Good afternoon, everyone and happy 250^th birthday Navy!

Members of Congress, Secretary Phelan, former Secretaries of the Navy, Flag and General Officers, MCPON Perryman, Foreign Heads of Navy, active and reserve Sailors, Marines, civilians, veterans, families and friends, it has been the honor of my lifetime to ring in this milestone achievement with such an incredible group of friends, partners, and patriots.

How about a round of applause for Mayor Parker, her staff, and the entire city of Philadelphia for putting on such an exceptional show!  And to all our Navy Sailors, civilians, families, and volunteers who made this celebration possible, you have my heartfelt thanks.  I could not be prouder to serve alongside you. How about another big round of applause for you!

Ladies and gentlemen, I can think of no better place to mark the passing of our historic 250^th birthday than in the city where it all began, in the Cradle of Liberty and the City of Brotherly Love, the birthplace of our Navy and Nation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It was here, on these cobblestone streets, under the candlelight of Congress and Independence Hall, that our founding fathers enabled a bold idea to take root: that all men are created equal and that every citizen of our Nation is endowed with certain unalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

And it was here, 250 years ago today, before the Declaration was signed and the Liberty Bell rang, that our Continental Navy was formed.  

With no guarantee of success but every assurance of purpose, a make-shift Fleet of Sailors and privateers fearlessly took up arms. On a moment’s notice they hauled in their lines and pushed off for war.

Small in size, but mighty in purpose, what we lacked in resources, we made up for in grit, tenacity, and “knife in teeth” toughness.

Brandishing little more than muskets, cannons, and swords, they set sail to break British supply lines and protect American trade.

Over the course of the war, born from humble beginnings, our Naval force flourished, we begged, borrowed, and commandeered, doing anything and everything necessary to ensure our newfound Republic sustained.

From the icy waters of New England and the shoals of the Caribbean to the turbulent seas surrounding the English Channel, our Continental Navy quickly affirmed we were more than an extension of the Army – we were a decisive instrument of war.

Toward the end of the Revolution, General George Washington would proclaim this of our young and fledgling Fleet: “Without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious.”

Two and a half centuries later, Washington’s words and our Navy’s mission remain unchanged.

Boasting an all-domain Fleet of nearly 300 ships … our Navy stands the watch, around the world and around the clock – ready, willing, and able.

In every ocean and in every domain, we exist for prompt and sustained combat operations at sea … promoting our economic security and prosperity, defending the global commons, and preserving our way of life.

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 legacy tomorrow.

Together, we are the heirs of this remarkable journey … and with our Allies and partners alongside, we will continue to rule the waves.

No symbol captures the spirit of America more than our grey hulls on the horizon, the roar of our super hornets overhead, or the knowledge that our submarines – prowling deep beneath the waves – are undetectable and poised to strike.

And while the character of war has changed and the global network of threats has evolved, we will never, ever, back down.

Not while the safety of our people is at stake, not when freedom requires defenders, and not while the United States Navy has a say.  

Forward deployed and backed by the most fearsome and globally integrated fighting force the world has ever known, the Navy is America’s away team – honoring a centuries long solemn promise to deter conflict, project power, and defend our Nation’s interests across the globe.

At the heart of it all, through every battle, every mission, and every war … has always been the United States Navy Sailor – our Main Weapons System and our greatest asymmetric advantage.

Brave, valiant, and bold, you are the hands that generate the Fleet, the eyes that scan the horizon, the warriors who navigate waterways in contested hemispheres around the globe, and the minds that employ our greatest national treasures with unimagined lethality and cognitive expertise.

No other service, no other Navy in the world can do what we do with the same level of technical mastery and warfighting expertise.   

From the waterfront and the pilot house to the engine rooms and the flight deck, our Navy is more than just ships, weapons, and munitions, it is the sum of our battle-ready Sailors who temper and hone our razor-sharp edge.

And we stand here today because of the thousands of Navy pioneers – trailblazers, heroes, and visionaries – who cut through the waves with bold and daring action so that we could follow in their wake.

At the Battle of Flamborough Head, John Paul Jones and the legendary Bonhomme Richard engaged the HMS Serapis in a volley of fire. With both ships locked pitched battle, Jones defiantly cried “I have not yet begun to fight!”

In the Civil War, crossing the mine laden waters at the Battle of Mobile Bay, Admiral David Farragut valiantly thundered to his crew: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”

In 1941, when Pearl Harbor fell victim to attack, Mess Attendant Dorie Miller, fearlessly acted and gunned down swarms of belligerent kamikazes in defense of his ship.

On his final combat mission over North Vietnam, James Stockdale absorbed an onslaught of enemy fire, his plane bursting into flames. Ejecting with a broken leg and a paralyzed arm, Stockdale endured seven years in captivity as a tortured Prisoner of War.

His mental fortitude, relentless spirit, and firmness of faith highlighted that courage isn’t measured on the battlefield alone, it’s measured in the strength to persevere when hope is scarce, and character is the only thing that remains.

And in the mountains of Afghanistan, Navy SEAL Michael Murphy knowingly exposed himself to an incessant barrage of Taliban fire to save his brothers in arms. In a tremendous act of valor, Murphy sacrificed his life so that others may live.

These great Americans are more than just heroes. They are the personification of service above self … the embodiment of our warrior ethos and esprit de corps and the standards of excellence we measure against today.

And make no mistake, the standards that define our naval service endure long after the fires of battle have extinguished and fog of war has cleared – they are engrained in the very fiber of our being.

From our Nation’s Capital and the Oval Office to the final frontiers of space … the Navy is our Nation’s Foundry that forges our country’s best.

Before they led the free world and commanded the Resolute Desk, many of our Nation’s Presidents served in the Navy.

John F. Kennedy, Lydon B. Johnson, and Gerald R. Ford sailed alongside Nimitz – sweeping across the Pacific and fighting the Imperial Japanese Fleet.

At the age of 19, George H.W. Bush became the Navy’s youngest pilot – launching torpedoes from his bomber at the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

As the Cold War began to unfurl, Admiral Rickover chose Jimmy Carter, who was submarine qualified, to help design the world’s foremost nuclear-powered Fleet.

And today, our naval heritage culminates with President Trump, who understands with perfect clarity the importance of our Navy and the investments required to stay ahead of our adversaries in order to deliver peace through strength around the globe.

But our Navy’s legacy continues well beyond Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.

When our country’s technological superiority was challenged in space, Navy explorers like Neil Armstrong, Alan Shepard, and today’s Johnny Kim slipped the gravitational bonds of earth for a chance to land on the moon.

Firm in their convictions, intrepid in their beliefs, and driven by an unrelenting thirst for knowledge, these Navy Astronauts proved to the world that no frontier, no limit, and no idea … no matter how distant or harrowing, is beyond our reach.

They did it not because it was easy, but because it was hard. Pressure is a privilege and creates opportunity. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the way of the Navy Warrior Sailor.  

From that fateful day on October 13^th, 1775, a Navy was born …not from vast resources or superiority at sea, but from the fierce determination of a young Nation fighting for liberty.  

The Navy you see today: fierce, lethal, dominant, and ready, is not just a product of innovation and steel. It is the living legacy – a sacred institution – of the brave men and women who answered the call to serve.  

Reflecting on his time in service, President John F. Kennedy had this to say of the Navy: “I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, ‘I served in the United States Navy’.”

Happy 250^th Birthday Navy! The best is yet to come. Here’s to the bravery that shapes our past and to the resolve that guides our future.

God bless our Sailors and our families and may God bless the United States of America.

Thank you.