The Chief of Naval Operations Change of Office ceremony. Adm. Michael Gilday will relieve Adm. John Richardson as the 32nd Chief of Naval Operations.
Transcript
CNO Richardson here with my wife, Dana, and as we hand over the watch and leave naval service, we just want to take this opportunity to tell you how grateful we are and what an honor and a privilege it has been to serve with you.
It has been awesome. The last 37 years we’ve had 22 moves, 5 kids, and the memories of moving around and of all the different places we’ve been, the memories that you’ve helped make for us.
You are definitely the most decisive naval force ever to exist on the planet. And that is because of you, all of you sailors, the whole Navy team. And you do your business, not only decisively and definitively, but also in a way that’s honorable and glorious, and so we want to wish you fair winds, following seas, and Godspeed to all of you. (quiet chattering)
(piano music)O star– The fairest one in sight. O star– We grant your loftiness the right. O star– To some obscurity of cloud. O star– It will not do to say of night. O star– Since dark is what brings out your light. O star– Some mystery becomes the proud. But to the wholly taciturn in your reserve is not allowed. Say something to us we can learn by heart and when alone repeat. Say something, and it says, I burn. But say with what degree of heat. Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade. Use language we can comprehend. Tell us what elements you blend. It gives us strangely little aid, but does tell something in the end. And steadfast as Keats’ Eremite, not even stooping from its sphere, It asks a little of us here. It asks of us a certain height, so when at times the mob is swayed To carry praise or blame too far, we may choose something like a star to stay our minds on and be staid. (piano music) and be staid. (piano music) Star– The fairest one in sight. O star– We grant your loftiness the right. O star– To some obscurity of cloud. O star– It will not do to say of night. O star– Since dark is what brings out your light. O star– Some mystery becomes the proud. But to the wholly taciturn in your reserve is not allowed. Say something to us we can learn by heart and when alone repeat. Say something, and it says, I burn. But say with what degree of heat. Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade. Use language we can comprehend. Tell us what elements you blend. It gives us strangely little aid, but does tell something in the end. And steadfast as Keats’ Eremite, not even stooping from its sphere, it asks a little of us here. It asks of us a certain height, so when at times the mob is swayed to carry praise or blame too far, we may choose something like a star to stay our minds on and be staid. (piano music) and be staid.
[Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored to have many distinguished guests with us today. We would like to recognize the honorable Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense. General Joseph Dunford, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Honorable Thomas Modly, Undersecretary of the Navy. General Paul Nakasone, Commander of US Cyber Command. The Honorable Buck McKeon, former Chairman House Armed Services Committee. Former secretaries of the Navy, the Honorable William Ball, the Honorable Donald Winter, the Honorable BJ Penn. From our allies and partners, Admiral Takei, former Chief of Staff, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Admiral Verma, former Chief of Staff, Indian Navy. Staff Major General Al-Sulaiti, Qatari Naval Forces. Admiral Duran, Secretary of the Mexican Navy. Admiral Huang, Chief of the Taiwan Navy. Admiral Ramirez, Commander of Colombian Navy. Vice Admiral Tsounis, Chief of the Hellenic General Staff. Former Chiefs of Able Operations, Admiral Thomas Hayward. Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Admiral Michael Mullen, and Admiral Gary Roughead. We would also like to recognize all of the other distinguished senior service executives flag general officers and members of the diplomatic attache corps in attendance, thank you. (applause) Today’s side boys are members of the CNO’s personal staff. Boatswain, post the side boys.
[Drill Sergeant] Sideways face.
[Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of the official party and remain standing for the presentation of our colors, our national anthem and the invocation. Guests are invited to sing the national anthem in full voice. (bells chiming) Admiral United States Navy, arriving. (whistling) (bells chiming) Naval Operations, arriving. (whistling) (bells chiming) Navy, arriving. (whistling) (march cadence) (The Stars and Stripes Forever plays)
[Drill Sergeant] Ready, two.
[Announcer] Boatswain, retire the side boys.
[Drill Sergeant] About face. Forward march.
[Announcer] Advance the colors. (National Emblem March plays)
[Drill Sergeant] Present, hut.
(piano chord plays) Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, over the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
[Drill Sergeant] Hut, shoulder, hut
[Announcer] Retire the colors. (National Emblem March plays) Ladies and gentlemen, Chaplin Francis Foley. United States Navy Senior Chaplin of the US Naval Academy will now offer the invocation.
Ladies and gentlemen according to your custom, please, feel free to join me. Let us pray. Eternal father, you teach us give and it shall be given unto you, gathered in the yard so deeply rooted in the history of our Navy. We reflect on 37 years of service given by a devoted husband, father, sailor, and leader. Admiral John Richardson has used the talent and grace you provided to write chapters in a life marked by sacrifice, devotion, and duty. As a warrior in the silent service, he has shown steadfast courage, patrolling the depths of the sea. As the CNO he has shown equal courage, patrolling the corridors of Washington, fighting for the needs of today’s Navy and forging a powerful Navy for the future. At every step, Admiral Richardson, has manifested an undiminished commitment to lead and train men and women to excel in a fleet that is flexible, lethal, and guided by the highest principles of integrity. Thank you for bestowing the strength and ability needed and reward him for his generosity and perseverance. Reward too his wife, Dana, who has given immeasurably to the Navy and Navy families. An inspirational team, together they have done great things for the benefit of sailors, Marines and service members around the world. Lord, we are grateful for a leader who set the bar high and made a difference. May his example inspire us to use the gifts we have wherever we are in the service of nation and neighbor, always committed to do what is right, and defend what is true. In Your holy name, we pray, amen!
[Announcer] Guests, please be seated. Military guests, please uncover. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Richard Spencer, Secretary of the Navy. (applauding)
Secretary Esper, Chairman Dunford, CNO’s, and I’m seeing many familiar faces out there that I would hold up the whole day if I was point you out individually, but it’s great to see everybody here. Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, we had a tradition in the Pentagon when a leader leaves. We had a clap-out. And it was fascinating because it filled E-ring on the Navy corridor and all the way down out the door. But it took 22 minutes and I’m all about productivity so I’m gonna take those 22 minutes back and make my comments very short. (laughing) Admiral Hyman Rickover said the devil is in the details, but so is salvation. I will tell you straight up, ladies and gentlemen, John Richardson pays attention to details. We have this experiment called government going on, where they mash people together and expect you to hit the ground running and see what happens. I could not have asked for a better business partner, and wearing the title ten hat that I do, that’s the highest compliment I can pay John Richardson. He truly deserves it, he’s done more for this Navy to put us in a ready, lethal position, than many before. No effort was too great, no detail too small, as he really did help us navigate the rocks and shoals to deliver the Navy the nation needs. As I said earlier, I parachuted in two years ago, not knowing the CNO, and he not knowing me. What could possibly go wrong in a management structure like that? It is in the crucible that I witnessed John Richardson’s attributes and it’s in this crucible that we annealed together. Leader, engineer, statesman, strategist, author, father, Saturday Night Live writer. He’s an amazing man, a renaissance person. He has embrace emerging technologies. He’s pushed this navy forward on it’s front feet to be faster, quicker to deliver what our sailors and Marines need. He reformed our processes, executed the Navy’s first audit; not a small task. We had joy, we had sorrow. Early on in my time we had accidents over in the Pacific. We stood up the CR, the SRR, because under John Richardson’s eye we wanted to learn from our tragedies and that, ladies and gentlemen, to me is the sign of a true leader. Tackling readiness solutions was a daily effort. At times, I have to admit, I became a little frustrated, quote-unquote, with the pace that we were under and I’m sure that as Admiral Richardson walks out the door there’s gonna be a breath of relief as he goes wow, I don’t have to hear why not? Where is it? When’s it coming? Anytime soon. But thanks to his tireless efforts the men and women of the United States Navy are safer, more well prepared and commanded as they stand to watch for all of us here in this room and in this country. From the deckplates, the skies, waves under the water on the shore, sailors who served this nation will be constantly reminded what John Richardson has done for them and keep him, I know, in their thoughts and prayers as he and Dana and the family head out on their new chapter. And this comes no surprise to anyone whose worked with him. Because if you look at his track record, from the depths of the ocean, to the halls of the White House, to the Pentagon, he has done an amazingly exceptional job. From the moment he graduated from the Naval Academy, Admiral Richardson has been taking on some of the toughest challenges and solving the problems. A cross between the mad scientist, the MacGyver, and the humorist, which for those of you who know me, I’m a firm believer that humor is the lubricant of tough times, and that truly made a difference in the way that we worked together. So I want to take a moment to thank Dana and the entire Richardson family for the many years of dedicated service that they have provided, because we all know that while John Richardson is up here on this stage, it couldn’t have been done without Dana and the family. And with that I’d like to give you, Dana, an applause right now and the family (applauding) And as Admiral Richardson begins his well deserved retirement, I know he’s leaving feeling secure and able to sleep at night because Admiral Mike Gilday is assuming the tiller as 32nd Chief of Naval Operation. Admiral Gilday has already played a critical role in restoring readiness and he’s well positioned to take over our integrated Naval force as we march into the future. Just look at those shoulders, ladies and gentlemen, there is a mantle for some heavy weight and gravity. From his distinguished commands at sea, to his cooperation with NATO allies to confront the great power competition, to his innovation of the cyber command. Admiral Gilday has demonstrated what an outstanding leader and officer he is. His most recent assignment as Director of Joint Staff has given him visibility into the challenges that he will now face, it’s a unique transition in that regard. I’m confident that he will attack this responsibility with the urgency that I continually beat on the drum for the United States Navy. We can achieve next generation integrated naval force we need under his command, that I am sure. Admiral, thank you for taking this challenge. I look forward to working with you as we go forward into our crucible. I’m gonna jump the gun here a bit and close out on my remarks quickly. But I’m gonna say something I haven’t said for two years. John you’ve become a friend and a great partner and while you walk out that door, I know our relationship will persevere and go into the future. Thank you for the privilege to work with you. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. (applauding)
[Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, Secretary Spencer will recognize Admiral Richardson with the Defense Distinguished Service Medal. Will the guests please rise?
I forgot we’re awarding you
[Announcer] The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to Admiral John M. Richardson for exceptionally distinguished service as Chief of Naval Operations. Admiral Richardson led the strategic realignment of the Navy to prepare for renewed great power competition through the development and implementation of the Navy strategy and a design for maintaining maritime superiority. Through his leadership, guidance, and decisiveness, he set a course for a larger, more modern fleet, operating in a sustainable maintenance and personnel structure. His plan established the framework for a Navy manned by highly trained sailors equipped with state of the art systems and incorporating the best new technologies. His lasting impact on national security is a Navy with more capability, capacity, agility, readiness and interconnectedness. The distinctive accomplishments of Admiral Richardson culminated a long and distinguished career in the service of his country and reflect great creed upon himself, the United States Navy, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Signed, Mark T. Esper, Secretary of Defense. (applauding) Mrs. Richardson, will you please join Secretary Spencer at the podium? The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Public Service Award to Mrs. Dana Richardson for distinguished public services for the United States Navy, the Department of Defense, and the nation. Mrs. Richardson’s extraordinary spirit and selfless dedication made a significant, positive impact on the United States Navy. She was at the forefront in fostering a climate of trust, and cooperation serving as an ambassador for the United States Navy. A devoted advocate for family, she reached across the globe to more than three hundred thousand sailors and their family members. With infectious enthusiasm, she served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, enhanced the partnership between the Relief Society and the Navy/Marine Corps team. Additionally, she was crucial to the implementation of the Navy family framework and set forth mutual commitments Navy and its family. Her outstanding support collects years of dedicated public service to the United States Navy and the United States of America. By her superior leadership, wise judgment, and deep devotion to duty, Mrs. Richardson reflects the great creed of the power of self and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Navy. Signed, Richard B. Spencer, Secretary of the Navy. (applauding) Guests, please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, Admiral John Richardson, the 31st Chief of Naval Operations. (applauding)
Thank you, Tom. Thank you all very much, thank you all for coming. Secretary Esper, thank you for making time out of your extremely busy and hectic schedule. Congratulations again on becoming our Secretary of Defense and as we said earlier, you can already see the effect of your firm leadership. Sometimes it’s amazing the difference one person can make and there’s a piece of me that wishes we could serve together longer but, believe me, you’re gonna love Mike Gilday, all right, it’s gonna be awesome, all right? (laughing) Mr. Secretary, I just want to say a follow up on your words. We are so lucky to have you as our leader. Your skill, your energy, creativity, urgency, your compassion, your heart, your caring, and a moral compass that’s set on absolutely true north, make you the absolute best boss that anybody could hope for and so, thank you very much for your leadership. I’d also like to take some time to recognize General Dunford and Ellen, our Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And sir, I know that you and Ellen are getting ready to make a transition like this. I think it’s nineteen more days in the office, you said. And we’ve had the honor and the privilege to serve together in a number of different assignments and every time that I had a chance to serve with the General Dunford and Ellen my admiration just went through the roof and through the roof and through the roof. And no more so than in this last few years serving on your team as a member of the Joint Chiefs. You and Ellen have been absolutely wonderful to Dana and me. And I’d ask everybody to please join me in recognizing and thanking General Dunford and Ellen for their service. (applauding) I’d also quickly like to thank the former Secretaries of the Navy that are here and the former Chiefs of Naval Operations, Admiral Greenert, Admiral Roughead, Admiral Mullen, and Admiral Hayward. Admiral Hayward it’s so great to see you here, sir, thanks for coming. Admiral Hayward was my CNO when I came into the Navy in 1982, all right? Ninety-five years old, still teaching us everything, so, thank you so much. (applauding) One of the things I made sure Mike knew was to continue to call up either the former CNO’s and all of you have been so magnificent in helping me through this four year period. And, in fact, so many other friends and mentors here today, thank you all for coming. Now, in some tribes, when it’s a person’s time to talk they have to, it’s custom that they stand on one leg, all right? And they can talk until they get tired and that one leg falls and touches the floor, all right, that’s the metric. And so I’ll try to keep this short. I’m lifting one leg, okay you can’t see it, but believe me. And, but I’ve gotta warn you that thirty-seven years at sea, all those watches and particularly these last few years, you get pretty skilled at standing on one leg for a long time, and so I’ve got a few things to say and so just relax. As I thought about what we’re going to talk about. I mean, how do you get your mind around thirty-seven years and everything that we’ve done. I think we’ll just come at this from the perspective that the Richardson family is a Navy family. We’re just another Navy family like so, so many other Navy families. We’ve moved twenty-two times, we have five children, we’ve served all over the world in a wide variety of assignments. And our kids have attended dozens of schools, both here in the US and abroad. I’ve spent a lot of time at sea and away, underway and under water, particularly when the kids were young and growing up, but I’ll tell you what, what a rich and rewarding life it has been. We are so grateful and when you think about trying to describe what it means to be a Navy family, to capture the life that we are privileged to enjoy, it seems that one way to think about it is in terms of service and commitment that is brought to focus by three powerful oaths, three vows that we take, and they’re entangled with each other and they operate on each other and they form a firm line, a firm cable that influences nearly every decision we make and everything we do. The first oath is our oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. We just saw that in action this morning when we promoted Admiral Gilday to the rank of Admiral. And we see, I get to participate in dozens of these each and every year, promotions and reenlistments. This oath unites us all, it unites us through time, it unites us around the globe, and the words of the oath capture so much. Words like true faith and allegiance. The words of this oath were there at the very start of our nation just like the Navy was there at the very start of our nation and that DNA is still strong today and it is strongest in the more than sixty thousand sailors that are forward deployed, as we sit here today, on more than one hundred ships. And if you want to understand the Navy, of course, you have to go to sea. That’s where sailors are at our best, that’s why we exist. And so today we have those ships and sailors forward deployed, two carrier strike groups with their embarked air wings, two amphibious ready groups with their embarked muse. Together those four combat units represent about twenty-five thousand sailors and Marines operating and afloat, living their lives forward deployed on a floating archipelago of steel. It is remarkable that they sustain themselves for months on end and they form some of the most effective combat teams in the history of the world. We have fifteen submarines deployed as we speak, you never see, and their always deployed, trust me. You can’t see them, but they’re there, all right? And they’re plowing the deep, they’re going to places that would curl your hair, you would cringe. I could tell ya, but I’d have to kill ya, type of places. And of course our SSBN’s have been forming the strategic undersea leg of our triad since 1960 one hundred percent of the time. We have reconnaissance aircraft flying all over the world providing critical information to the joint force. We have special forces forward in challenging and dangerous places. They’re protecting America, they’re advancing our interests, promoting our prosperity for us and our allies. And it is so good to see so many of our allies and partners here today, thank you all for coming. You do us all a great honor by joining us today. Our forces are in the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Sea, the South China Sea, the North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, and South America. And have no doubt this force is the most powerful maritime combat force on the planet and they are ready, ready if needed to fight and win today against any adversary and they are learning fast to be more lethal and more powerful tomorrow. But there is so much more to being a sailor, right? Keeping the sea lanes open and strengthening America’s economic power, working with our allies and partners to become stronger together. Every sailor is a diplomat and it’s part of being a sailor to provide humanitarian assistance when needed. So as we speak the USNS Comfort is in South America having done twenty, seen twenty-five thousand patients in various port calls around South America. That’s what being a sailor means. A warrior of the highest caliber, yes, vital to America’s military power. But also, part of America’s economic power and also part of America’s diplomatic power and also part of America’s soft power, her compassion. Our sailors are best deployed, at their best when they are deployed at sea and when they are separated from their families they gather their strength from their high performing teams of shipmates. Dana and I have been privileged to be part of many high performing teams over the course of our career. In fact, my first ship was the USS Parche, reported aboard there in 1983. I think every sailor would agree that your first command and your first commanding officer has an unbelievable important influence on the rest of your career. And I would say that Dana and I are still in the Navy by virtue of the trajectory that my first CO, Captain Pete Graff, set for all of us. And it’s a tribute to his leadership that there are many Parche sailors in the audience today and we look forward to connecting again and Captain Graff is here today, Captain, where are you, sir? There you are right here, please a round of applause for Captain Pete Graff. (applauding) Captain Graff and his wife Carol have been inspiration for Dana and I for our entire career. Another great team we had a chance to be with is the team on USS Honolulu, our command. We deployed twice together on that submarine and we did a whole lot more. Somewhere along the line on Honolulu, we underwent an inspection and the inspection team came back and said, You know what, I think that might be the best ever score on this inspection. And you know what, we liked the ring of that, right? We liked hearing that best ever thing, and so we went after that as often as we could. We pursued best ever performance in everything that we did. We reached for perfection, and while perfection is elusive, we definitely caught excellence. And it’s also a habit I have of following Admiral Greenert in my jobs because he was a former CO of the Honolulu, had set us up for success, and so if you get a chance to follow Jon Greenert in anything that he does, take that opportunity. It’ll set you up for success, too. We have lots of the Honolulu team here today and I’ll tell you what, one critical member of that team was the chief of the boat, Mast Chief Billy Kramer, from Ohio. He was like a brother to me, we came and took command together and left together. He made the most of that, in fact, most of the good things that happened on Honolulu were due to his influence and he’s saved my butt a thousand times. Another team is our current leadership team in the Navy. It’s led by an amazing team of leaders and I encourage you in the reception, after the ceremony, spend some time talking to these leaders and these sailors. They will blow you away, they are leaders of supreme expertise and profound strong moral character. They are working together to produce some of the most effective and creative solutions to make our Navy and joint force stronger. As I say, spend time with them, they will convince you beyond anything that I could say. The Navy is in terrific hands going forward. My current partner, partner in arms is Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Russ Smith. MCPON, you’ve been an awesome teammate and look forward to your leadership going forward with Admiral Gilday. The team, so thank you all for your leadership, your creativity, and your support. The team that supported me at CNO on a personal staff was spectacular, the very best led by Captain Williams, our Master of Ceremony, who I have to say, Tom, you found your swole voice there. That is, I haven’t seen that in the office but it’s, it’s impressive when you unfurl that, all right? We’ve had a number of get togethers as a staff to just give me the time to try and express how grateful I am for all of their support. We’ve worked hard together and every now and then we achieve swing and that’s pretty magical, so thank you all so much for what you’ve done for our Navy and for our nation and what you’ve done for Dana and I. And those are just a few of the teams with which we’ve had the privilege to serve. And they are representative of the amazing company that Dana and I have been privileged to keep in our career. Thank you all, you have made fulfilling our oath to the Constitution the greatest honor. And let me say one last thing before we leave this part. We can never know what this oath may demand of us. And in that regard I’d like you all to share in a quick moment of silence in recognition of the two soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan yesterday, and in recognition of all service members who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Thank you. So that brings me to the second oath. The vow that binds together sailors and their spouses and from that oath a family grows. They say that behind every successful sailor is a surprised spouse and that is definitely the case in the Richardson family, all right? Our Navy puts a lot of energies into supporting our families, we’re guided by the family framework which outlines the way in which we will make our families better because we know that a stronger family means a stronger fleet and our strong families support and strengthen us and they fully share in our sacrifices. They’re a riding force in our lives, a mast that we can lash ourselves to and withstand all of the storms and winds that blow us around. I got a really early start in being part of a Navy family. I was born into one, right? My dad, who’s here today, was a submariner, a true cold warrior. He served in several submarines including USS Scorpion before she went down, and commanded the John C Calhoun. My mom was a Navy wife, they had those t-shirts at the time, you remember them, Navy wife, toughest job in the Navy and they had a Navy achievement medal, and that’s true. There’s a lot of truth to that. And so we had six children in our family. I gotta say this was a different Navy back then and we did not have a lot of the amenities that we have now. But boy, I’ll tell you, we had a heck of a lot of fun loading our family into a pickup or a, not a pickup, a station wagon and driving back and forth across country. If you could solve the situation in the back of the Richardson van, you could solve Middle-East peace. I mean it was just that complicated. My mom has since passed away but my dad’s here and a bunch of my brothers and sisters are here. Dad, you and Mom taught us what service was all about from the very start, thank you very much for your service and thank you for your love, all right? (applauding) Okay, so you take that time, you fast forward to today. It’s not Navy wife, toughest job in the Navy, although that’s still true, it’s now really hashtag Spouse Force, okay? This is what we were writing into the family framework and when I was writing that I was trying to, as we were putting the words together, one of the important things was to strike the right tone, right? I mean it is something for the family, so either you all know we have no real authority in our families, so you can’t take an authoritative tone, right? You can be directive, but neither do you want to be too weak or too hesitant in the tone and so, as we struggle with the final words I asked the kids, our kids, our five kids, and they blew me away. They said, Dad, let me just tell you we are super proud to be a Navy family. We’re proud of what you do, we’re proud of what Mom does, and we’re proud of what we’ve done. We’re Navy kids, so you better write that document and make it sound confident and proud when you publish that framework thing. I gotta tell you guys, I am so confident and proud of all of you, you are incredible. We were brand new parents when we first moved. Nathan, our oldest, was ten days old when it was PCS time and all the movers came in and you can imagine we had no idea how this parenting thing worked. We learned fast though because the movers picked up the couch and started hauling it to the truck and the baby was on the couch, right? And so (laughing) then it’s just chase it out to the truck. Whoa, just hold on a second, give me that back. And we brought him back inside, all right? The movers almost packed him, but anyway since that time, it’s just been decades of barely controlled mayhem, all right? You each chose a super unique path to follow, but you all grew up to be amazing young adults, you married amazing people and you love each other so much and are close to each other. Chairman, as you said, that’s what victory looks like in our lives. Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for, they call themselves the Yard Dogs, the Richardson tribe. (applauding) Okay, my final piece on this oath has got to focus on Dana. In fact, that is the person with which I took this oath. The strongest possible advocate for our families that any team could ever ask for. In fact, my worst dressing down as the Chief of Naval Operations came from Dana. We were talking about an upcoming trip and I’ll tell ya, we were going, how we were gonna execute this trip, where I was gonna go, where Dana was gonna go, who we were gonna talk to, what we were gonna do. I was head down going through the itinerary, I look up and Dana’s crying, all right? Like, okay, I’ll back emergency (laughing) all right? I thought maybe I’d said something to hurt Dana’s feelings and I was running through my, you know, memory what could I have possibly said but quickly found out that those were tears of rage, okay? That she was angry and she said, hey, she stopped me and told me no uncertain terms that I was not taking her role seriously enough. That we had committed to these Navy families. She had personally committed to these Navy families. She had put herself on the line and I wasn’t thinking hard enough about how she could get engaged in meaningful ways. She had things to get done and I was not helping enough. Okay, now, you saw Dana when she came up her to receive that award, totally well deserved, you see that she’s super beautiful and she’s super nice, but let me tell ya, she’s also the women’s bench press champion for the Navy yard gym, okay? (applauding) all right, yes, and she’s got the certificate to show it. And she plays flute in a rock and roll band, all right? So, you do not want to see Dana angry and believe me, after that, I adjusted. Dana, we met when we were sixteen and we took our marriage vows thirty-seven years ago, we were twenty-one. We had no clue, I mean we had no clue what we were getting into, what this life would bring us, what it would send our way, but we knew we loved each other and you always made sure that we talked it out whenever we had a problem. That’s hard because we submariners sometimes are accused accurately of not being the greatest communicators. And we had a ton of sacramental grace. And here we are, we are still so much in love, still a lot of grace and we have a much better idea of what this life we’re bringing, we’re slightly less clueless than we were thirty-seven years ago, slightly. All right, and with all of that, I just want to tell you I am so ready to renew our marriage commitment and get started on our next thirty-seven years together. Ladies and gentlemen, Dana. (applauding) All right, this will bring me now to the third oath of my structure, the third and final strand of the line of our lives and this oath describes our commitment to our faith, a baptismal vow, or a confirmation vow. I think that, in the military, we are predisposed to be people of faith. You’ve heard that there are no atheists in fox holes. It’s true and it’s the same, there are no atheists at sea. Same goes for sailors at sea, same goes for aviators and high performance aircraft. And it’s easy to be spiritual at sea. You just stand on the bridge wing at night in calm seas and you can sense the holy spirit moving across the water. And if you’ve ever been at sea in a bad storm, you can absolutely identify with the fear that the apostles felt while being tossed around the Sea of Galilee. Our kids have been baptized with water in Navy chapels around the world. Our faith has always been part of the Richardson family life, just like so many other Navy families’ lives. In fact, our kids say that we’re getting very, very predictable, right? Most of them have left and they come back to visit. Lot of times, like now, they come back as a group. They’re like, okay, just get ready because we’re gonna come home and see Mom and Dad. That means we’re gonna spend a lot of time in the gym and a lot of time in mass, all right? Just get ready for it and it’s pretty true. It’s also a major feature of our service in the Navy. When I left command of Honolulu, our assistant navigator came up, Chief Tabb, he was awesome and he said, you know I’m gonna miss you in command, miss you as our CO and I would follow you anywhere. And he asked me, do you want to know why? And I said, well it’s gotta be because I’m the most awesome ship driver on the waterfront. You know, he said, no, he said, no. He said, it’s because you’re a man of faith. He said, every Sunday I saw you go down to the services and it meant something and I said, I never saw you, you know, Sunday morning. He’s like, nah don’t worry about that I kne– (laughing) I knew you were there, all right? And that made me feel great, I know that a man of faith was leading us, all right? And I get stopped all the time by sailors who come up and say, you know what, I saw you in church, right? It means something, it means something to us, for sure, it means something to our people that they are being led by leaders who are guided by something higher than themselves. So, I gotta confess, my second foot has just touched the floor, all right? The talk’s coming to an end and when I’m a guest speaker at promotions or retirements, as a guest speaker I often end my talks by asking the crowd to remember to say a little prayer this tonight. And so I’ll do that now and I’ll use an excerpt from Psalm 107, which describes four divine rescues each ending in thanksgiving. I’ll only use one, this one, the rescue from an angry sea. Some went off to sea in ships, plied their trade on the deep waters. They saw the works of the Lord, the wonders of God in the deep. He commanded and roused a storm wind. It tossed the waves on high, they rose up to the heavens, sank down to the depths. Their hearts trembled at the danger. They reeled, staggered like drunkards, their skill was of no avail. In their distress they cried to the Lord, who brought them out of their peril. He hushed the storm to silence, the waves of the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for. Tonight, please keep the Gildays in your prayers. Mike Gilday is an amazing leader, he’s thoughtful, he’s humble, intelligent, experienced. He and Linda are the perfect choice to lead the Navy forward and I’m so happy about our future. But the demands of the job are legion and are such that they need as much support as they can get. Please also pray for the safety of our sailors, Marines, soldiers, airmen, Coast Guardsmen deployed around the world. They’re in dangerous places far from home, living out their commitment to these oaths. And Dana and I, as we retire from active duty, we’ll keep you and the US Navy in our prayers, that God may bless you, keep you safe, and bring you to the harbor you long for. When Dana and I got started thirty-seven years ago (sniffling) Pardon me. We could fit everything we owned in the back of a sports car, right? It was pretty cool and we did and we drove across country. And since then, the Navy has given us everything we have and made us everything we are. We are overwhelmed and thankful to our core how lucky we have been to have sailed with you. And so if anybody should ask what we did when we were young, like so, so many other Navy families, we will say with a great deal of pride that we served in the US Navy. God bless you, and God bless America. (applauding) Thank you. (applauding) Thank you all very much. I will now read my orders. From the Secretary of the Navy to Admiral John Richardson, your request to retire has been approved. Effective one September, 2019 you will be transferred to the retired list in the grade of Admiral. Detach in August, 2019 from duty as the Chief of Naval Operations. Admiral Gilday, I am ready to be relieved.
[Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, Admiral Mike Gilday.
From the Secretary of the Navy to Admiral Michael Gilday, when directed by reporting senior to detach from duty, as director of joint staff and report for duty as the Chief of Naval Operations. Admiral Richardson, I relieve you, sir.
I stand relieved, sir. Thanks very much. Secretary, I’ve been properly relieved of Chief of Naval Operations by Admiral Gilday.
Very well.
Mr. Secretary, I assume the duties and responsibilities of Chief of Naval Operations.
Very well. (applauding)
[Announcer] Guests, please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, Admiral Mike Gilday, the 32nd Chief of Naval Operations. (applauding)
Good morning, distinguished guests, general officers, flag officers, senior enlisted leaders, sailors, friends and families of sailors. Once again, thank you for joining us this morning. Ladies and gentlemen, our sailors and Navy civilians, among you in this room, a representative of the more than six hundred thousand of our total Navy team. Active duty, our reserves, and our Navy civilians. Tens of thousands are deployed around the globe as we enjoy this ceremony at the Navy yard. Some of them are in harm’s way. I know that you’ll join me, this morning, in keeping them in your thoughts and in your prayers. Secretary of Defense Esper, thanks for joining us here this morning, sir, thank you for your enthusiastic leadership, and for all your doing for the joint team, uniformed and civilian and their families. Chairman Dunford and Ellen, thank you for being here this morning. Secretary Spencer, thank you for officiating this morning. I know there’s no other place you’d rather be than with us. (laughing) We are very appreciative of all you do for a Navy, for a Marine Corps, for sailors, for Marines, for our Navy civilians, and for their families. Sir, thank you. I’d like to express my deep gratitude to a number of my foreign counterparts who have traveled long distances to honor us with their presence this morning. To all of our allies and partners, I am committed to continuing to build these relationships and partnerships to advance maritime security and to benefit the global community. We recognized most of our special guests earlier this morning, but I would like to acknowledge our former CNO’s and their spouses. It’s an honor for Linda and I to follow in your footsteps. I’d also like to recognize my naval academy classmates from the class of ’85 who traveled long distances to be here today. Some, I’m told, to confirm for themselves that this is really happening. (laughing and cheering) I’d also like to recognize my mom and my dad. My mother is here today, my dad is with us in spirit. Phenomenal parents and all those two words represent. Together they raised five children, my sister, Mary-Joy, and my three brothers, Mark, David, and Bryan, who are here today with their wonderful families and were joined by so many other family and friends from across the country. It means so much to have you all here, thank you. And the most important people in my life, my wife Linda and our sons, Bryan and Michael, I would not be here without their love and their sacrifice and their support. And while I know you expect me to say that, we all know, especially me, that it’s absolutely true. That I owe them everything. Coming from an assignment in the joint staff, I spent the past weeks getting re-blued back into the United States Navy. In two words, it has been both uplifting and exciting. I do believe that our Navy’s strategic direction is rock solid and I think our Navy’s in great shape. We are recruiting and retaining a high quality force. We are providing well-trained combat forces forward around the globe. We are modernizing our Navy at a scope and a pace that we have not seen in decades. I can say all that, in large part, due to the leadership of our 31st CNO, Admiral and Mrs. Richardson. John and Dana, thanks for your nearly four decades of selfless service. You have given so much, you have accomplished so much, and you’ve done all of it so quietly and so humbly and yet so effectively. All of it, at the same time while raising five terrific children. In a few minutes, you’ll walk through the side boys and be piped over the side one last time. But as you do, I’d like you to remember that you will always have the respect and the appreciation and the admiration of our entire Navy, Gilday’s included. For those not familiar with our traditions, it is customary for the incoming officer at events like this to be brief. So I’ll close by telling you how humbled I am to be your Chief of Naval Operations. My focus in the coming years is to move forward. Mr. Secretary, with a sense of urgency and sustaining our readiness and modernizing our force and taking care of our most important weapon system, our sailors and their families. We will question our assumptions, we will think differently about the competition that we are now in. We will be the Navy the nation needs now and we will build the Navy the nation needs to fight and to win in the future, always guided by our core values. I am proud to be your CNO. But I am prouder still, to wear the uniform as a sailor in the United States Navy. Thank you and God bless. (applauding)
[Announcer] Guests, please rise for the benediction and remain standing for the conclusion of the ceremony. Military guests, please don covers. Chaplin Foley will now offer the benediction.
Ladies and gentlemen, again, according to your custom, please feel free to join me. Let us pray. Loving Father, we are inspired by the truth that the highest of distinctions is service to others. With grateful hearts, we thank you for the freedom defended by sailors and Marines around the world and for the leaders like Admiral John Richardson, whose service enabled them to do great things. Send the Richardsons forth, guided by your wisdom and renewed by your grace. May your abiding presence carry John and Dana, along with their children, to new friendships and abundant blessings. Renew Admiral Mike Gilday as he assumes the mantle of leadership as our 32nd CNO. Fill him with all the vision, courage, wisdom, and strength needed and be with Linda Gilday and give her all the insight, empathy, and strength that is required for her new role. Bless our sailors, our Navy and Marine Corps team, In Your holy name we pray, amen!
[Announcer] Boatswain, post the side boys. Band, sound off. (Beyond the Sea plays) Admiral Richardson will now be piped ashore for the final time by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Russel Smith. Admiral Richardson will be accompanied by Mrs. Richardson and their children.
Sir, I request permission to go ashore.
Permission granted. (bells chiming)
[Announcer] Admiral, United States Navy retired and family, departing. (whistling) (applause)