Combat Action Ribbon that I awarded to them earlier this year.

My wife Betty and I had the honor and privilege to welcome the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and Bataan ARG when they returned home this year.

Seeing all of the families and friends on the pier for our Sailors and Marines underscored the integral role our families play in our armed forces.

We could not do this job without them.

And because of their support, our Navy and Marine Corps Team serves as a powerful testament of our Nation’s commitment to our allies and partners in Europe, the Middle East, and Indo-Pacific regions.

Last fall, at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, I announced my vision for a new Maritime Statecraft to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition.

Maritime Statecraft encompasses not only naval diplomacy and maritime competition, but a national, whole-of government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval.

Maritime Statecraft depends not only on a strong Navy and Marine Corps, but also active engagement in areas of economic development, trade, education, science, innovation, and climate diplomacy to enable us to compete on a global scale.

A key tenet of Maritime Statecraft is the recognition that no great naval power has long endured without also being a commercial maritime power.

Making naval shipbuilding more cost effective requires we restore the competitiveness of U.S. commercial shipping and shipbuilding, which began to decline in the 1980s.

This is why I have been working outside the lifelines of the Department, meeting with cabinet leaders across this administration to build awareness and advocate that long-term solutions to many of the Navy’s challenges require we renew the health of our nation’s broader seapower ecosystem.

This past year, I drove the creation of the Government Shipbuilder’s Council, which brings us together with MARAD, Coast Guard, NOAA, and yes, even the Army, to tackle common challenges in ship construction and maintenance.

We have catalyzed multiple White House-led interagency processes on both naval and commercial shipbuilding, bringing together the National Security Council, National Economic Council, and Departments across the Executive Branch. 

And my team is working with partners in Congress to reinvigorate existing but unfunded authorities and craft new incentives to build and flag commercial ships in the United States.

We expect these efforts will offer significant returns to Navy shipbuilding and sealift.

And Maritime Statecraft has gone global.

In February, I traveled to the Republic of Korea and Japan where I met with top executives of some of the world’s most technologically advanced and prolific dual-use commercial and naval shipyards. 

These companies are recognized leaders of the global shipbuilding industry, and their presence in the United States could introduce new competitive dynamics, renowned innovation, and unrivaled industrial capacity within the domestic shipbuilding market.

During each of these engagements, I brought to the table a simple, yet profound opportunity and message: invest in America.

In June, Hanwha announced they had reached an agreement to purchase the Philly Shipyard. Hanwha’s intent is to expand the yard’s facilities, update its technology, double the size of the workforce, and quadruple the output to compete for both commercial and naval shipbuilding contracts.

I am hopeful that Hanwha will be just the first of many world-class shipbuilders to come to America and take part in our country’s maritime renaissance.

Maritime Statecraft is a means, and maritime dominance is the ends.

Tomorrow marks my third anniversary as Secretary of the Navy, and it has been the honor of my life to serve alongside the nearly one million Sailors, Marines, and Department of the Navy civilians who serve our great Nation.

When I first came into office, I laid out my vision for the Department of the Navy through three Enduring Priorities. They are:

• Strengthening Maritime Dominance,
• Building a Culture of Warfighting Excellence, and
• Enhancing Strategic Partnerships.

These priorities serve as the basis for all that we do in the Department.

To fight and decisively win our Nation’s wars, we cannot rely on merely maintaining our seapower—we must strengthen our maritime dominance.

While we work to expand our shipbuilding capacity, we are also focusing significant attention on innovations that will make our current fleet more formidable.

This is why I have prioritized fielding the Transportable Re-Arming Mechanism (TRAM), which will provide our surface combatants with a game-changing capability to reload their Vertical Launch Systems while underway in open ocean.

TRAM offers us an achievable, near-term deterrent that will disrupt the strategic calculus of those who would do us harm.

Last month, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division successfully conducted the first land-based demonstration of TRAM, a key milestone leading up to the at-sea demonstration which I have directed to take place in the fall.

We have the best engineers in the Navy making this capability real. I am incredibly proud of that team for their efforts to meet the aggressive timeline that I have set to field TRAM across the fleet.

No longer will our warships need to withdraw from combat for extended periods to reload in port.  Our surface force has proved itself in battle in the Red Sea.  Now, by enabling our combatants to refill their magazines underway, TRAM offers us a powerful near-term deterrent that will disrupt the strategic calculus of those who would do us harm.

And next week, we will take another logistical innovation to sea. The Modular CONSOL Adapter Kit, or MCAK, will enable commercial tankers to help sustain our fleet in forward areas.  And it can be installed on any tanker in the world in just 36 hours.

By leveraging our advantage in connected underway replenishment, these advances effectively increase the size and combat power of our fleet—a prospect that should give any would-be aggressor pause.

This is what strengthening maritime dominance looks like.

And being the dominant Navy we are, we have not stopped there. We continue to use emerging and next-generation technologies to further our warfighting superiority.

The Hybrid Fleet is no longer simply just a concept—it is a reality.

Shortly after I took office as Secretary of the Navy, we launched Task Force 59, and over a year ago, it reached full operational capability.

The work accomplished by Task Force 59 in the Fifth Fleet, in concert with our allies and partners in the region, have laid the groundwork for future unmanned operations around the world—including as an integrated crewed and uncrewed force in Fourth and Seventh Fleets.

And just as the Navy and Marine Corps protect sealines of communication and commerce, we also protect the cyber domain to contest malicious cyber actors.

Last year, I released the first-ever Department of the Navy Cyber Strategy which outlined my priorities for cyberspace. We must project power in and through cyberspace. My Principal Cyber Advisor and Chief Information Officer are hard at work overseeing the strategy’s implementation and strengthening our cyber posture—and we are already seeing results.

Our people are the foundational strength of this Department, and they provide us competitive warfighting advantage over our adversaries.

Our priority of building a culture of warfighting excellence is founded on strong leadership that is rooted in treating each other with dignity and respect—creating an environment in which our Sailors and Marines can realize their inherent potential.

It includes not only taking care of our people, but also maximizing education opportunities, cultivating research, development, science, and technology.

This year, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group executed the first Integrated Air Defense Course in the new Integrated Training Facility in Fallon, Nevada, a revolution in virtual-constructive training facilities.

Because of the foundational training provided by the tacticians at the Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center and the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, our forces excelled under intense combat situations.

And the cutting-edge technology at these facilities could not exist without the research, development, and education to support them.

Education is a critical warfighting enabler, providing our Sailors, Marines, and civilians the tools necessary to succeed.

Last year, I released my Naval Education Strategy, which outlined the ways in which we will use education for future force readiness and competitive advantage.

Throughout our lines of effort, we are making strides to implement a learning continuum for the entire force, integrate education into talent management frameworks for more precise and agile talent management, and strengthen the Naval University System.

We have increased investments in the NUS—the Naval War College, United States Naval Academy, ROTC programs, Marine Corps University, Naval Postgraduate School, and the United States Naval Community College—to foster the intellectual edge needed to prevail in peace or war.

Our Marine Corps launched the Marine Innovation Unit, which leverages the skillsets of our talented Marine reservists to find solutions and accomplish engagements integral to our warfighting future.

And this initiative directly supports the Marine Corps’ Force Design modernization efforts—ensuring our ability to fight a peer adversary on the modern battlefield.

Last September, I stood up the Science and Technology Board, with the intent that the board provide independent advice and counsel to the Department of the Navy on matters and policies relating to scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition, logistics, medicine, and business management functions.

And this year, I released our new Naval Science and Technology Strategy, guiding our Navy and Marine Corps’ innovation initiatives and science and technology research efforts during this decisive period.

Our Department prioritizes people first and foremost—because people are our greatest strength and force resilience begins and ends with them.

Last year, I directed the immediate implementation of the Brandon Act, which honors the life of Petty Officer Third Class Brandon Caserta, who tragically died by suicide in 2018. The Brandon Act allows service members to seek confidential help for any reason, at any time, and in any environment.

This act helps remove the stigma from seeking help for mental health and improves access to mental health care for service members—something we all as leaders simply must be invested in.

Building a culture of warfighting excellence crucially encompasses learning from the past and righting historic wrongs.

Last month, I had the opportunity and obligation to correct a historic injustice and place the Department of the Navy on the right side of history.

Port Chicago Naval Magazine, approximately 25 miles from San Francisco, served a critical role in supporting combat operations in the Pacific Theater.

On the evening of July 17th, 1944, munitions being loaded onto the S.S. E.A Bryan detonated, killing 320 Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, civilians, and others—and inuring an additional 390.

Over 200 of these fallen heroes were African American Sailors, many of their bodies torn to pieces because of the explosion.

258 surviving Sailors, traumatized by the blast, unsafe working conditions, lack of training, and fearful for their lives, were charged with refusing to continue loading munitions under said conditions.

After officials threaten these Sailors with disciplinary action, 208 of the Sailors returned to work. The remaining 50 Sailors continued to refuse to return to work and were charged with mutiny.

This act was known as the Port Chicago Mutiny, and the 50 Sailors were known as the Port Chicago 50.

While every Sailor serving at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine had chosen to serve, the subsequent General and Summary Courts-martial labeled those 258 Sailors as criminals.

Upon the comprehensive review of these courts-martial and advice of the General Counsel, I made the decision—inherent within my authorities as Secretary of the Navy dating to the laws of the time—to set aside the courts-martial results of all 258 Sailors convicted as part of the Port Chicago incident.

This decision clears their names, restores their honor, and acknowledges the courage they displayed in the face of immense danger.

While long overdue, this is the justice these Sailors—our people—deserve.

To be the most effective fighting force, our Navy and Marine Corps is enhancing strategic partnerships across the Joint Force, industry, academia, and with our allies and partners around the globe.

Last month, alongside officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, we announced the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative (M3), a federal, state, and local partnership to help rebuild the maritime industrial base workforce that the Navy needs.

We have partnered with Michigan’s Macomb [muh-COAM] and Oakland Community Colleges to focus on ship and submarine production skillsets.

To tackle the critical need to advance shipbuilding research and design, our Office of Naval Research recently funded a 14-million-dollar Center for Naval Research and Education at the University of Michigan.

We are also excited to have just facilitated a new educational partnership with the University of Michigan, Seoul National University, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

America was once a nation which led the world in shipbuilding.

And with the efforts of Americans across the country, we will restore our status as a leading shipbuilding nation once more.

The Naval War College is a national treasure. There is no institution better suited to build the intellectual foundation of maritime statecraft. It is in your DNA.

Luce, Mahan, Sims—icons of this institution—changed the world with revolutionary works on sea power. They recognized then, as now, that for the United States, maritime strategy is grand strategy.

Extraordinary thought leadership here in Newport made the nation a global power at the dawn of the 20th Century. 

In China, we face a full spectrum global maritime power for the first time in over a century. Today’s intense strategic competition demands a renaissance in America’s maritime power. And this institution must lead it once again.

I am grateful for Rear Admiral Garvin’s leadership organizing multiple conferences on Maritime Statecraft.

One of the most important outcomes of the recent Current Strategy Forum is the development of a set of research questions to inspire new original work by faculty and students.

I again emphasize that no great naval power has long endured without also being a maritime power. 

For the last forty years we have sought to defy that maxim—completely outsourcing our commercial shipping and shipbuilding to other countries. 

Is that still tenable today? When 99.6% of our seaborne commerce travels on foreign flagged ships what are the risks to our economy in times of crisis?

All of you in the audience today have a tremendous opportunity to lead the way on groundbreaking research we need to guide our actions and policies.

In case I have left it unclear, I can assure you that my staff and I will be avid readers of your work.  

We not only have it in our power, but in our charge to change the course of history once again. 

As I said before, it is the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside you as the 78th Secretary of the Navy.

May God bless our service men and women and all those to support them. Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Participating Navy assets include Sailors from the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard, Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron TWO, USS Constitution, Naval Talent Acquisition Group Empire State, Navy Recruiting Command, Naval History & Heritage Command, Navy Band Northeast, Office of Civilian Human Resources, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Navy eSports, U.S. Naval Academy, and the Office of Small Business Programs.

More than 60 Sailors will participate in education and community outreach events throughout the city, including a Navy Week proclamation and recognition ceremony at City Hall and a presence at the New York State Fair, the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology, and much more. 

The Navy’s senior executive is Rear Adm. Stephen “Josh” Jackson, Deputy Director, Operations and Integration Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency. During Syracuse Navy Week, he is participating in community outreach activities and engaging with local business, civic, education, and government leaders.

Navy Weeks are a series of outreach events coordinated by the Navy Office of Community Outreach designed to give Americans an opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity. Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort into areas of the country without a significant Navy presence, providing the public a firsthand look at why the Navy matters to cities like Syracuse.

“Sailors are the reason America’s Navy is the most powerful in the world,” said NAVCO’s director, Cmdr. Julie Holland. “We are thrilled to bring your Navy Warfighters to Syracuse. At Navy Weeks, Americans will connect with Sailors who have strong character, competence, and dedication to the mission, and who continue a nearly 250-year tradition of decisive power from seabed to cyberspace.”

Throughout the week, Sailors & civilians will participate in various community events across the area, including engagements with youth at the Mary Nelson Youth Foundation and Henninger High School. Sailors are volunteering at organizations in the city of Syracuse, including Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and Food Bank of Central New York, among others. Residents will also enjoy free live music at venues throughout the city performed by Navy Band Northeast.

Syracuse Navy Week is one of 15 Navy Weeks in 2024, which brings a variety of assets, equipment and personnel to a single city for a weeklong series of engagements designed to bring America’s Navy closer to the people it protects. Each year, the program reaches more than 140 million people – about half of the U.S. population.

Media organizations wishing to cover Syracuse Navy Week events should contact Lt. j.g. Josh Keim at (901) 232-4451 or joshua.a.keim.mil@us.navy.mil. You can find the Syracuse Navy Week schedule of events at www.outreach.navy.mil.