Happy Birthday NAVY!!! 236 years, and actually a bit of progress…
NAVADMIN 306/11
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/OCT//
SUBJ/NAVY BIRTHDAY 2011//
RMKS/1. ON 13 OCTOBER, THE NAVY CELEBRATES 236 YEARS OF ENDURING TRADITIONS
AND MISSIONS THAT HAVE PRESERVED FREEDOM OF THE SEAS AND THE AMERICAN WAY OF
LIFE. AS WE CELEBRATE THIS BIRTHDAY, WE CAN REFLECT ON MORE THAN TWO
CENTURIES OF WARFIGHTING EXCELLENCE WHILE SERVING AS A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD.
THE METTLE AND TENACITY OF THAT FLEDGLING FIGHTING FORCE ENDURES TODAY IN THE
MEN AND WOMEN SERVING OUR NAVY AND NATION.
2. OUR 200 YEAR HERITAGE IS STILL APPARENT TODAY. AS IT WAS IN 1775, OUR
PRIMARY JOINT PARTNER IS THE U.S. MARINE CORPS, AND OUR FOCUS IS "WARFIGHTING
FIRST". IT IS WHAT OUR NAVY DOES BEST, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUR
PRIORITY. SIMILARLY, WE HAVE TO "OPERATE FORWARD" PROVIDING OUR NATION WITH
CRITICAL OFFSHORE OPTIONS AND BRINGING VITAL SECURITY AND STABILITY TO
MARITIME CROSSROADS AROUND THE WORLD. FINALLY, AS HISTORY HAS SO OFTEN TAUGHT
US, WE MUST "BE READY" TO ADDRESS ANY CHALLENGES, MANY OF WHICH WILL BE
UNEXPECTED.
THROUGH ALL THIS, IT IS OUR SAILORS' FIGHTING SPIRIT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO
ENSURE OUR SUCCESS.
3. OUR LONG AND ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY MAKES CLEAR THAT WE CAN OVERCOME ANY
OBSTACLE, SEIZE ANY OPPORTUNITY, AND ULTIMATELY PREVAIL NO MATTER HOW
DIFFICULT THE CHALLENGES WE FACE. AS A RESULT OF UNWAVERING CONTRIBUTIONS OF
EVERY MEMBER OF OUR NAVY TEAM - OUR SAILORS, OUR CIVILIANS, OUR RESERVISTS,
OUR NAVY VETERANS, AND OUR FAMILIES AT HOME, WE ARE THE FINEST MARITIME FORCE
THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.
4. AS OUR BIRTHDAY IS CELEBRATED AROUND THE GLOBE, I KNOW YOU WILL CARRY OUR
PROUD LEGACY WHEREVER YOU GO. I CANNOT BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW HONORED AND
PRIVILEGED I AM TO BE YOUR CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.
HAPPY 236TH BIRTHDAY TO YOU AND TO YOUR FAMILIES.
5. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL GREENERT, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//
