THANK YOU TO THE FLEET:
UNCLASSIFIED// PASS TO OFFICE CODE: R 291454Z SEP 07 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00// TO NAVADMIN UNCLAS//N05060// NAVADMIN 247/07 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/SEP// SUBJ/THANK YOU TO THE FLEET// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. AS I WALK ACROSS THE BROW TO ASSUME MY POST AS CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, ALLOW ME TO SIMPLY SAY THANKS TO YOU AND TO YOUR FAMILIES FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR SACRIFICE. 2. WE HAVE HAD A GREAT TOUR TOGETHER AND FACED MANY CHALLENGES AS A TEAM. WHETHER AT SEA IN THE PACIFIC, PATROLLING THE SKIES IN THE ARABIAN GULF, OR ON THE GROUND IN THE HORN OF AFRICA, YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES ARE MAKING A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE AND I DO NOT TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED. 3. THE WORLD IS A DANGEROUS AND UNCERTAIN PLACE. THOUSANDS OF YOU HAVE DEPLOYED DURING MY TENURE AS CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, MANY OF YOU MORE THAN ONCE. YOU ANSWERED ALL BELLS AND MET EVERY CHALLENGE. YOU HAVE EXECUTED MANY MISSIONS AND SERVED WELL IN A TIME OF WAR. 4. THE WORLD IS CHANGING AT AN UNRELENTING PACE. OUR NAVY HAS BEEN OPERATING AT FULL SPEED. IT IS THE MOST ADVANCED AND CAPABLE FLEET IN HISTORY, BUT AS THE WORLD CHANGES, SO TOO MUST WE CONTINUALLY ADAPT. WE CANNOT HEAVE-TO. OUR ENEMIES WILL NOT. I DO NOT EXPECT THIS LONG WAR TO END ANYTIME SOON, BUT IT WILL END. SO WE MUST REMAIN FLEXIBLE AND READY FOR WHO OR WHAT COMES NEXT. 5. BUT WE CANNOT DO MUCH OF ANYTHING WITHOUT PEOPLE. YOU MAKE IT WORK. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW CHALLENGING OR EXCITING MISSIONS ARE, OR HOW GOOD OUR EQUIPMENT IS, OR WHERE IN THE WORLD WE OPERATE; WE ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR PEOPLE. ACTUALLY, I WILL TAKE IT EVEN ONE STEP FURTHER; WE ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR LEADERS. WE JUST RECENTLY PINNED 4,100 CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS. I AM PROUD OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AND NOW CHARGE YOU TO FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP. TRAIN YOUR SAILORS AND MENTOR THE LEADERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY. IT IS UP TO YOU -- ALL OF US REALLY -- TO LOOK FOR AND DEVELOP THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW. 6. AMERICAS YOUTH IS A SOURCE OF UNTAPPED POTENTIAL, ESPECIALLY UNDER- REPRESENTED MINORITIES. WE IN THE NAVY, FROM THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS TO THE NEWEST SEAMAN, CAN HELP RECRUIT AND RETAIN THAT YOUNG TALENT. WE ARE GOING TO NEED THEM TO KEEP OUR NAVY STRONG, JUST LIKE WE NEED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. 7. YOU ARE THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY FOUR DECADES OF SERVICE, AND WE SIMPLY WOULD NOT BE THE NAVY WE ARE TODAY WITHOUT YOU. YOU HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB AND HAVE REMAINED PERSISTENTLY PRESENT AROUND THE WORLD. YOU HAVE RESPONDED TO AN EXPANDING MISSION SET THAT INCLUDES OUR TRADITIONAL ROLES BUT NOW INCLUDE THINGS LIKE: GLOBAL FLEET STATION, PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, MERCY?S DEPLOYMENT TO INDONESIA, PRTS IN AFGHANISTAN, RIVERINE UNITS IN IRAQ, AND SINCE 2005, FOR OVER 18,000 OF YOU, INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTATION TO THE GROUND FORCES IN THE MIDDLE EAST ? ALL MISSIONS SHOWING THE NEW FACE OF SEAPOWER, ALL MISSIONS YOU HAVE EXECUTED WITH EXCELLENCE AND ENERGY. 8. I HAVE VISITED THE FLEET OFTEN AND EVERY TIME I AM OUT THERE, I SEE IN YOU THE SAME PRIDE, THE SAME PROFESSIONALISM, THE SAME DEDICATION TO DUTY I HAVE COME TO EXPECT FROM EVERY SAILOR. BUT I ALSO SEE A LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION, EDUCATION, AND CONCERN FOR THE NAVY, YOUR SHIPMATES, AND THE FUTURE I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. ITS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. 9. THERE ARE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS THE DEEP APPRECIATION I HAVE FOR WHAT YOU DO. FOR ME, BEING A PART OF THIS NAVY TEAM, SERVING ALONGSIDE YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST HONORS OF MY LIFE AND I WILL TREASURE EVERY MOMENT. 10. AS I TURN THE DECK OVER TO ADMIRAL ROUGHEAD, AS FINE A NAVAL OFFICER AS I HAVE EVER SERVED WITH, I KNOW I LEAVE YOU IN CAPABLE HANDS, CERTAIN OF BOTH HIS LEADERSHIP AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. 11. AGAIN, THANK YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES FOR YOUR SERVICE, COMMITMENT, AND SELFLESS DEVOTION TO THE NAVY, TO OUR NATION, AND TO EACH OTHER. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO GREAT THINGS. I WILL NOT BE GOING FAR, SO I’LL BE WATCHING -- WITH GREAT PRIDE. 12. RELEASED BY ADM M. G. MULLEN, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.// BT NNNN