Good evening, everyone and welcome! Thank you for that warm introduction. Let me start by saying happy 250th birthday navy! Honorable Guertin, Adm. Kilby, Adm. Houston, flag and general officers, MCPON Perryman, senior enlisted leaders, former master chief petty officers of the Navy, industry partners, allies and partners, Navy Sailors, civilians, and families … it is my absolute honor to celebrate with you tonight as we highlight 250 years of “defending freedom and protecting democracy”. Before I begin, I’d like to extend my thanks to Larry Salter, MCPON Stevens, and their exceptional Navy League team for putting on an incredible night!
I know how challenging it can be to organize an event of this size, so thank you again to the countless sailors and civilians who made this celebration possible.

To the sea cadets honor guard and our spectacular navy band, thank you for always putting on such an amazing show.

I have a feeling we’re going to see some pretty smooth dance moves on the floor later tonight, MCPON Perryman, I’m looking at you.

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we gather not just to mark the passage of time, but to celebrate the centuries long evolution of the world’s most formidable fighting force – the United States Navy.
It’s a story that spans generations of sailors and civilians, trailblazers and visionaries, patriots and heroes.

From John Paul Jones defiant words: “I have not yet begun to fight!”
To Oliver Hazard Perry’s battle emblazoned flag: “Don’t give up the ship”
To the battle of Iwo Jima where fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz uttered into the annals of history: “Uncommon valor was a common virtue.”

The Navy you see today: fierce, lethal, dominant, and ready … is a product of the brave men and women who have dedicated their lives, and in many cases gave their last full measure of devotion, to serving something greater than themselves.
It’s the result of battle-hardened Sailors forged into a diamond-sharp sword, which underwrites and hones our warrior ethos and esprit de corps.

Those same values have defined our naval service for centuries on end, and tonight, they burn as bright as they did in 1775 when our Navy was first established.

And although the world remains a vastly different place, the geopolitical landscape shifting, proliferation of threats accelerating, and the adoption of technology converging, the requirement for a strong, resilient, and globally present Navy has never been more important and remains at the forefront of our nation’s defense.
As your CNO, I understand the responsibility to deliver a fearsome, agile, and combat-credible force is great. But for those who are determined, born from great responsibility comes great opportunity.
I am capitalizing on that opportunity to deliver for you and our nation.
Because, as long as I’m at the helm, I will do anything and everything necessary to ensure we never enter a fair fight and that our country will never lose.
Which is why I am focusing on three priorities, priorities that will serve as the foundation of our navy – guiding our Sailors, our families, and our battle force well into the future.
Built in the foundry, tempered in the fleet, and forged to fight, that is who we are today, and that is how we carry on our Navy’s legacy tomorrow.

More than just today and tomorrow, the precedent for a strong foundry, a modernized fleet, and the ruthless ability to fight boldly with courage have already been set … they are the historical gears of war that have delivered for our nation time and time again.

Signed by President George Washington after the revolutionary war, the naval act of 1794 marked the beginning of our foundry and our fleet – authorizing the construction of our six original frigates.
Cut from the strongest trees in our forests, and bent in boiling hot chambers, our first fleet of warships were forged into shape.

They were more than just wooden hulls … they were symbols of American ingenuity – engineered to sail faster and tougher than any other ship afloat.
From the quasi-war with France, the barbary wars, and the war of 1812, these frigates didn’t just fight for victory, they fought for freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – proving that a young nation could defend itself against any adversary they encountered on the sea.
Today, floating in Boston harbor, USS Constitution – “old ironsides” – remains an everlasting example of our founding father’s ambition and vision.
In World War II, as the nazis stormed across Europe, our foundry fearlessly sprang into action, everyday citizens, from across the nation contributed to the cause.

American-owned automotive factories like Chrysler, GM, and Ford evolved into industrial base giants – delivering hundreds and thousands of ships, airplanes, and munitions to our sailors and allies on the maritime front lines.
Shipyards from coast to coast, came to life – passionately stoking the fires of the foundry at scale.
Household names like Bath Iron Works, Newport News, and Puget sound shipyards were not merely building ships – they were building the shield of freedom and the “arsenal of democracy.”

To meet the global demands of our fleet today, our foundry must evolve once more.
It can no longer be steel beams, rivets, and molds, it must transform to modernized factories with artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, robotic systems, and much more.
Taking raw inputs and forging them into lethal outputs, the foundry is the engine that drives our warfighting advantage.
It is more than just the lever that builds, sustains, and modernizes our power … it is the culmination of people, infrastructure, and material that delivers and sustains our fleet.

The fleet is our nation’s decisive instrument of power. Comprised of world-class people, platforms, and the payloads they employ. The fleet is designed to deter aggression, project power and secure our national interests from sea.
Like the foundry, the fleet is America’s story of growing global reach.
In the civil war during the battle of Hampton Roads, the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia engaged in pitched battle – heralding in a new age of naval warfare.
Wooden ships with canvas sails would no longer rule the waves, instead the dawn of iron clad warships and steam powered engines had begun.
And, while their fateful dual would end in a draw, Hampton Roads proved that innovation is the blade that sharpens our decisive edge.
In 1907, president teddy Roosevelt’s great white fleet circumnavigated the globe – affirming that: “a good navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace”.
Almost 50 years later, after Oppenheimer harnessed the atom, our most brilliant navy minds harnessed it for the fleet.
From lab to reactor, Admiral Rickover’s nuclear-powered submarine – USS Nautilus – was born and with it, the world’s foremost nuclear-powered fleet.
Our submarines and aircraft carriers were no longer confined by coal, geography, or fuel … they could operate in any environment for months on end … fast, persistent, and poised to strike.
Today our fleet steams into a new generation of all-domain warfare – equipped with ford-class carriers and the promise of Columbia-class submarines, 6th gen fighters and unmanned-enabled platforms, the fleet will remain postured and ready to fight, today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Because make no mistake, fighting is what we exist to do. It is our ultimate honor and sacred responsibility.
For 250 years, in peacetime and in war, our navy sailors have courageously stood the watch, ever-present and ready to fight, defending our homeland and preserving our way of life.
We have been there for our nation every step of the way, from the battle of lake Erie to the fight for the red sea, when our adversaries throw a punch, we punch back harder.
Challenge us in battle, and we will overwhelm and destroy you with overwhelming force.
At Midway, outnumbered and outgunned by the Japanese fleet, our warriors across the seas and over the skies rained down an onslaught of firepower.
Sinking four enemy carriers in a single day, midway was a decisive victory for the U.S. And a routing for the imperial Japanese navy. It forever changed the tide of war in the pacific and brought to bear the strategic importance of our aircraft carriers.
Perhaps more important, it underscored the undeniable truth … that U.S. Naval power is our nation’s power.
Developments in radar, sonar, and cryptography turned information and technology into our enduring competitive edge.
At the close of the 20th century, battles were not just fought with guns, guts, and glory … they were fought with superior information, innovative minds, and unrivaled ingenuity.
And while the character of war has dramatically changed since our founding – muskets replaced by missiles, swords replaced by drones – our commitment to understanding, adapting, and mastering our profession of arms has never waned.
Today, the fight continues to transform. It is no longer solely reliant on firepower and force, it is defined by complexity and speed, ambiguity and uncertainty, technological superiority and cognitive expertise.
To that end, we must follow in the steps our forefathers … taking decisive action to innovate, adapt, and integrate cutting-edge technologies at the speed of emerging threats.

Built in the foundry, tempered in the fleet, and forged to fight … these are priorities that have endured through time and space … and they are the pillars of success, which have shaped our heritage.
At the heart of this all has always been you, our world-class and battle-ready sailors.
Rooted in honor, courage, and commitment, defined by toughness, tenacity, and grit, our total force – sailors, civilians, artisans, and engineers – have always been our asymmetric advantage.
You are the main weapons system that delivers violence on our nation’s behalf in order to win.
So tonight, let us remember that our navy is more than the sum of ships, weapons, munitions, and technology.
It is a living institution – built by generations of sailors who have answered our nation’s call.
Beginning with the foundry that forged George Washington’s Navy and the shipyards that built our fleet.
Through the era of ironclad warships and Arleigh Burke class destroyers.
From cannons and gunpowder to precision guided bombs, we stand here tonight because of the bold and daring trailblazers who cut through the waves.

As I close, let me end with this: to our entire Navy family, our exceptional Navy Sailors deployed far from home, our amazing veterans – past and present and the young men and women who will carry our legacy forward. You are the heirs to this remarkable Navy journey.
Tonight, this celebration is for you. The best is yet to come.
Happy 250th birthday Navy! Here’s to the bravery that shapes our past and to the resolve that guides our future.

Thank you.