Rear Admiral Yuen, thank you for that introduction. Good evening! It’s great to be here with you tonight to celebrate our Navy’s 240th Birthday!
First, I want to echo the thanks to all of those who made this evening such a success. To the Mechanicsburg Chief Petty Officer Association and the Navy Ball Committee who put together this fabulous evening…Bravo Zulu folks. This enjoyable evening would not have come together without your hard work.
(Applause)
It’s also great seeing the relationships you have here with the Junior Navy ROTC unit from Harrisburg High School who presented the colors. They truly are the future of our country and our Navy.
It is a thrill to be here with all of you tonight, surrounded by Sailors, to share this wonderful celebration of 240 years of history and accomplishments. My last few tours have been Joint assignments, so being back in a room full of my Navy Shipmates make me long for the smell of cool salt air and the feel of a nice long swell out there…show more content… And, it is the strength and readiness of our Navy that extends the reach and influence of the United States from the high seas to the far corners of the earth.
We maintain maritime supremacy with Carrier Strike Groups, Expeditionary Strike Groups, ballistic missile and attack submarines, each possessing an incredible striking power unimaginable by our founders.
We are “America’s Away Team” because Sailors, equally in times of peace and war, are not just in the right place at the right time, but in the right place ALL the time. We get on station faster, we stay longer, and we bring what we need with us. We are a persistent global presence and we never stop working, day or night…we are a 24/7/365 operation.
Our Navy, your Navy, America’s Navy is on the front line…uniquely providing presence around the globe, around the clock – ensuring stability, deterring adversaries, and providing the nation’s leaders with options in times of