To our Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Sailors, families and friends,
It has been another great year for the Pacific Submarine Force thanks to your dedication and commitment to our mission. The undersea domain we operate in requires us to be the best, and you have all answered the call time and time again with great success.
As we close out this year, I ask you all to take the time to recognize those who support you and to express your gratitude to our veterans. As each year comes and goes, it’s easy for us to become busy and overwhelmed, but we must never forget the sacrifice that the generations before us made for our great nation. We must continue to build upon their resiliency and remember that it is because of the past warriors of this great nation that we have a strong and sustainable submarine force – one like the world has never seen before. We must remain reliable, trustworthy, and committed just as they were.
I also call on all Sailors to look out for one another in the last few weeks of 2016 and into this next year. We have had too many instances where poor decision making by our Sailors has negatively impacted the lives of our Sailors, Shipmates and families. While we may not be able to prevent people from making small mistakes in life, we must adopt the mindset that we are all one family, and we are all vitally important to the successful defense of this great nation. Together, we can stop Sailors from driving under the influence or taking drugs, and we can reach out to those who may be at risk of hurting themselves and their careers. It all starts with demonstrating that we care for one another and I believe we can come together to put an end to these destructive decisions.
To all the Sailors who are currently deployed; my wife Kathy and I thank you for your service and we wish you great success while at sea. We know firsthand how it feels to be away from loved ones during this time of the year, but rest assured that your families are safe and they are very proud of the sacrifice you make every day to keep this country safe. We wish all our Sailors and their families the best during this holiday season and we hope you all have a wonderful new year.