SECNAV Del Toro As-Written Remarks at the USNS Lucy Stone Christening

Introduction/Thank You

Good morning, everyone!

It is an honor to be here with you in beautiful San Diego for the christening of our Fleet's fifth John Lewis-Class replenishment oiler, USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209).

First and foremost, I would like to thank our ship's sponsors, Alicia and Debbie, for being here today and for their critical roles as ship introduction specialists, uniting ships with their sponsors.

According to naval tradition, a ship sponsor's spirit and presence guides the ship and its crew as long as the ship remains in service.

And I can think of no one more fitting to take on this vital role and for this ship than Alicia Aadnesen and Debbie Simmons.

Together, Alicia and Debbie have over six decades of service to the Navy, providing expertise and guidance to our ship sponsors, pre-commissioning crews, and ceremony participants in every aspect of Navy surface ship milestone ceremonies.

They ensure that our Navy and Marine Corps heroes, Medal of Honor recipients, living namesakes, communities, and cities are properly honored in our Fleet.

And everyone who meets them universally and unequivocally says that they are the two of the kindest people you will ever meet in your life.

Alicia and Debbie, thank you for your dedication and careers of service to our Sailors, Marines, and civilian mariners.

Secretary Winter, thank you for your presence today and support of our Navy and Marine Corps.

President Carver, it is good to see you again. Thank you for your work here in San Diego, helping grow the Fleet our Navy and Marine Corps needs.

Ms. Stiller, thank you for your leadership as President of the Society of Sponsors and all that you do to ensure our Fleet is warfighting ready.

To our Navy team and industry representatives: thank you for your unwavering support-today was made possible only by your tireless efforts.

And to all of our flag officers, general officers, distinguished guests and visitors-welcome and thank you for joining us today.

USNS Lucy Stone

Our John Lewis-Class replenishment oilers honor the legacy of our Nation's champions-those who fought for the rights and fair treatment of all Americans.

Each of the ships of this class are named for America's civil rights leaders-men and women who dedicated their lives in service of equality and opportunity for all Americans and embody the soul of our great Nation.

Lucy Stone, an abolitionist and suffragist, advocated and organized for the promotion of rights for women and the elimination of slavery.

Alongside other suffragists, she helped establish the National Woman Suffrage Association, a key organization in the fight for women's right to vote.

She lived just as she told others to live, striving every day to "make the world better."

The enduring legacy of Lucy Stone as a trailblazer in the women's rights movement remains an indelible source of inspiration today.

And the John Lewis-Class replenishment oiler represents not only the legacies of these civil rights heroes, but also a tremendous asset to our Fleet and Force, an integral piece to our often complicated yet critical logistics puzzle.

This is significant, because as you have seen and heard in the news, we face tremendous uncertainty in every part of the globe.

And the Nation, and indeed the world, relies on the strength of our United States Navy and Marine Corps.

Our Navy's global presence is a powerful deterrent, safeguarding our national security interests, our prosperity, and our international allies and partners from any who would do us harm.

Military Sealift Command

And in order to maintain sustained operations at sea, our Navy warships rely on Military Sealift Command's combat logistics fleet.

Let me now take a moment to recognize our Government Merchant Mariners who crew our MSC ships.

Despite the challenges posed by a shortfall in its numbers, the MSC continues to fulfill a vital role in supporting our Nation's logistical readiness.

I thank our Merchant Mariners for answering our national call to maritime service and for their ongoing efforts to recruit and maintain our critical capabilities.

It is their vital work and logistical prowess which enables our Navy to project decisive power to scenes of action around the world in peace, crisis, and war.

When our Sailors and Marines take our warships into combat, our MSC Merchant Mariners are right there with them, bringing the "beans, bullets, and black oil" they need to stay out to sea until the end of conflict.

Two of our Navy's most important attributes are our flexibility and our persistence.

Our Navy's ability to bring decisive forces to bear anywhere in the world on short notice, and our ability to keep the sea and stay on station until the job is done make all the difference in American strategy-possible only because of the Military Sealift Command.

One of my near-term priorities is making the fleet we have more formidable with logistical innovations such as Rearm-at-Sea and Modular Refueling, which will expand our ability to sustain our ships on station and deter our adversaries.

Rear Admiral Henry E. Eccles, the Naval War College's "Clausewitz of Logistics," once said: "The essence of flexibility is in the mind of the commander; the substance of flexibility is in logistics."

Today, the substance of our Navy's flexibility is in the ships of the Military Sealift Command-like USNS Lucy Stone-and the intrepid Merchant Mariners who will take her to sea.

And as Secretary of the Navy, I am dedicated to our mission of building and substantiating the most capable and powerful maritime warfighting force in the world.

Multi-Ship Procurement

One year ago, I announced a call for a new Maritime Statecraft to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition.

Maritime Statecraft encompasses not only naval diplomacy and maritime competition, but a national, whole-of-government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval.

History has shown that no great naval power has long endured without also being a maritime power-a commercial shipbuilding power.

Our Maritime Statecraft strategy invests in rebuilding the foundations of national seapower to ensure our continued maritime dominance over the near, medium, and long-term horizons.

We are diligently working to create a new paradigm of genuine market competition, one that leverages the power of dual-use commercial and naval shipbuilding which has proven so successful for our competitors and allies alike.

One of the most effective tools we have in our current arsenal shipbuilding authorities are block buys.

And so, I am proud to publicly announce the Department of the Navy is pursuing the award of the T-AO Program Block Buy Contract to procure eight T-AO ships like USNS Lucy Stone.

This multi-billion-dollar contract reflects innovation to build and sustain our maritime dominance and allows for critical investment and maintenance of our shipbuilding industrial base.

In turn, this will help ensure stability and jobs for the next decade.

And the Block Buy will provide significant cost savings to the American taxpayer, demonstrating responsible stewardship of public funds.

I am proud to make this announcement today alongside our Merchant Mariners and industry partners.

Your contributions to our shipbuilding industry and logistical readiness are vital to our Maritime Statecraft.

And your support is essential for the success of our Navy and Marine Corps.

Closing

Our Nation's Maritime services are indeed the most powerful and capable this world has ever seen.

And I know that we have the best ships, submarines, aircraft, equipment, and weapons.

But having strong maritime services is about more than just acquiring advanced systems and platforms.

Our people are the foundation of our maritime force-our Sailors, Marines, civilian mariners, and shipbuilders ensure that American remains the greatest nation in the world.

Thank you, Alicia and Debbie, for your lifelong commitment to our Navy and civilian mariners, to our service men and women, and to the United States of America.

You, like the trailblazing woman for whom this ship was named, and our Navy Sailors and civilian mariners on this ship, represent the absolute best this country has to offer.

May God bless you and our service men and women stationed all around the globe. Thank you.

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