Category: United States of America

Source: United States Navy

Good morning, everyone! It’s wonderful to be here today with you.

Congressman Scott, thank you for welcoming us to your district, and for your incredible work on behalf of students, workers, and our Nation.

Secretary Su, thank you for joining us here in Hampton Roads—as you know, this area is one of the strongest industrial—and maritime-industrial—regions of our great Nation.

More importantly, thank you for your partnership on strengthening our national workforce.

Students—thank you for being here, and thank you for choosing a career in the maritime industry.

We have a growing need for a techno-industrial workforce to build and assemble the ships, munitions, parts, and pieces our Navy, Marine Corps, and indeed our Nation needs to promote peace around the world.

And all of you represent the next generation of that workforce.

The industry you’ve chosen a career in—the maritime industry—is critical to our economic security.

And as I’ve often said, economic security is national security.

90% of the world’s trade travels via the oceans.

99% of internet traffic travels via undersea cables.

And between:

the Houthis threatening innocent merchant mariners travelling through the Bab-al-Mandeb,

Iran’s periodic harassment of merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, piracy, narcotics and human trafficking, and Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. Challenges to the free flow of maritime commerce around the world are increasing.

But our Navy and Marine Corps—some operating aboard ships that are built and repaired right here in Hampton Roads—are deployed every day around the globe to counter those threats, defend innocent lives, and protect the rights of all nations to sail in the maritime commons.

Last fall, I announced a call for a new National Maritime Statecraft to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition.

Maritime Statecraft encompasses a national, whole-of-government effort to restore the maritime capabilities of the United States.

Securing America’s maritime prosperity is not a new mission—it is our founding mission.

That is why I have forcefully advocated to revive our Nation’s shipbuilding capabilities and capacity.

But integral to this revival of American shipbuilding is a strong workforce to support it.

The work you all are training for is integral to our ability to answer the nation’s call and for our Sailors and Marines to do their jobs with the greatest effectiveness possible.

And the trades you’re learning look much, much different than when I was in the Navy.

The shipyard I remember from my active-duty career is disappearing quickly.

Advances in modelling, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing the work all of you will do in your careers—making you more effective and efficient and expanding your skillsets.

Our skilled trades—high-paying, high-skilled, “new-collar” jobs—are the latest in a long line and proud history of workers in our Nation who built the Liberty Ships in World War One, the Riveters who built our planes in World War II, and made America the strongest and greatest nation on Earth.

We were once a leading shipbuilding nation—and thanks to you and others like you, we will be again.

Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Good afternoon, everyone! Thank you, Rob, for that kind introduction. It is wonderful to be with you here in Newport, Rhode Island for the 10th annual SENEDIA Defense Innovation Days.

This is my fourth year in a row speaking and engaging with all of you—I’ll leave it the team at SENEDIA to tell you if this is a record for most appearances by a Secretary of the Navy—at least in three years!

During our time this morning, I’d like to spend a few minutes discussing challenges our Navy and Marine Corps faces, the progress our Department has made since we saw each other last year, and how you, as critical members of our defense and maritime industrial bases, can contribute to our enduring priorities.

Our World Today

And we rely on the talent and skill of those in this room today because we face tremendous challenges in every corner of the globe, and in every domain we operate in—below and on the sea, in the air, ashore, as well as in space and cyberspace.

Across the Atlantic, Russia continues in its third year of its illegal, unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukraine Compact, which was endorsed last month by President Biden, Canadian, Japanese, and several European leaders, rightfully characterizes Russia’s invasion as a threat to international peace and security, a flagrant violation of international law, and incompatible with our security interests.

We are proud to stand with our NATO allies in support of our Ukrainian partners as they fight to restore peace in their homeland and defend democracy for all free nations.

To the south of Ukraine, in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, we are working alongside our NATO allies and Middle East partners to ensure the safety of innocent, civilian mariners and to protect our commercial shipping against the Iranian-aligned Houthi attacks.

Immediately following the brutal attack on Israel on October 7th, our Navy and Marine Corps Team—represented by the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the Eisenhower Strike Group—was on station, the ready integrated force the world needed, capable of responding to any threat.

In March, we welcomed the Bataan ARG and its embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit after an eight-and-a-half month deployment, and last month, the Eisenhower Strike Group returned to port after nine months at-sea.

Our Sailors and Marines performed admirably, defending our ally Israel against Iranian attacks, conducting defensive strikes against Houthi infrastructure, and ensuring a sea lane critical to the international economy remained open.

Today, our personnel onboard the Wasp ARG is on station in the Mediterranean Sea, while the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group and Abraham Lincoln Strike Group are operating in the Middle East.

In addition to our surface presence, earlier this month Secretary Austin ordered the USS GEORGIA (SSGN 729) to head to the region, providing a powerful deterrence message from below the ocean’s waves.

Our Sailors and Marines stand ready to respond to threats, reassuring our allies and partners of our commitment to the safety and security of all who travel those waters.

Finally, in the Indo-Pacific, we face a comprehensive maritime power for the first time since World War II.

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

Earlier this month, Australia, Canada, the Philippines, and the United States upheld the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Together, our nations conducted a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, and the interoperability amongst our armed forces sends a strong signal that we are united in support of the rules based international order.

And we will continue to work with our international allies and partners to ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains free and open for all.

Three-Year Review

As you can see, there is no shortage of challenges we face around the world.

When I assumed office as the 78th Secretary of the Navy three years ago this month, I outlined three enduring priorities to guide our Department, in line with my responsibility to provide combat ready forces and capabilities to the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, and our Combatant Commanders.

Our priorities are:

Strengthening Maritime Dominance,

Building a Culture of Warfighting Excellence, and

Enhancing Strategic Partnerships.

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

This means continuing to procure the advanced ships, submarines, aircraft, munitions, and systems our Sailors and Marines rely on to project power both from the sea and ashore.

And to support our forces operating around the globe, we have invested in innovative logistics capabilities to reduce reliance on shore-based installations for re-arming and refueling.

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.

By enabling our warships to refill their magazines at-sea, TRAM offers us a powerful near-term deterrent that will disrupt the strategic calculus of those who would do us harm.

Likewise, 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.

And while we continue to invest heavily in acquiring, fielding, and sustaining our crewed platforms, we recognize that a constant presence in the maritime domain will require a hybrid fleet.

Since I took office, we’ve demonstrated the power and reach that uncrewed platforms can provide to our Navy.

From Task Force 59 in the Middle East to operations and exercises across our Fourth and Seventh Fleets, we are working with our international allies and partners to see how we can best integrate uncrewed platforms into our fleets, providing us with flexibility and the ability to identify who is sailing in our respective waters.

But a strong Navy and Marine Corps is about more than just acquiring advanced systems and platforms.

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.

For example, 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.

To complement MIU, in December 2022, I directed the establishment of the Naval Innovation Center at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

The NIC will tackle the hardest technology challenges our Fleet and Force face, leveraging the deep technical expertise of the NPS faculty, staff, and students to identify innovative solutions that can move rapidly through the stages of prototyping, experimenting, adoption, and transition to a fielded capability.

And 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.

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.

While we are investing heavily in our people to identify technologies and capabilities our Fleet and our Force need to maintain their competitive advantages as they operate around the globe, we recognize that we cannot go at it alone.

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.

Here at home, we are focusing our efforts with industry to expand our national shipbuilding capacity, and train the “new-collar” workforce—combining the cutting-edge technologies of today with traditionally blue-collar careers—that our nation requires to build the fleet of the future.

Last October, shortly after we met during SENEDIA Defense Innovation Days 2023, I was in Danville, Virginia, for the groundbreaking of a new facility for the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing Regional Training Center.

Danville is an exemplar of the power of public-private partnerships, bringing together the Department of the Navy, the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as industry and academia to tackle the workforce challenges our nation faces in a collaborative manner.

Since October, my team and I have traveled the country, developing new partnerships to ensure talented Americans are aware of the incredible opportunities to support our national defense as skilled tradesmen and women while also pursuing a career that will provide for them and their families.

Just 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.

And with the “Submarine Capital of the World” located in this region at Groton, Connecticut, this community knows just how important it is to ensure we have the people necessary to build and maintain our Navy’s undersea fleet.

That is why I was so excited to learn that in May, our Navy Submarine Industrial Base program’s New England Talent Pipeline hosted its first-ever signing day, celebrating 394 individuals joining our SIB workforce.

We have indeed made incredible progress across all three of our enduring priorities, but there is still work to be done to ensure our competitive warfighting advantages, and, more importantly, restore our national maritime power.

Maritime Statecraft

A year ago, at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, I announced my vision for a new Maritime Statecraft to prevail during a point in our nation’s history defined by intense strategic competition.

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

A key component of Maritime Statecraft is effectively leveraging the advantages we uniquely enjoy in innovation and technology, particularly in the maritime domain.

And while there are many things we in the federal government can do to advance Maritime Statecraft, it takes all of us here in this room to ensure its success.

From the large defense prime contractors to the fledgling defense-focused startups represented here today—you are critical to the “arsenal of democracy” that our nation needs, now more than ever.

You are world-class engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, innovating at the edge of technology, pushing the bounds of the possible.

As we look to modernize our Fleet and our Force, and build out our national shipbuilding capacity, we welcome your ideas, your capabilities—your energy and enthusiasm—as we chart our course to restore our maritime power.

As a former career Surface Warfare Officer and a former small business owner in the defense ecosystem, I fully recognize and appreciate what all of you in this room bring to the high-end fight.

I am committed to doing everything in my power to remove barriers within my Department that slow down progress.

And I ask each of you in this room to root out inefficiency, increase production, and foster innovation. Not just for your shareholders, not just for your employees, but for the future of our nation.

We have a need for critical capabilities and technologies to be deployed at speed and scale throughout our fleet and our force, and we can no longer afford to wait.

Closing

For almost 248 years, our Navy and Marine Corps have relied on New Englanders to serve as Sailors, Marines, and civilians throughout our ranks.

We have called upon you to build the platforms and systems our personnel need to achieve their missions around the world.

And today, I am asking you to join us as we continue to advance our Department’s enduring priorities, and to lend your voices and ideas to ensure we field a modern, capable, and lethal Fleet and Force.

Again, it is a pleasure to be with you today, and I am ready to answer any questions you may have.

May God continue to grant our Nation with fair winds and following seas.

Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Good morning, everyone! Thank you, Rear Admiral Garvin, for your kind introduction.

Senator Reed, Admiral Swift, distinguished guests, it is wonderful to be with all of you here in Newport to celebrate one of our Naval services’ time-honored traditions—the changing of command. 

As the only Secretary of the Navy in our Nation’s history who is a graduate of the Naval War College, I cannot over-emphasize how important this institution is to the success of our Navy and Marine Corps.

Education is indeed the foundation of our Fleet and our Force, ensuring that our Sailors, Marines, and civilians are prepared to meet the many evolving dynamic challenges that will test our determination, resolve, and skills.

It is critical to advancing our Department’s three enduring priorities of Strengthening Maritime Dominance, Building a Culture of Warfighting Excellence, and Enhancing Strategic Relationships.

And it is the key to realizing our vision for a new, national approach to Maritime Statecraft.

Since 1884, the Naval War College has educated the leaders our Fleet and our Force, as well as the leaders of the armed forces of our international allies and partners around the globe, preparing them for the challenges we face today and will face in the future as maritime nations.

NWC plays a unique and important role in our Naval University System.

We charge the leadership, faculty, and staff here in Newport with:

Educating and developing tomorrow’s naval and Joint Force leaders

Informing today’s decisionmakers

And engaging with our allies and partners around the world on matters of joint warfare in order to address the complex, global security challenges we face in all domains that we operate in, from below the ocean’s surface to the stars above.

RADM Garvin and NWC Accomplishments

Over the last year, Rear Admiral Garvin—as the 58th President of the Naval War College—has been steadfast in his devotion to this institution, empowering the students, faculty, and staff to pursue their research passions, provide support to our Fleet, Combatant Command, and national leaders, as well as engage with the global maritime community.

When we consider how NWC is revolutionizing our approach to training our future leaders, there is no better example than the Perspectives on Modern War course. 

This new, year-long learning community supported by 68 members of the NWC faculty provides students with the opportunity to explore new concepts, ideas, and technologies, ensuring they are provided with a relevant and current curriculum as they prepare to lead the Fleet and Force of tomorrow.

NWC has also embraced its mission to inform and continue to educate today’s leaders and decisionmakers.

As I said in my speech on Maritime Statecraft at Harvard University last fall, I expect our Admirals and Generals to be skilled warfighters, but I demand that they be strategic thinkers.

The Naval War College is vital to ensuring that this is so.

From formalizing the organization, structure, and processes associated with the Flag Officer and Senior Executive Training—FLEX—series, to hosting senior-level wargames, including:

CNO Futures

Global 17 and Global 18, Trans-Atlantic Maritime Command and Control and Naval Contested Logistics War Game

The Naval War College is leading the way in preparing our talented cadre of Admirals, Generals, and civilian Senior Executives to deter conflict and if necessary, be victorious in combat.

Beyond the focus placed on training and educating students and fleet leaders here in Newport, we’ve witnessed a tremendous increase in engagement and outreach by the Naval War College community.

Early in his tenure, Rear Admiral Garvin and the NWC team hosted the International Seapower Symposium last September, where 174 delegates from 91 countries—including 75 Heads of Navy—gathered in Newport to discuss global maritime challenges and how we could collectively work together to address them.

I will also highlight that several of the international attendees at ISS are graduates of Naval War College, from either our Naval Command College or Naval Staff College.

In fact, on any given day, roughly 40 Heads of Navy around the globe are NWC alumni.

And Rear Admiral Garvin and his team are actively engaging our international alumni in their home regions and countries.

An example of this was the Indo-American War College Conference in Delhi, India, co-hosted by NWC and the Indian Naval War College earlier this year.

During this conference, NWC alumni from across the region gathered to hear keynote addresses and panels focused on IUU Fishing, Indo-Pacific Confidence Building, and climate change, among other topics.

This conference also provided NWC leadership with the opportunity to strengthen their ties with their Indian counterparts and to explore future opportunities for collaboration in areas such as wargaming and China Maritime Studies. 

All of this speaks directly to the prestige placed by the international community on this institution and world-class instruction our faculty and staff provide to the current and future leaders of militaries around the world.

And while these in-person engagements are critical, I would be remiss if I did not highlight the digital presence and reach of NWC’s Digital Commons.

This year alone, over 900,000 products from the digital commons have been downloaded by users around the world, representing some 38,000 public and private organizations.

From faculty publications and podcasts to social media posts, the influence of the Naval War College in ongoing debates and discussions surrounding maritime issues is indeed global.

Rear Admiral Garvin, I cannot thank you and the team here at NWC enough for serving as thought leaders in the maritime domain, educating decision-makers and driving solutions that will benefit us, our allies, and our international partners in the decades to come.

And we are grateful to your wife, Cheryl, for her support, engagement, and involvement with the Naval War College community.

Your family has made an incredible impact on NWC that will not soon be forgotten.

President Biden, Secretary Austin, and I look forward to your continued success as you develop the current and future leaders of the Joint Force during your tenure as the President of the National Defense University.

Rear Admiral Darryl “D-Day” Walker

Rear Admiral Walker, congratulations on your new role as the 59th President of the Naval War College.

It is an honor to welcome you and your bride of almost forty years—Laura—back to Newport.

You bring an incredible amount of experience to this role that will benefit the NWC community, including your time as an enlisted Airman nearly forty years ago.

And I will highlight for the audience that the Walker family continues to proudly represent both services through their sons Michael—an Air Force F-35 pilot—and Marc—a Navy Supply Corps officer.

From serving and leading in the air, at-sea, and ashore in both Navy and Joint environments, I have no doubt that your perspectives and vision for this vaunted institution will take it to new heights, advancing the work of your predecessors to ensure our graduates can think and lead strategically.

As you are keenly aware, we are at a turning point in our nation’s history, and success will be defined by our ability to embrace our position as one of the world’s leading maritime power.

I challenge you, as the now-leader of our Department’s War College, to:

Build upon initiatives like the Perspectives in Modern War course that are critical to preparing our future naval leaders, giving them the confidence to make informed decisions rooted in the academic rigor they experienced here at NWC

Ensure the curriculum remains relevant to the challenges we, our allies, and our partners face in the global maritime commons

And, finally, continue to develop the close ties we share with like-minded nations, including energizing our global alumni network to solve the most pressing maritime challenges we face, together.

I will also offer that you are not alone in this endeavor as you navigate the challenges that lay ahead. 

Admiral Franchetti and I will always be available to you throughout your tenure as president—do not hesitate to call us!

And I would be remiss if I did not say—from one NWC alum to another—welcome home.

Closing

Rear Admiral Garvin, Rear Admiral Walker, and your families—thank you all for your dedication and support to our officers, our Sailors, and the Naval War College.

The future of the college is bright because of everything you both have and will accomplish, and I wish you both continued success as you continue to develop the leaders our Nation needs.

May God continue to bless our Sailors, Marines, civilians, the students, faculty, and staff of this institution, and their families. Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Good afternoon, everyone! 

Rear Admiral Garvin, thank you for that kind introduction, and thank you for your leadership and stewardship of the Naval War College over the past 14 months. 

We look forward to your change of command tomorrow with Rear Admiral Walker as you prepare to transition to Washington, D.C. to serve as the next president of the National Defense University.

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, it is an absolute pleasure to be with you this afternoon to honor Dr. John B. Hattendorf—a legend here at the War College and a titan in the study of maritime history.

And I would like to extend an especially warm welcome to Dr. Hattendorf’s daughters—Kristina, Ingrid, and Anna, his grandchildren, and close friends who are here with us today.

For sixty years, Professor Hattendorf has served our Navy and our Nation. As a Surface Warfare Officer during the Vietnam War, he sailed throughout the Indo-Pacific, experiencing both the joys and hardships of life at-sea.

During his shore duty tours on the Navy Staff in the Naval History Division and as the speechwriter and research assistant to the President of the Naval War College, he gained a deep appreciation for those who served before him, examining the challenges they faced and decisions they made.

After earning his doctorate in history from the University of Oxford, Professor Hattendorf returned to NWC to serve as a civilian faculty member, teaching courses ranging from strategy and policy to maritime history to generations of naval leaders from around the globe.

And throughout his tenure at the Naval War College, he served as a visiting academic at institutions across the world, including Singapore, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

With dozens of publications to his name, one need not look far to find Professor Hattendorf’s works, or witness the influence he has had on the debates surrounding the global maritime challenges we face today.

He studied British and American naval strategies, brilliantly and eloquently capturing their respective evolutions over hundreds of years.

He brought to life the stories of our world’s greatest naval thinkers and leaders, including Sir Julian Corbett, Admiral Lord Nelson, Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce, and Alfred Thayer Mahan.

Rumors are that he knew some of these other legends personally!

More recently, he’s chronicled the history of Newport, Rhode Island and the growth of the Naval War College—reinforcing that Newport is indeed a “Navy Town.”

And while this portrait is an important recognition of his contributions to and impact on the Newport and Naval War College communities, his true legacy is the generations of NWC graduates around the world who studied under him, including myself.

As a former student of Professor Hattendorf during my time at the Naval War College almost three decades ago, I can say that he had a profound impact on both my career and my life.

In 1996, he taught Lieutenant Commander Del Toro to appreciate our country’s history as a maritime nation, to think strategically as a leader, and to learn from the decisions of those who went before me.

As the then-director of the Advanced Research Department and Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History, he served as one of my three thesis advisors, along with Dr. Robert Wood and Dr. Steven Fought.

As I wrote my thesis, titled “Congressional Budget Committees and Their Impact on the Department of Defense”—which I will highlight has been described by my staff as a “page-turner”—Professor Hattendorf was instrumental in guiding my examination of the evolution of our Nation’s federal budget process, showing me how to use history as the foundation for well-crafted arguments and thoughtful recommendations.

And when I delivered my speech last fall at Harvard University calling for a new approach to our National Maritime Statecraft, the lessons I learned from Professor Hattendorf were not far from my mind.

During my speech, I stated that, “It is my steadfast belief that we will only be successful in developing a new, national approach to maritime statecraft with the support of military and civilian leaders who are well-versed in our nation’s maritime history, for the challenges we face today are eerily similar to the ones we have faced in the past.”

For 50 years, Professor Hattendorf has worked to educate civilian and military leaders across the globe on matters relating to maritime history, shaping our approaches to tackling the challenges of today, and demonstrating—through his works—that victory is indeed achieved by seapower.

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.

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.

May God bless the Hattendorf family, and may God continue to grant our Nation with fair winds and following seas.

Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Good morning, everyone!

It is an honor to be here with you this morning on this mighty warship to celebrate the service of Lieutenant General Cavanaugh, and welcome Lieutenant General Shea as she assumes command of U.S. Marine Forces Command, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, and Marine Forces Northern Command.

First and foremost, I would like to thank Lieutenant General Cavanaugh’s family and friends here with us today.

To Lieutenant General Cavanaugh’s wife, Shery, thank you for your dedication and all you have sacrificed on behalf of the Marine Corps and your husband. Congratulations on your upcoming 29th anniversary this month!

Thank you, Mrs. Evelyn Cavanaugh, for raising an incredible son who dedicated his life to service of our Nation.

And to Brian, thank you for your support throughout your father’s distinguished career.

I also want to welcome and thank Lieutenant General Shea’s family for being here.

To Lieutenant General Shea’s husband Lieutenant Colonel Nick Slavik, thank you for your service in the Marine Corps and unwavering support of your wife throughout both of your impressive careers.

Christine and Hillari, it is wonderful to have you here in celebration of your sister and aunt.

As we all know, families truly are the backbone of our armed forces, and I was blessed to have the support of my wife Betty and our sons throughout my career in the Navy and now.

Justice Willet, thank you for being here today and for your career of public service.

Representative Kiggans, welcome, and thank you for your support of our service members and Veterans in the House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, along with your work within Virginia’s Second District.

Mayor Dyer, thank you for your service in the Marine Corps and service to the city of Virginia Beach.

General Berger, thank you for your lifetime of service to the men and women of our Marine Corps.

I welcome former NASA Administrator and Major General Bolden—sir, thank you for being here today, for your leadership of NASA and the Marine Corps.

General Smith, thank you for being here and for your leadership and guidance of our United States Marine Corps.

I’m grateful to see Trish here as well, the ship sponsor of the future USS Helmand Province (LHA-10).

Admiral Caudle, thank you for your service and leadership of US Fleet Forces.

Sergeant Major Ruiz, it is wonderful to have you here today—thank you for your mentorship of our Marines and the Corps.

To all of our general officers, flag officers, senior enlisted leaders, distinguished visitors, guests, family, and friends: welcome, and thank you for joining us for this ceremony.

I am humbled and honored to be a part of this momentous occasion today—the changing of command and responsibility from one Commanding General to another.

World Today/MARFORCOM Accomplishments

As you have seen and read in the news, we face tremendous uncertainty in the world today.

Just as our Marines and Sailors demonstrated unparalleled courage at the Battle of Iwo Jima, they must also lead at the tip of the spear against the existential threats facing our nation worldwide.

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

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

In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, we are working alongside our NATO allies and Middle East Partners to ensure the safety of innocent, civilian mariners and protecting our commercial shipping against Iranian-aligned Houthi attacks.

Immediately following the October 7th attacks in Israel, our Navy-Marine Corps Team was on station, the ready integrated force the world needed.

And the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit crucially operated in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation, ensuring the free flow of maritime traffic and stability in the region.

In February, NATO assumed command of United States and British Forces in the Eastern Mediterranean. Naval Striking Forces NATO executed a Transfer of Authority, assuming command of the Sailors and Marines assigned to the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, including USS Mesa Verde, USS Arleigh Burke, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus.

In March, it was my honor and privilege to welcome home the more than 4,000 Marines and Sailors of Bataan ARG when they returned from eight and a half months deployed.

Their return to homeport underscored the profound sacrifices made by our service members, offered freely in defense of our Nation.

And our Marines remain a ready presence at any clime and place.

In June, the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group with the 24th MEU departed the East Coast and are on station today in the Mediterranean.

Alongside nineteen other NATO Allies, they participated in the 53rd and largest iteration of Exercise BALTOPS 2024.

This exercise provided an opportunity to enhance joint operations and demonstrated a commitment to preserving peace in the region.

And these joint training exercises are essential, because the threats we face today require tremendous interoperability, flexibility, and modernization.

General Cavanaugh’s leadership of Marine Forces Command has been instrumental in implementing Force Design, ensuring our Marines’ ability to fight and win in the future operating environment.

Last August, the Marine Corps and Navy executed Large Scale Exercise 2023, the third and most complex iteration of the exercise which included more than 25,000 Marines and Sailors around the world.

LSE 23 was a Live, Virtual, and Constructive exercise which spanned across 22 time zones and included six Carrier Strike Groups, six Amphibious Ready Groups, and 75 live and virtual ships.

It pushed the envelope of real world and synthetic training, both ensuring our Force’s ability to jointly operate and validating Distributed Maritime Operations capabilities.

Throughout the exercise, Lieutenant General Cavanaugh served as Admiral Caudle’s Deputy Joint Force Maritime Component Commander and is likely the only Marine Officer who can say he issued orders directly to a submarine!

I thank Lieutenant General Cavanaugh not only for his tactical prowess and vision to strengthen our maritime dominance, but also for his leadership philosophy and incredible dedication to his people.

Throughout his career and especially during his time as Commanding General, he fully understood that people are the true strength of our Marine Corps and Navy, and indeed our Nation, and that our people provide us the greatest advantage over our adversaries.

Lieutenant General Cavanaugh, I am confident that the legacy you leave behind—through the success of this command and those you have mentored and led along the way—will continue to serve our Marine Corps and country well into the future.

Because of you, the future of MARFORCOM is bright, though it will not be without its challenges.

And I know Lieutenant General Shea is ready to meet each and every one of them.

Lieutenant General Shea, I know you are ready, because I have seen you in action, leading the Marine Corps Office of Legislative Affairs.

It was an honor to work with you in the Pentagon, and I thank you for your dedication and service in support of our Navy-Marine Corps Team.

I look forward to hearing about Marine Forces Command’s many successes during your tenure—and I know there will be many.

Closing

I thank you all once again for this opportunity to speak at this incredible event.

Lieutenant General Cavanaugh, thank you for your exceptional service to the United States Marine Corps and our grateful Nation. I wish you a wonderful retirement and hope you have more time to enjoy the Orioles and Ravens with your family—though I am sure you already have season tickets for the Diamondbacks and Cardinals lined up!

And Lieutenant General Shea, I wish you the best of luck and know these Marines are in good hands.

May God bless our Marines, Sailors, civilians, and their families with fair winds and following seas.

Thank you.