Good evening, everyone. Thank you, Mel, for that generous introduction.

To the leadership of the Intrepid Museum and the Intrepid Foundation, the Board of Trustees, our distinguished guests, veterans, military families, supporters, friends, and active-duty service members – thank you for being here.

I am deeply honored and humbled to accept this recognition tonight.

When I learned I would receive this award, my first reaction was that it really belongs to the generations of Americans who have worn the cloth of our nation.

It belongs to the Sailors standing watch tonight in the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Arctic, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.

It belongs to the Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Guardians, Coast Guardsmen, and Merchant Mariners who continue to defend our nation. And it belongs to the families who serve alongside them every single day.

Because no one serves alone – and no one leads alone.

So, I accept this award on behalf of the extraordinary men and women of the United States military – past and present – who continue to answer the call of duty.

Tonight feels especially meaningful because we gather aboard a ship that embodies the very best of America.

The aircraft carrier USS Intrepid served in some of the most consequential moments of the twentieth century.

She survived kamikaze attacks. She carried American power across the Pacific – and recovered astronauts returning from space.

And today, she serves as something equally important – a living reminder of what courage, innovation, sacrifice, and freedom look like.

Ships tell stories. Intrepid tells one of America's greatest stories – not simply because of where she sailed, but because of the Americans who sailed aboard her.

It’s a story not just of steel, machinery, or weapons – but one of people.

Because every great chapter in our nation’s history has ultimately been written by ordinary Americans who chose to do extraordinary things.

That truth has never changed. The tools of freedom have changed across generations. The character required to preserve it has not.

It was true in 1776. It was true at Normandy. It was true in the Pacific and during the Cold War.

And it was true after the attacks on September 11th – and it remains true today.

As we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America, we have an opportunity to reflect on what makes our nation unique.

For two and a half centuries, Americans have done something remarkable. Generation after generation has inherited freedom, protected freedom, and passed freedom to those who followed.

That is not an accident. History teaches us that freedom is never self-sustaining. It must be defended. It must be renewed. And it must be earned by every generation.

When the founders signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they were making a profound statement to the world.

They were declaring that liberty was worth sacrifice. That self-government was worth risk. That the future was worth fighting for.

Those ideals became the foundation of a nation unlike any other in human history. A nation built not on bloodlines or geography, but on principles.

A nation founded on the enduring belief that every person possesses inherent dignity, intrinsic worth, and unalienable rights. A nation that continually strives to become a more perfect union.

And for 250 years, Americans have stepped forward to defend those ideals whenever challenged.

That legacy belongs to all of us. But it carries a special meaning for those who wear the uniform.

Because service is ultimately an act of stewardship. We are temporary custodians of something much larger than ourselves.

The Constitution. The freedoms it protects. And the American people we are sworn to defend.

When I speak with Sailors around the world, I often tell them that they are part of something much bigger than a job, a rating, a warfare specialty, or even a military service.

They are part of a 250-year continuum of Americans who chose service over self. A continuum that stretches from the Sailors who fought aboard the first Continental Navy ships to the Sailors operating nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, submarines, destroyers, and unmanned systems today.

Different ships. Different technology. Different adversaries. But the same oath. The same responsibility. And the same willingness to stand the watch for others.

That spirit is what gives me confidence about America’s future. Because despite all the changes in the world around us, the character of those who volunteer to serve remains extraordinary.

I see initiative, resilience, and innovation in the eyes and actions of your Sailors and Marines.

And most importantly, I see people who understand the importance of the mission.

I see it everywhere I go. It’s in the young Sailor standing watch in the Red Sea, in the maintainer working through the night to return an aircraft to flight status, in the submariner spending months beneath the ocean to preserve strategic stability, and in the corpsman checking on a shipmate after a difficult day.

And I see it in military families who continue to serve with strength, resilience, and grace.

The American people should know this: The next generation is ready.

They are capable. They are committed. And they inspire me every day. That belief is at the heart of one of my most important priorities as Chief of Naval Operations.

Sailors First.

People are not merely our greatest asset. They are the source of every advantage we possess. Ships don’t fight wars. Aircraft don’t fight wars. Technology doesn’t fight wars. People do.

Everything we accomplish begins and ends with the men and women who volunteer to serve. If we want a battle-ready military, we must first build battle-ready people.

That means investing in training. Investing in quality of service. Investing in families. Investing in leadership. And investing in the conditions that allow our service members to thrive.

Because readiness is not simply measured in platforms and inventories. Readiness is measured in people. Every investment we make in a Sailor, a Marine, or a military family is ultimately an investment in the security of our Nation.

The same principle applies to our nation. America’s greatest strategic advantage has never been a weapon system. It has never been geography. It has never been resources. It has always been people.

Free people. Creative people. Resilient people. Patriotic people. People willing to work together in pursuit of a common purpose.

That is what has carried our nation through every challenge for 250 years. And it is what will carry us forward into the future.

As we look ahead, the world is becoming more complex. The maritime domain is more contested than at any point in recent memory.

Technology is advancing at unprecedented speed. Potential adversaries are seeking to challenge American interests and international stability.

The challenges are real. But so too is America's capacity to meet them.

The United States remains the world’s leading maritime nation. Our alliances remain strong. Our industrial and technological capacity remains unmatched.

And our military continues to attract the finest men and women our nation has to offer.

The key is ensuring we remain focused on what matters most.

For me, that means three things. Building the people who will carry our mission forward. Building the fleet that our nation requires. And building the warfighting capability necessary to deter conflict and, if necessary, prevail in combat.

I often describe those priorities in three simple words: Foundry – Fleet – Fight.

The Foundry is where we develop people, infrastructure, and the capabilities that create military power.

The Fleet is where that power is organized, sustained, and projected around the world.

And Fight is where that power becomes decisive when called upon.

But none of those things exist independently. They all begin with people. That is why organizations like the Intrepid Foundation matter so much.

Because the Foundation understands something fundamental. Supporting those who serve is not charity. It’s one of the enduring responsibilities of a grateful Nation.

The work you do strengthens the very people who have strengthened our nation. You provide support to wounded warriors. You assist military families.

You help preserve the stories of those who served. You connect new generations to the ideals and sacrifices that built this country.

In doing so, you help ensure that service and citizenship remain linked. And that matters. Because one of the greatest challenges facing any democracy is maintaining the connection between those who serve and the society they defend.

Organizations like this bridge that gap. You remind Americans that freedom is not abstract. It has faces. It has names. It has stories. And it often carries sacrifice.

As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I hope we use this moment not simply to celebrate our history, but to recommit ourselves to our future.

The founders gave us an extraordinary inheritance. But they also gave us a responsibility – to preserve liberty. To strengthen our institutions. To support those who serve. And to leave the nation stronger than we found it.

That responsibility belongs to every American. Freedom is not our inheritance alone. It’s our assignment. Whether we wear a uniform or not, every generation is called to strengthen the Nation it inherits.

We all have a role to play. Because the story of America has never been written by spectators. It has always been written by participants.

By citizens who chose to contribute. By leaders who chose to serve. By families who chose sacrifice. And by generations who chose hope over fear and possibility over doubt.

The men and women who fought aboard Intrepid did not know what the future would hold. But they believed the future was worth defending.

The patriots of 1776 did not know what America would become. But they believed the future was worth building. Today, we have the privilege – and the obligation – to carry that same responsibility forward.

To those who serve. To those who have served. To the families who stand beside them. To the Intrepid Foundation. And to all who continue to believe in the enduring promise of the United States of America – thank you for what you do.

Thank you for your support. Thank you for your service. And thank you for helping ensure that the next chapter of the American story is every bit as strong, courageous, and inspiring as the first 250 years.

May God bless all who serve. May God bless our military families. And may God continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you.