Remarks

Good evening, everyone! It is an honor to be here with you today to celebrate the Congressional Sea Services Award and Representative Calvert’s tremendous contributions to our maritime services.

Mr. Callender, thank you for that kind introduction and for your work with the National Capital Council of the Navy League of the United States.

Representative Calvert, thank you for your service as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and for your unwavering support of our men and women who proudly wear our Nation’s uniform.

And thank you for your service to California’s 41st District—which I must mention includes Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona Division and is part of the Inland Empire Tech Bridge!

Thank you to our Congressional leadership here tonight for your partnership and support of our Navy and Marine Corps.

Admiral Kilby, Admiral Lunday, and Lieutenant General Adams, thank you for your leadership of our sea services.

I also thank the Navy League of the United States for all that they do, but especially for their advocacy on the issues we face as a maritime nation.

From the very origins of our country’s founding, Americans from all walks of life answered the call to service and swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

And service is, of course, a privilege—a chance to be a part of something much greater than ourselves and to uphold the values which define us as a nation.

Service to our country and service in the armed forces are not merely jobs or careers—they are fundamental facets of our democracy.

Our Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen are deployed and serving around the world every single day.

In the Red Sea, since October 7th, our ships and aircraft have shot down hundreds of missiles and conducted multiple strikes into Houthi-controlled territory to protect innocent merchant shipping.

Our service men and women are deterring Iran’s actions and preventing the Israel-Hamas conflict from escalating into a broader regional conflict.

Our service members form the vanguard of our national defense.

But our warfighters cannot accomplish their mission without the critical partnership between the Department of Navy and Congress.

So I thank Representative Calvert for championing the members of our United States Armed Services and especially our Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen and women who are stationed around the world.

The work you accomplish every day serves a crucial role in shaping our Nation’s military capabilities and priorities.

And the investments we make in our uniformed services go beyond just platforms, technology, and weapons systems.

Our investments also include those in our people—improving quality of service for our service members and their families.

Our people provide the foundational strength of our armed services, and force resilience and readiness begin and end with them.

We cannot be the most capable, lethal, and agile warfighting force in the world without recruiting, retaining, and investing in every American who volunteers to serve both in and out of uniform.

Representative Calvert, thank you for your support of our service members and their families.

I sincerely congratulate you on this very deserving Congressional Sea Services Award.

Thank you, to all of you here tonight, for your support of the men and women of our armed forces.

May God bless our service men and women stationed around the world and in harm’s way.

Thank you.