Category: United States of America

Source: United States Navy

Seven decades ago, the C-130 had an original usage as a medium cargo plane able to land in short, confined runways. As the mission and needs of the fleet changed, the aircraft moved into providing tactical airlift, humanitarian aid, air support, and various mission support across the globe.

The C-130 has had over 70 variants, 15 of which are actively being produced by Lockheed Martin today, and is distinguished by having the longest continuous military aircraft production run in history. From aerial command centers to weather observation and, occasionally, an aerial drone carrier, the Hercules meets the needs of the fleet. The C-130 has lent its services to nearly every mission capability needed for military or civilian application.

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps employ multiple variants to provide assault and logistics support, including the KC-130J “Super” Hercules. This “super” plane includes the troops and cargo transport capabilities of other C-130 variants and adds air-to-air refueling capability for helicopter, fixed wing, and tilt-rotor receiver aircraft to its mission.

One standout variant is the C-130J assigned to the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. Affectionally named Fat Albert, the C-130 made its Blue Angels debut in 1970 and continues to fly alongside F/A-18E Super Hornets in airshows around the world.

The C-130 is responsible for supplying mission critical troops and materials in every American military conflict since the mid-20th century. This stellar aircraft can deliver a variety of airlift support, including parachute or ground delivered combat troops or cargo, such as vehicles, supplies, and evacuation support.

“There is no more versatile aircraft than the C-130,” said Col. Steven Puckett, program manager Tactical Airlift Program Office (PMA-207). “As a C-130 pilot and now the program manager for Navy and Marine Corps variants of the platform, maintaining the combat relevance and reliability of this critical logistics support aircraft is my organization’s highest priority.”

Tactical Airlift Program Office manages the cradle to grave procurement, development, support, fielding and disposal of the Navy’s tactical airlift platforms, including the C-130.

Source: United States Navy

Good afternoon, everyone! What a great first day to kick off this year’s Surface Navy Association National Symposium!

I want to thank Rick for that warm introduction and for being my boss those 17 years ago and helping mold a bit of the “Franchetti clay” along the way. I also want to say hi to Admiral Faller and thank you very much for everything that you’ve done here, Craig, both as another mentor and also here with SNA. I also want to congratulate Chris Bushnell, on wow, what a full house, and a big waiting list, and all of the things that you and the team have been able to do. How about a big round of applause for the whole SNA team.

Well, I like to say a lot of thanks, so let me continue in that same vein by saying thank you to all of you. Whether you are active or reserve Sailors, our Navy civilians, our industry partners, our Allies and partners, Congressional liaisons, and folks from academia. I want to thank you for making the time to be here, for caring about your surface Navy and for supporting and leading all across our Navy team.

And I also want to extend my thanks to all of your families, your big support teams and networks out there for their own service and sacrifice. Because I know that we can’t do what we do every day without their encouragement and support. So, when you get home today, and you get on your phone and text them, say thank you, from me because what they do really makes a difference.

I know you had a lot of really great discussions today. You’ve been focused on the things that we need to do to achieve warfighting lethality, to deliver decisive combat power, and “Sharpening the Surface Warfare Sword.” I love that theme for this year’s conference.  

I know from SWOBOSS’s update on “Competitive Edge 2.0” to Admiral Daly and General Brodie’s update on our warfighting capabilities, and now just in the last session, hearing from Admiral Munsch on the Black Sea fight, we are walking away from day one with a lot of information to build on throughout the rest of this symposium.  

So I’d like to take a little bit of time to add to these discussions by talking about what I’ve seen and learned since becoming the Chief of Naval Operations, a little bit about the Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy and the future fleet, and how each of you can help deliver the Navy that our Nation needs, both today and in the future.

So, let me start by sharing my perspective and my observations after having been CNO for just over a year, and after visiting every fleet, engaging with industry, Congress, OSD, the Joint Chiefs, all of our Combatant Commanders, and meeting with a lot of Heads of Navy from all across the globe.

First, it’s clear that the geostrategic environment is changing, and we are facing an increasingly complex security environment. The international system which has provided for security and stability for over three-quarters of a century is under threat in every ocean and in every domain – on, under, and above the sea.

The People’s Republic of China is our pacing challenge and presents a complex, multi-domain and multi-axis threat. And I am eyes wide-open that the challenge posed by the PRC to our Navy, goes well beyond just the size of the PLAN fleet. It includes grey zone and economic campaigns, expansion of dual use infrastructure like airfields and dual use forces like the Chinese maritime militia, and a growing nuclear arsenal.

And, it is backed by a massive defense industrial base, which is clearly on a wartime footing and includes the world’s largest shipbuilding capacity. The growing capabilities, capacity, and reach of the PRC military alongside its aggressive and coercive behaviors in the East and South China Seas underscore what Chairman Xi has told his forces, that they should be ready for war by 2027.

The PRC is not our only competitor, however. We are seeing new “no limits” relationships forming between the PRC, Russia, DPRK, Iran, and state sponsored terrorist organizations.

And in ways that we have not seen before, these malign actors are strengthening their linkages and posturing themselves to build their own warfighting advantage and create additional dilemmas for the United States and for our Allies and partners. But from what I’ve seen, these linkages are largely self-serving and transactional.  

This is very much in contrast to our enduring relationships with our Allies and partners, which are based on shared beliefs, ideals, and values.

We are seeing a deepening integration among Allies and partners across regional lines. NATO navies have led important naval deployments in the Indo-Pacific over the last several years, deepening cooperation and strengthening interoperability in increasingly complex and multilateral operations.

And we are seeing security partnerships like AUKUS alongside existing cooperative initiatives like the Quad and ASEAN, or intelligence sharing among the Five Eyes and NATO that really proved critical in preserving that international order.

It is this network of alliances and partners that sets us apart from our adversaries.

Second, the character of war is changing, with advancements in battlefield innovation and cheaper, more accessible technology available to state and non-state actors alike driving part of that change.

Starting with the conflict in Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020, through today in the Russia-Ukraine war, the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, we are seeing the increasing use and effective adaptation of robotic and autonomous systems in every domain.  

It’s abundantly clear that we need to both have these capabilities and have the capability to defeat them, kinetically and non-kinetically.

Right now, OPNAV and the Fleets are really focused on rapidly prototyping, testing, and employing these RAS (Robotic and Autonomous Systems) capabilities and using initiatives and organizations like Replicator, NavalX, the Disruptive Capabilities Office, and the Unmanned NAVPLAN Implementation Framework to craft solicitations that maximize our opportunities to quickly field effective solutions and then integrate them.

I believe this is an area where there is great promise for collaboration, innovation, and “baking in” interoperability across all our Joint Services and with our Allies and partners.

But this doesn’t replace the need for our conventionally manned Fleet. The future of war at sea is neither fully robotic nor fully manned. As Admiral Paparo said last month, “it is not an either or, and we cannot overlearn the lessons coming out of Ukraine and the Middle East.”

In Ukraine as Admiral Munsch was just talking about, we have seen an essentially ship-less Navy effectively deny the Russians the use of the sea using robotic and autonomous systems, and they’re doing that in tandem with cruise missiles, strikes, intelligence, deception, and electronic warfare. And in the Red Sea, we’ve seen a conventionally manned fleet – our fleet – defeat waves and waves and waves of robotic and autonomous systems.

Robotic and autonomous systems will complement and extend the reach, the depth, and the lethality of our conventionally manned fleet. They will do the dirty, dangerous, or dull activities and free up the creative power of our Sailors to do the things that only they can do. There is no doubt that the Future Fleet will have a mix of both manned and unmanned platforms.

My third observation is that the Defense Industrial Base is under strain. We face real challenges in ship, submarine, and aircraft construction and maintenance, and in munitions production – all while acknowledging the industrial, bureaucratic, and budgetary constraints that complicate our efforts to address these challenges.  

We need a bigger fleet, every study we’ve done since 2016 shows that, but it will take years and significant resourcing to expand our traditional industrial base to produce the platforms, the munitions, and the capabilities at the scale we need.

And our entire Navy team is committed to working with all of our stakeholders, industry, Congress, and OSD, to pull every lever to put more players on the field.

My fourth observation is that we’re all facing workforce challenges. Across the Department of Defense and across the Defense Industrial Base. To get after our recruiting challenges, the Navy embraced the red and leveraged data-informed decision-making and process improvement to great effect.

In Fiscal Year 2024, we exceeded our recruiting goal by 300 Sailors, and we are seven percent ahead in 2025.  How about a big shout to our recruiters! Every Sailor is a recruiter out there. I have to say, it’s not only about recruiting, it’s also about retention, and thanks to all of you in this room for making sure that our Sailors know that they are valued for the work they do, our retention is greater than 105 percent across every enlisted pay band.  

But I know there is much more work to do here, both in the Navy and within the industrial base, where they are likewise experiencing challenges with recruiting, retention, and workforce development.

My final observation is that our Navy- Marine Corps team remains in high demand, and that the events of this past year underscore the enduring importance of American Naval power.

In the Middle East, our naval forces have operated inside the weapons engagement zone for nearly fifteen months, working alongside our Allies and partners, knocking down hundreds of Iranian and Houthi-launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at a rate not seen since World War II in self-defense, in defense of civilian mariners, in defense of the rules-based international order, and in the defense of Israel.

And this is just one region of the world where the Navy is operating forward with our Marine Corps partners to deter aggression, to be postured and ready to respond in crisis and to win decisively in war, if called.

When you take a step back and you look at our global footprint, our Fleets are operating seamlessly in all theaters. Operating alongside the Joint Force and our Allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, the Atlantic, the Arctic, the Baltic, the Mediterranean to deter any adversary and protect our Nation’s security and prosperity.

I could not be more proud of our Navy – Marine Corps team and of our active and reserve Sailors, our Navy civilians, and our families. No other Navy in the world operates at this scale. No other Navy in the world can train, deploy, and sustain such a lethal, globally deployed, combat-credible force at the pace, scale, and tempo that we do.

All of this is a testament to the hard work and commitment to excellence over time by the people in this room and the people that you represent. So again, thank you, for the exceptional partnership and the teamwork that makes this all possible.

And while all that we have achieved fills me with great confidence, I also know that we cannot take our foot off the gas because our Nation is at an inflection point in history.

My Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy, that I released back in September, is my overarching strategic guidance to the Fleet to get after many of these challenges I discussed earlier. The changing security environment, the changing character of war, and our financial and industrial headwinds.

As the CNO who will be at the helm into 2027, I cannot stand still as we work to secure the long-term investments for the force and then wait for them to manifest.

As the one who is charged with manning, training, and equipping the Navy our Nation needs, I am compelled to do more and do more faster to ensure that our Navy is more ready for conflict than the PRC.

And so, the NAVPLAN sets our course to make strategic gains in the fastest time possible with the resources that I can influence. It’s my guidance to the fleet, to make our Navy more ready for the possibility of war with the People’s Republic of China by 2027, all while enhancing our enduring long-term warfighting advantage.

It builds on America’s Warfighting Navy that I released here at SNA last January which laid out my priorities of warfighting, warfighters, and the foundation that supports them, and it continues where my predecessor’s NAVPLAN left off.

It lays out my plan to raise our Fleet’s baseline level of readiness and put more ready Players on the Field – that’s platforms that are ready with the requisite capabilities, weapons, and sustainment and people that are ready with the right mindset, skillset, toolset, and training.

And we’re gonna do that, first, by implementing Project 33, seven key areas that we need to accelerate by 2027. I know you’ve talked about several of these already today, but it’s areas like achieving 80% combat surge readiness for our major platforms, operationally integrating robotic and autonomous systems, and fighting from the maritime operations center. Project 33 is where I will invest my personal time and resources and put my thumb on the scale to urgently move the needle with readiness for potential conflict as our North Star. Project 33, the name, is a reference to my place as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations, but equally as important, as my place in the continuum of past and future Navy leaders.

The second way that we’re gonna do this is by expanding the Navy’s contribution to the Joint Warfighting Ecosystem. This is all about investing in the key capabilities and enablers that will guarantee our enduring warfighting advantage, what we call the Navigation Plan Implementation Framework 5+4. The NIF 5+4 for shorthand.

These capabilities like long-range fires, how we shoot; counter-C5ISRT, how we maneuver; and contested logistics, how we sustain, that are critical to creating the layered effects our Navy will contribute across all domains to those of the Joint Force and our Allies and partners. Because it’s the aggregate effects that we deliver that matter.

Hitting the targets set forth in the NAVPLAN will not happen without you, America’s Warfighting Navy. And especially for the junior folks out there in the audience, NAVPLAN 2024 may seem far removed from the work that you do every day, but everything in it is designed to give you – our true secret weapon – all you need to be the best warfighter that you can be every single day.  

The NAVPLAN is designed for the near-term, to deter the PRC and any other potential adversary. Achieving these Project 33 targets – these stretch goals – will make us even more ready to fight and win should that deterrence fail.

It is also designed for the long-term as we pivot from a Navy optimized for power projection in a permissive environment to a Navy focused on seapower and distributed sea control. And I want to anchor here just a bit.

I have been talking a lot about the 2027 “to be,” but as CNO my charge is also to think about the future, to think about the decisions we need to make now to ensure that we will be able to fight and win, as part of a joint and combined warfighting ecosystem, across all time horizons.

So, in that vein, I’d like to show you a short video, it’s called Sea Strike 2043, to get you thinking about the future of warfare. It was created by two of our Naval Warfare Centers: Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific and Naval Air Warfare Center – Weapons Division.

It’s a vision of what a future fight could look like as part of a Warfighting Ecosystem. You know, nobody has a crystal ball that predicts the future, but the video can help us expand our thinking. We need to be intellectually agile, we need to be ready to out-think any would-be adversary in unpredictable and uncertain situations.

So I encourage you to use this forward-looking vision to inform your discussions this week and in the future on what the Navy might need to look like in 2043, focusing on how we will fight, including operational concepts for fighting from the MOC and human machine teaming with robotic and autonomous systems, as well as what we will fight with, including our people, platforms, weapons, and combat systems.

And with that, and it’s pretty short, let’s roll the video.

The Ensigns and the Lieutenant JGs in the room, you’re gonna be the O-5s and O-6s commanding our ships, aircraft, and submarines, and new platforms that we can’t even imagine right now into the fight. The E-5s, the E-6s you’re gonna be the Master Chiefs, you’re gonna ensure that our people are trained and ready for whatever comes our way.

The Commanders and Captains here, you’re gonna be the Fleet Commanders, Combatant Commanders – one of you is gonna be me – and you’re gonna be in charge of our overall operations, our strategy, our plans, and our resourcing.

So, when you continue on with your discussions this week and return back to your bases and places, I encourage you to think about how you and your teams will think, act, and operate differently today so we can be ready to fight and win decisively in the future. How will you help me, and our single accountable officers get after the goals in the NAVPLAN to help us to deliver the Navy that our Nation needs?

As the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, CQ Brown, said and still believes, we must accelerate change, or lose.

And, with the team I see right here in front of me, and those you represent, I am confident that we will indeed accelerate change. The countdown clock in my office continues to tick away, and it tells me – when I walked in today – that there are 716 days left until 1 January 2027. There is no time to waste. So, let’s get after it. All ahead Flank! Thank you very much.

Source: United States Navy

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement during his keynote address at this year’s Surface Navy Association’s 37th National Symposium in Arlington, Va.

“Today, at my final Surface Navy Association Symposium as Secretary of the Navy, I am honored to announce four new ships which represent the future of our fleet,” said Del Toro. “The newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers will be: USS Ray Mabus (DDG 147); USS Kyle Carpenter (DDG 148); USS Robert R. Ingram (DDG 149). And the newest Constellation-class guided-missile frigate will be USS Everett Alvarez Jr. (FFG 68).”

The naming of the three destroyers aligns with the Navy’s tradition of naming destroyers after heroes and leaders in the Naval service. There have been no previous Navy vessels named for any of the four namesake ships named today.

The future USS Ray Mabus honors former Secretary of the Navy Raymond Edwin Mabus, Jr.

Born in Mississippi, Mabus served in the Navy from 1970 to 1972 as a surface warfare officer aboard USS Little Rock (CLG-4). He then attended law school. In 1983, he was elected as the State Auditor of Mississippi and was elected Governor of Mississippi in 1988.  In 1994, Mabus was appointed as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by President William Clinton.

In 2009, Mabus was nominated and confirmed as the 75th Secretary of the Navy. As Secretary, Mabus focused on four key priorities -people, platforms, power, and partnerships. He worked to improve the quality of life for Sailors, Marines, and their families; increase the size of the fleet; decrease the Navy’s reliance on fossil fuels; and strengthen partnerships with industry and internationally. During his tenure, the Navy went from building fewer than five ships per year to having more than 70 under contract. He championed the “21st Century Sailor and Marine” initiative to build and maintain the most resilient and ready force possible. He directed the Navy and Marine Corps to change the way they use, produce, and acquire energy, setting an aggressive goal of relying on alternative sources for at least 50 percent of their energy by 2020. In 2010, Mabus was appointed by President Barack Obama to prepare the long-term recovery plan for the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with most of his recommendations passed into law by Congress as the Restore Act.

Mabus served until 2017, becoming the longest service Secretary of the Navy since World War I. 

“Serving my country in uniform as a young LTJG aboard a guided missile cruiser and then, decades later, leading our naval services are the greatest privileges and most consequential times of my life,” said Mabus.  “The highest honor of my life is to know that sailors will defend our country and represent our values around the world for years aboard a ship bearing my name.  That LTJG would never have imagined and this former SECNAV could not be more thankful, more honored, or more moved.”

The future USS Kyle Carpenter honors Medal of Honor recipient, Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter, USMC (Ret).

Enlisting in the Marine Corps in 2009, Carpenter was assigned as a squad automatic weapon gunner with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. Deploying to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, with Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) during Operation Moshtarak.

On 21 November 2010, Carpenter was manning a rooftop security outpost when enemy fighters threw hand grenades at the outpost, one of which landed in their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Carpenter moved toward the grenade in an attempt to shield his fellow Marine from the deadly blast.  When the grenade detonated, his body absorbed the brunt of the blast, severely wounding him, but saving the life of his fellow Marine. He was evacuated for his wounds, including the shattering of his right arm and jaw, and the loss of his right eye and most of his teeth. 

Medically retired in 2013, Carpenter was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in 2014. In 2023, the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center named a high-performance computing cluster Carpenter in his honor.

“The only honor greater than this Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG 148) bearing my name was being able to serve and sacrifice for this country that I love, as a United States Marine,” said Carpenter. “It is humbling beyond measure to know that, in spirit, I will be sailing the seas with our Nation’s warriors, the might of the United States Navy, and with those who faithfully stand ready to protect our freedoms and people around the world. And, to all who have served during the global war on terror, this is a moment and legacy for us all. Hooyah and Semper Fidelis!”

The future USS Robert R. Ingram honors Medal of Honor recipient, Hospital Corpsman Third Class (HM3) Robert Ronald Ingram, USN (Ret). 

Born in Clearwater, Florida, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1963 and attended Hospital Corps School and Field Medical Service School prior to deploying with C Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division to the Republic of Vietnam in 1965.

During a fierce engagement on 8 February 1966, HM3 Ingram rushed forward while under fire to treat between 12 and 14 wounded Marines. He received the Silver Star for his actions. 

When Ingram’s unit was attacked in Quang Ngai Province on 28 March 1966, killing or wounding all in the lead squad of C Company, the corpsman crawled across the terrain to attend to the injured Marines. Struck in the hand by enemy gunfire, Ingram continued collecting ammunition from the dead and administering aid to the wounded. He sustained two more wounds – one of which was life-threatening – yet still rendered aid to the injured until he reached the right flank of the platoon. There, while dressing the head wound of another corpsman, Ingram sustained a fourth bullet wound. Even then, he tried to delay his own medical evacuation, saving many lives and asking that the injured Marines go first. 

For his selflessness, he was nominated for the Medal of Honor, but the original nomination paperwork was lost.

Following his discharge, Ingram became a registered nurse. 

In 1998, Ingram finally received his long overdue recognition, becoming the first Navy member to receive the Medal of Honor in 20 years. Fittingly, his award ceremony was held in advance of the 100th anniversary of the Navy Hospital Corps. In 2004, the Naval Branch Health Clinic Mayport was dedicated in his honor. 

Along with the ship names, Del Toro has selected the sponsors for the three newly named destroyers. The sponsor plays an important role in the life of each ship and is typically selected because of a relationship to the namesake or to the ship’s current mission. In their role as the ship’s sponsor, they will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew. The following individuals were identified as sponsors:

Liz Mabus, daughter of Mabus, will sponsor the future USS Ray Mabus (DDG 147).

Robin and Brittany Carpenter, the mother and spouse of Carpenter will sponsor the future USS Kyle Carpenter (DDG 148).

Dana Ingram, daughter of Ingram will sponsor the future Robert R. Ingram (DDG 149).

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, built around the Aegis Combat System, are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet providing protection to America around the globe. They incorporate stealth techniques, allowing these highly capable, multi-mission ships to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence to national security, providing a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface domains. These elements of sea power enable the Navy to defend American prosperity and prevent future conflict abroad.

More information on guided-missile destroyer programs can be found here.

The naming of the future FFG 68 honors Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., USN (Ret), the first U.S. aviator taken captive in the Republic of Vietnam after being shot down near Hanoi. 

Alvarez, the grandson of Mexican immigrants, was commissioned in the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1960 and joined Attack Squadron 144 (VA-144) in 1962. While conducting a bombing mission over North Vietnam in retaliation after a reported North Vietnamese attack a day earlier on two U.S. destroyers (now known as the Gulf of Tonkin incident), Lieutenant (JG) Alvarez’s Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was shot down in the vicinity of Hon Gay Harbor. He was reported missing on 5 August 1964 and endured eight years and seven months as a prisoner of war at the Hỏa Lò Prison in Hanoi. One of the longest-held U.S. prisoners of war, Alvarez was released from captivity on 12 February 1973.

Upon his return to the United States, he attended the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School and subsequently served at the Naval Air Systems Command until his retirement from the Navy in 1980. He went on to hold civilian positions with the Peace Corps, Veterans Administration (now Department of Veterans Affairs), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and Vietnam War Commemoration Advisory Council.

For his service and sacrifice, Everett has received the Congressional Gold Medal, the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts. A subdivision at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California was also named in his honor during his internment.

Along with the ship’s name, Secretary Del Toro announced the sponsor for FFG 68 to be the namesake’s spouse, Thomasine Alvarez. She, and her chosen maids and matrons will represent the ship throughout the duration of its lifetime.

The Constellation-class guided-missile frigate represents the Navy’s next generation small surface combatant. This ship class will be an agile, multi-mission warship, capable of operations in both blue-water and littoral environments, providing increased combat-credible forward presence that provides a military advantage at sea. The Constellation-class will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations.

More information on guided missile frigates can be found here.

Source: United States Navy

Greetings to the faculty, staff, and esteemed members of the Naval Postgraduate School family.

It is wonderful to be with all of you today for my last address as your Secretary of the Navy.

While I wish it could be in person, time has not worked to my advantage.

President Rondeau, thank you for that kind introduction, for your years of distinguished service in the United States Navy, and for your leadership and stewardship of the Naval Postgraduate School.

If I may, Ann, having seen you in action these past several years leaves me no doubt that you are unquestionably where you need to be for our Navy, Marine Corps, and Nation, and I am proud to have extended you for another five-year term. God speed, Ann!

It is a privilege to address you today—although I must admit it is also bittersweet—as I bid farewell to a role and a mission which have profoundly shaped my life.

As I reflect on my tenure as Secretary of the Navy, I cannot help but feel both an immense sense of pride and gratitude for the remarkable academic institutions such as NPS which serve as a beacon for innovation and technological excellence for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Department of Defense.

As a young naval officer, I too had the opportunity to study and learn at NPS—I earned my master’s degree in Space Systems Engineering and am proud to call myself a member of the Navy space cadre to this day.

I had the privilege and opportunity to study under the tutelage of the great Professor Panholzer, former Chair of Space Systems Academic Group.

Admiral Grace Hopper once said, “You don’t teach people how to be curious. You give them the tools through which they can express their curiosity.”

Today, I am excited to reflect on our shared commitment to curiosity, innovation, and excellence, and to look ahead to the pivotal role the Naval Postgraduate School will continue to play in advancing the readiness and capabilities of our Navy, Marine Corps, and indeed our Nation as a whole.

Prior to NPS’ founding, the United States Navy had a long tradition of resisting going ashore to school in favor of gaining practical experience at sea.

In the days when a Commanding Officer’s ability to judge subtle changes in wind and sea state might make the difference between winning and losing a battle, or having his ship dismasted or lost in a storm, this was not completely illogical—Sailors and Naval Officers belonged at sea to hone their craft.

And so, convincing the Navy at large that education ashore was worth the time and resources was a long battle.

When Rear Admiral Luce established the Naval War College in 1884, he envisioned not only the study of war and strategy, but also advanced technical education.

Despite the advocacy of Luce, and others such as Admirals Dewey and Sims, it would be another 25 years before the Navy established what would become the Naval Postgraduate School.

In February 1909, the Great White Fleet returned from just over a year circumnavigating the globe.

I have a painting of that flagship—the Olympia—in my office to remind me of the impact great ideas can have on global diplomacy.

The voyage, while successful, also revealed several design flaws with our ships, and they experienced all kinds of technical challenges which were overcome in ad hoc manners—acceptable for the voyage but unacceptable if the Fleet had been called to fight.

As a result, George von L. Meyer wasted no time ensuring our Navy had what it needed to compete in an increasingly complex global arena.

On June 9th, 1909, he signed General Order #27, establishing a School of Marine Engineering for postgraduate engineering and technical training at Annapolis.

It was to serve as an extension of the United States Naval Academy, with the aim of offering graduate-level education in scientific and technical disciplines.

But as technological advancements continued to shape naval warfare, the Navy recognized the growing importance of specialized education to maintain a strategic and operational edge.

The demand for a broader range of research opportunities and expanded facilities outpaced the capacity of its location in Annapolis.

And in 1951, the Naval Postgraduate School relocated to its current home in Monterey—enabling the school the ability to expand its mission and resources.

The evolution of the Naval Postgraduate School over the following decades was not necessarily linear, and there would be periodic efforts to close the school or shift the post-graduate education of naval officers to civilian universities as a means to cut costs.

Besides Ernest King, the most vocal supporters of NPS over the years have included Admirals Chester Nimitz, Raymond Spruance, Arleigh Burke, James Watkins, and, if I may be so bold, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, and not because I am the only Secretary of the Navy to have graduated from NPS.

The real dividend of the Naval Postgraduate School would not necessarily become apparent until World War II and in the decades after—graduates of the Class of 1928 included Lieutenant William “Deak” Parsons and Lieutenant Hyman Rickover.

Rickover is more well known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” but Parsons, besides inventing the radar proximity fuse, was responsible for turning the scientific atomic theory into a bomb that actually worked, and was the mission commander on the Enola Gay.  

Admiral Arleigh Burke, who graduated from NPS in 1930 with a degree in Ordnance Engineering, applied his studies at the onset of World War II while serving at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington, D.C.

To show you the value your degree holds, the Navy denied his strenuous requests for transfer to an operational billet—so important was his application of what he had learned at NPS to the war effort.

Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer, the “Father of Aegis,” graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School and pioneered the AEGIS Combat System, fundamentally transforming naval warfare.

His legacy lives on through USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and the Meyer Scholar Program at NPS, which carries forward his mantra: “Build a little, test a little, learn a lot.”

Another distinguished graduate was Admiral Michael Mullen (Operations Research ’85), the first alum to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and for whom I named an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, DDG 144. 

Today, the Naval Postgraduate School continues to set the standard for defense-focused graduate education, and its mission—its reason for being—remains just as strong today as it was in 1909.

Through rigorous academic programs and hands-on research, NPS equips leaders with the critical knowledge and innovative solutions required to meet the demands of contemporary and future conflict.

NPS fulfills its mission by fostering an environment where education, research, and operational expertise converge—it is truly “Where Science Meets the Art of Warfare.”

Given the unique challenges of today, this institution is more vital and relevant than ever.

And to meet those challenges, I announced my vision for a new National Maritime Statecraft, a call for a whole-of-government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval, to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition.

As we stand at the crossroads of strategic competition, innovation is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity.

But innovation is not just about technology—it’s about people, culture, and mindset.

We are committed to investing in our Sailors and Marines, who are at the heart and soul of our innovation efforts.

And we must continue to build a culture of innovation which permeates throughout our entire Department.

We must encourage our Sailors and Marines to never stop asking, “Why can’t we do this better?”

The Department of the Navy Naval Education Strategy is a cornerstone of our commitment to cultivating a force that thrives in an era of strategic competition.

It prioritizes the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation across all levels of the Navy and Marine Corps.

Education is not just about knowledge—it’s about empowering our Sailors and Marines to challenge assumptions, adapt to rapidly changing environments, and pioneer solutions that enhance our operational effectiveness.

For example, last year, the Department of the Navy stood up the Science and Technology Board, chaired by former Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig, to bring together leaders across a wide range of disciplines to advise and help identify new technologies and capabilities.

I challenged my team to innovate at the speed of relevance to deliver concepts of operations and capabilities which bolster deterrence and expand our warfighting advantage.

The Board recommendations strengthen how we build and counter asymmetric warfighting advantage—including unmanned vehicles, mission assurance of digital infrastructure, sailor health, additive manufacturing, electronic warfare for terminal defense of ships, and ship maintenance.

Our new Naval Science and Technology Strategy now drives our Navy and Marine Corps’ innovation investments in science and technology research during this decisive period.

I want to thank Rear Admiral Rothenhaus and the team at the Office of Naval Research for their incredible work in developing this strategy.

We remain committed to the continual evaluation of our processes and approach to see what gaps or challenges are preventing us from rapidly adopting and fielding new capabilities and technologies.

Such progress is never achieved alone.

Just last month, we announced a partnership between NPS and NVIDIA’s [en-VID-ee-UH] AI Technology Center Program to work together on advancing AI-driven technologies for education and research.

This partnership highlights NPS’ unique position in providing continuous technological advancement for the Department of Defense through the ability to conduct research with leading tech companies.

You here at NPS—the students, professors, staff, and faculty—are at the forefront of innovative efforts.

Your initiatives advance Admiral Franchetti’s vision for the Navy—which she outlined in NAVPLAN 2024—and seeks to further AI as an enabling technology.

And your initiatives advance the Marine Corps’ Force Design and Commandant’s Planning Guidance efforts through the embracing of unmanned systems and autonomous technologies.

ONR collaborates with you here at the Naval Postgraduate School to further innovation efforts.

And ONR developed our newest directed energy weapons technology, the Laser Weapon System Demonstrator.

LWSD, the most advanced and powerful electric high-energy laser system ever installed on a US Navy ship, is designed to neutralize and destroy hostile drones, small craft, and other threats.

Directed energy weapons, including high-energy lasers, are the future of warfare—offering a lower cost-per-shot against air and missile defense engagements.

In addition, ONR partners with NPS on a variety of academic efforts, including the Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research, or CRUSER.

This initiative brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to advance the frontiers of unmanned systems education and research.

And here at NPS, the Modeling Virtual Environments and Simulation, or MOVES, Institute is directly impacting our Fleet and partnerships around the world.

MOVES developed the user interface utilized in this year’s Northwest Pacific Wargame 2024, which supported integrated training between PACFLT, Seventh Fleet, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

And NPS students are driving innovation through integrated training in the Fleet.

NPS graduate Major Will Oblak conducted thesis research on developing a Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training environment that accurately simulates the electronic warfare spectrum.

Major Oblak’s work is now being expanded in partnership with the Marine Corps Software Factory to deliver a Fleet-wide training solution, enhancing readiness and training capabilities.

The current global landscape underscores the need to strengthen our maritime dominance with new technologies and integrated training environments.

And those in this room today are pushing the bounds of tactics and capabilities—look no further than the Red Sea, where the technologies born through your research and development have enabled our ships to defend themselves and innocent mariners from hostile drones and missiles.

Our simulation tools and programs offer our warfighters realistic training while minimizing the costs and risks associated with open-air testing.

As a leader in defense research and education, NPS serves as a vital hub for developing and advancing the technologies which support our national security objectives.

When I first entered office as Secretary of the Navy, I knew that innovation could not wait. The pace of technological advancement and the complexity of the security challenges we face demand that we act with urgency to stay ahead of our adversaries.

As we explore how to further expand our engagement with companies at the leading edge of technology innovation, the Department of the Navy recognizes a fundamental truth: true innovation begins with education.

And so, in 2022, I announced my vision for the Naval Innovation Center.

The NIC is designed to enhance and accelerate the innovation process for the Department of the Navy by transforming cutting-edge research concepts into operational capabilities faster.

By empowering students, our world-class faculty, and partners across the entire naval research and development enterprise to collaborate with industry and the broader naval innovation ecosystem, the NIC takes a whole-of-Navy approach to solving the toughest challenges and delivering critical warfighting advantages to our forces.

To support this vision, we are investing in the construction of a purposefully-designed facility which will ensure emerging technologies are not only developed, but also refined and aligned to meet the evolving demands of naval operations.

In parallel with the NIC, efforts are underway to modernize existing NPS buildings, many of which were constructed in the 1950s, to enhance educational facilities and research laboratories essential for specialized graduate studies.

Alongside ONR, the Navy Research and Development enterprise, our industry and academic partners, the NIC at NPS will eliminate barriers to collaboration and accelerate ideas to impact at a great speed and scale.

And I am proud to announce that I have signed a Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of the Navy and the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation which will support the NIC with the critical infrastructure necessary to accomplish our mission.

This partnership is a testament to the shared vision of advancing innovation and supporting our warfighters through education and cutting-edge research.

Together, we will ensure that the Navy remains at the forefront of technological and strategic capabilities.

Just as NPS itself was a bold vision in 1909, the future NIC is a bold vision that will carry the Naval Postgraduate School and Department of the Navy well into the 22nd Century.

We are indeed in an innovation race—one we have faced before, and one we must win.

On September 12, 1962, former Naval Officer and President John F. Kennedy, in his address to the Nation at Rice University, rallied us to face the challenges of progress and space travel with a singular goal: putting human feet on the moon.

He famously declared, “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

We must embrace innovation within the Department of the Navy with the same urgency and resolve.

As I close my remarks, I do so tremendously grateful for the opportunity of a lifetime—to lead the nearly one million Sailors, Marines, and Department of the Navy civilians who proudly serve the greatest Nation on earth.

I leave you with a challenge—a question to consider as you return to your studies and to the Fleet or workforce.

What does the future of naval warfare look like in an age of unprecedented technological change?

We stand at the precipice of a new era of innovation—an era which demands not only the courage to face the unknown but also the boldness to lead it.

The future of our Navy and Marine Corps, and indeed our nation, will be shaped by those in this room today.

Just as President Kennedy challenged a generation to reach the moon, I challenge you to push the bounds of the possible, to do the hard things—not only because you have the opportunity, but because it is your responsibility.

The mission of NPS is enduring.

And I know that the future of NPS is in good hands—yours.

As I close out my time as your 78th Secretary, please know that it has been the honor of my life to serve you, and please know that my wife Betty and I will always carry you in our hearts and prayers till our dying days.

May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

And now that I have shared my thoughts, I would like to hear from you, the current and future leaders of our great Nation.

No question is off-limits. Who’s first?

Source: United States Navy

WASHINGTON-The Department of the Navy Office of Strategic Assessment is pleased to announce the inaugural cohort of the Naval Strategic Studies Group.

Members represent the Navy, Marine Corps and DON civilian workforce, and come from a range of backgrounds. They are the first cadre of participants in the NSSG program, which is meant to develop advanced strategists who are prepared to lead our Navy and Marine Corps through uncertain times.

“As we think about strategic challenges in the naval domain, it’s important for leaders to have varied professional backgrounds to draw upon when generating potential solutions. The six cohort members bring a range of experiences and expertise to NSSG and will be able to apply these to their research on some of the DON’s most pressing strategic concerns,” OSA Director Dr. Cara LaPointe said.

2025 NSSG Members

CAPTAIN TARA GOLDEN is a naval flight officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and also a veterinarian. She served in both the active and reserve components, currently as the deputy director of the Joint Staff J35 Reserve Component. Golden has held policy and strategy positions at U.S. European Command, NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, Navy Warfare Development Command, and U.S. Central Command. In her civilian life, Golden is the owner and lead veterinarian at Golden Paws Veterinary Service and Housecalls in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a 1998 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

COLONEL NATHAN FLEISCHAKER most recently served as the Inspector-Instructor for 3d Battalion, 23d Marines, a reserve infantry battalion. In the operational force, he has deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Australia. Additionally, he has served as a MAGTF planner, chief of plans, and deputy for strategies, plans, and policy at U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command and Joint Task Force ARES, and as a strategic advisor in the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ Office of Net Assessment.  Fleischaker graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2003 and also holds degrees from Oxford University, the Marine Corps University, and Stanford University.     

COMMANDER KATHLEEN CRAIG is the commanding officer for the Office of Naval Research Science and Technology Unit 206 in Atlanta. She commissioned as a surface warfare officer in 2004. Since joining the reserve component in 2011, she has largely supported the research and development community, including assignments at the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division in Indian Head, Maryland; the Office of Naval Research Det 112 in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and a U.S. Fleet Forces unit in Fort Dix, New Jersey. Craig is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned both a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies and a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management.

MAJOR CHRISTOPHER HUFF is an MV-22 pilot who most recently served as a strategic analyst at the U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters office. He began his Marine Corps career as an infantry officer before training as an AH-1Z light attack helicopter pilot and then an MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor pilot. Huff deployed to Afghanistan, Japan and Djibouti. He has published several papers in the Marine Corps Gazette over the past four years, including “Strategic Gap in the Pacific” in July 2024. Huff is a graduate of San Antonio College, Texas Tech University, and the Naval Postgraduate School.

HUNTER STIRES was a maritime strategist to the Secretary of the Navy. He is also the project director of the U.S. Naval Institute’s Maritime Counterinsurgency Project; a fellow with the U.S. Naval War College’s John B. Hattendorf Center for Maritime Historical Research; and a non-resident fellow with the Navy League’s Center for Maritime Strategy. Stires has won two U.S. Naval Institute essay contests and writes regularly for The National Interest. He is a graduate of Columbia University.

MICHAEL TEHRANI served both the Navy and Defense departments’ intelligence communities since 2019. He is currently a program analyst for the Technology Studies Group under the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy for Intelligence and Security, where he focuses on undersea warfare, as well as a senior strategic advisor to the deputy director of the Influence and Perception Management Office that falls under the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. Tehrani also worked on the Hill, both on the House Armed Services Committee staff and the staff of Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.). A former Army airborne infantryman, Tehrani holds degrees from University of Florida and The Institute of World Politics.

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