Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. Welcome to Baltimore and the commissioning of the United States ship Zumwalt. I'm Captain Scott Tate, the ship's executive officer, and it is my privilege to be your master of ceremonies today. Before our ceremony begins, please turn off your cell phones or place them on silent mode. We are here today to celebrate commissioning of USS Zumwalt, the first ship of the long-awaited Zumwalt class destroyers. The ship was christened in Bath, Maine on April the 12th, 2014. Today, she is complete and this crew is proud to serve on the most technologically advanced combatant in the United States Navy. Our crew is dedicated to carrying out the visionary legacy handed down to us by her namesake, Admiral Elmour Bud Zumwalt, Jr. Like this ship, Admiral Zumwalt was ahead of his time as the youngest admiral ever to serve as chief of naval operations. He steered the Navy through turbulent times during the Vietnam War and led a service that reflected the deep divide on our country during the civil rights era. He worked tirelessly to improve life for our sailors and to remove barriers based on gender or ethnicity. The ship's crew is honored to serve in a ship, which bears his name. Our ceremony today is a time-honored tradition, which began with the commissioning of our very first ship in 1775, a captured British schooner called the Martiretta. Since then, thousands of ships have undergone the ritual transformation from silent hull to a fully alive warship. Our commissioning crew, forever hereafter known as plank owners, are in formation among you and ready to bring our ship to life. In just a few moments, the United States Navy ceremonial guard, color guard, and the United States Navy band from Washington, D.C., along with our saluting battery, will render honors to the honorable Dush Ruppersberger, United States Representative from the 2nd District, State of Maryland. Ship's Company, hot 10, hot! Will the guests please rise and remain standing for the arrival of our official party, honors, and the invocation. Ladies and gentlemen, our platform guests, Captain Michael Taylor, United States Navy, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Bath, Maine, Captain Kevin Smith, United States Navy, Program Manager, DDG-1000 Shipbuilding Program, Mr. Brent West, Director and DDG-1000 Program Manager, Bath Ironworks, Mr. Wesley Kramer, Vice President Raytheon Company, and President of their Integrated Defense Systems Division, Rear Admiral William Galinas, United States Navy, Program Executive Officer, Ships, Rear Admiral Scott Sanders, United States Navy Reserve, Retired, Chairman, USS Zumwalt, Commissioning Committee, Rear Admiral Mark Tid, Chaplain Corps, United States Navy, Retired, our Ceremony Chaplain, the Honorable Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor of the City of Baltimore, Vice Admiral Thomas Moore, United States Navy, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, Vice Admiral Thomas Rodin, United States Navy, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, the Honorable Sean Stackley, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, the Honorable Boyd Rutherford, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Maryland, Admiral Harry Harris, United States Navy, Commander, United States Pacific Command, Admiral John Richardson, United States Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, the Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy. Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs. Muzeta Zumwalt Weathers, one of our ship sponsors, escorted by Mr. Russell Zumwalt IV, grandson of Admiral Zumwalt, who will assist us in setting the first watch today. Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Anne Zumwalt, our other ship sponsor, escorted by Command Master Chief Leonard Green, the Honorable Dutch Ruppersberger, United States Representative, Second District, State of Maryland, escorted today by Captain James Kirk, United States Navy, USS Zumwalt's prospective commanding officer. Ladies and gentlemen, we will now render honors to the Honorable Dutch Ruppersberger. Platform and salute. Platform. Ready? To. Advance the colors. Platform and salute. Ladies and gentlemen, we are Admiral Tid. We will now deliver our invocation. Will you pray with me, Eternal God, we gather today to bear witness to the commissioning of the Honorable Dutch Ruppersberger. of this mighty warship, a ship that is meant to go to sea and to sail far from her home waters in order to carry out her mission to protect our nation. And on this day, we bear witness that this ship inherits a proud legacy, the legacy of Admiral Elmo Bud Zumwalt, who led sailors in war as well as in war. And by the love of his beloved bride, Musa, who is truly his strength, and by the love of their children, Anne, and Musetta, and Jim, and Elmo, he led with courage and honor throughout his career and beyond. Always in devoted service to his nation. So be with us here today as we mark this legacy and as we bring this ship to life. We pray this in your holy name. Amen. Will the guests please be seated. Zumwalt, parade, rest. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Boyd Rutherford, Lieutenant Governor for the State of Maryland. Thank you and good afternoon. Thank you and greetings on behalf of the great state of Maryland and Governor Lawrence J. Hogan and our entire administration. I am really honored, truly honored to be here on this momentous occasion. Today is a great day for the United States of America, for the State of Maryland, and for Baltimore City. Today, the powerful or the power of our United States Navy is on full display as the USS Zumwalt officially takes its place among our country's naval forces. And we are very proud to host this important time-honored commissioning ceremony right here in Baltimore. The supremacy of this incredible warship begins with its name. L. M. R. Budd Zumwalt Jr. was the Navy's youngest rear admiral, its youngest vice admiral, and its youngest admiral and chief of naval operations. Time magazine once said that he brought the U.S. Navy kicking and screaming into the 20th century. So it's only right that the warship bearing Budd Zumwalt's name truly represents the next frontier of U.S. naval preeminence. The USS Zumwalt is the largest, most technologically advanced warship in our country and our world has ever seen. In an increasingly globalized world where threats are constantly evolving and ever-changing, this warship will no doubt help give our military forces a much needed advantage. Again, on behalf of Governor Hogan and our entire administration, congratulations to everyone involved who helped make today possible. God bless the crew that will proudly serve this man of war. God bless the United States Navy. God bless the great state of Maryland. And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very much. Thank you, Lieutenant Governor Rutherford. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Brent West, Director of Operations and DDG-1000 Program Manager for Bath Ironworks. Well, thank you. On behalf of the 6,000 shipbuilders of General Dynamics Bath Ironworks, I offer congratulations to Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Zumwalt as she joins the fleet of the United States Navy. My colleagues and I have the distinct pleasure of designing and building this magnificent ship at our shipyard up in Maine. And while it wasn't easy, we are immensely proud of what we and our partners in industry and the Navy have achieved. Together, we have built a ship that will play a major role in defending our freedom in the 21st century. Just about everything in this ship is new. Her sleek hull and embedded antennas ensure a low radar signature. Her integrated power system allows Captain Kirk to direct the generated electrical power not only to propel the ship, but also to provide auxiliary power and to control the mission systems. Her engineering control system enables low manning through remote and automated operations. This, for us, was an adventure that started in 2009 when we fabricated the first steel shapes for DDG-1000. It continued in 2011 when we laid the keel, the transfer of a unit weighing some 4,000 tons from our construction hull to the building ways. In 2012, we received via barge the 800-ton composite deckhouse constructed in Mississippi by Ingalls Shipbuilding. And on a snowy day, one December night, we erected it onto the ship hull. In October 2013, we launched her into the Kennyback River. And in April the following year, we celebrated the christening by witnessing a superbly choreographed breaking of champagne bottles by our sponsors, Ann Zumwalt and Mazuda Zumwalt Weathers. Late last year, we took the ship on her first sea trials. She performed remarkably. And as an indication of the goodness that this ship will bring, we performed at the request of the Coast Guard, the rescue at sea of a commercial fisherman who was having a life-threatening health event. Finally, earlier this year, we completed two additional sets of trials, and in May transferred the custody of the ship to the Navy. Undoubtedly, for those of us at BIW, the highlight of this experience has been getting to know the wonderful Zumwalt family. Son James spoke eloquently, several times to our workforce, about the life and times of his father and about the values that guided his life. Our sponsors have been frequent and welcome visitors to the shipyard, and became a big hit with our workers by distributing home-baked cupcakes on board ship. Muzeta visited frequently and made close ties with several shipbuilders, including longtime BIW electrician Larius Stegna, who became her deck plate compatriot. Last month, this life experience of building DDG-1000 turned another page as she departed Bath. Many gathered at the pier to wave goodbye, others gathered at various spots along the Cannebac River to watch her gracefully make her way to sea. The traditional gathering spot at Fort Popham, located at the mouth of the river, was overflowing with friends, family, and well-wishers. I stood with a few fellow workers at the end of our land-level transfer facility and looked southward as she made the bend in the river and disappeared from view. We at BIW follow with great interest the adventures and missions of the ships we build, almost like watching adult children after they have left home. The USS Zumwalt is special in so many ways, and we look forward to tracking her. Perhaps a favorite child progressed over the years in defense of our country. Again, Captain, congratulations, and Godspeed. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. West. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Wesley Kramer, Vice President, Raytheon Company, and President of the Integrated Defense Systems Division. Congressman Rupersberger, Secretary Mabus, Admiral Richardson, Admiral Harris, members of the commissioning committee, sponsors, members of the Zumwalt family, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honor to represent Raytheon's 61,000 employees, engineers, integrators, and innovators whose life's work is dedicated to solving the world's toughest technology challenges, and many of whom played a role in the design, development, and delivery of this revolutionary warship. We welcome to the fleet today the USS Zumwalt. Together with the Navy, the shipbuilders at Bath Ironworks and Huntington Ingalls, BAE, more than 1,400 subcontractors, and 100 government agencies, universities, and suppliers, we led the effort to transform the Navy's visionary ship requirements to reality, creating a warship that is unlike any other in history, designed and built to go where no modern surface combatant has gone before, carry the fight to our nation's enemies, win, and return home safely. Working side by side, sailors and civilians, we delivered on our commitment to the Navy's mission success, and in the process achieved many groundbreaking technical and operational firsts, including the first ship with optimized stealth and integrated sonar system to allow Zumwalt to operate and engage in the latorals while delivering accurate, long-range, persistent fire support. An unprecedented level of automation, driven by the first of its kind, total ship computing environment, advancing the efficiency and operation of the ship while helping the Navy to achieve its manning goals, and a state-of-the-art battle-resistant weapon launching system designed to fire missiles for sea, land, and air attacks. These are just a few of the technological advancements that Raytheon has had the privilege to contribute to this revolutionary ship class. As the largest and most technologically advanced destroyer in the world and the future of the Navy's surface fleet, it is a fitting tribute to the innovative and transformative leader for which it is named, and a visible testament to the power of partnership, collaboration, and commitment to excellence. Raytheon is proud of the role we played in bringing the leadership of the Zumwalt class to this day. On behalf of the men and women of Raytheon, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of the Zumwalt legacy and its role in the future of the Navy fleet. To our captain and crew, we stand with you and the systems that power, navigate, and arm the Zumwalt. We are confident that she and her sister ships to follow will meet the difficult challenges our Navy faces to fulfill their mission to make the world a safer place. May the men and women of the USS Zumwalt have fair wins and following seas. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Kramer. Ladies and gentlemen, Vice Admiral Thomas Roden, United States Navy Commander, Naval Surface Forces. Family, friends, and distinguished guests, it is a true honor to represent the Navy's surface force today. More importantly, I am thrilled to welcome USS Zumwalt into the surface force. When I was a kid, my dad, who served proudly in the Zumwalt era, would take my brother and me down to the pier to visit his ship. I was in awe of those mighty warships.  Decades later, I stand here in awe of this mighty warship. Isn't she impressive? And she truly captures the spirit of her namesake. To say the Navy was transformed by Admiral Zumwalt is an understatement. Indeed, every leader on this stage and the great crew standing before us has benefited from Zumwalt's passion to make the Navy even better. So today, we welcome this revolutionary warship to the fleet, a ship that demonstrates daring design and cutting-edge capability. She builds upon more than two centuries of fighting spirit and innovation. Indeed, 241 years ago, our nation and Navy started with six frigates, which were also revolutionary in their time. And through bold tactics, courageous leadership, and ideas fueled by deep conviction, the United States became a preeminent naval power. Battles and names remaining grained in our collective conscience—Jones, Farragut, Dewey, Spruance, McCain, and, yes, Zumwalt. This ship symbolizes our commitment to remain bold, to remain the world's preeminent naval force. It has been said that Admiral Zumwalt's forward thinking brought the Navy kicking and screaming into the 20th century. Indeed, it is only fitting that this ship's forward design and innovative technology will set the pace for the 21st century as well. And just like Bud Zumwalt, this ship and her crew remain dedicated to our Navy and our nation in good times and bad, and for decades to come. As we forge USS Zumwalt's future, our fundamental principles persist. USS Zumwalt and its crew will provide the deterrence, as well as the offensive punch, to prevent those who attempt to deny us the freedom to sail the world's oceans. And sailing this magnificent ship are the people who, I believe, are the greatest weapons system this world has ever seen—our U.S. Navy sailors. These exceptional sailors are receiving the most incredible ship of our absolutely. These exceptional sailors are receiving the most incredible ship of our time.  To the Zumwalt family, Jim, Anne, and Muzeta, it has been a pleasure developing a personal relationship with you on this journey. A ship bearing your dad's name is long overdue. And make no mistake, we are committed to living up to Admiral Bud Zumwalt's legacy. If you will permit me a brief moment, I would like to directly speak to the crew of this phenomenal ship. I present you sincere thanks from the surface force, the Navy, and this country. Sail the ship fast, treat her well, and give her everything you've got. And if called upon to fight, fight hard and win. On behalf of the United States Naval Surface Force, I proudly accept ownership of the Navy's newest ship of the fleet. Thank you very much. Thank you, Admiral Rodin. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Sean Stackley, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition. Congressman Rupersberger, Mayor Blake, from Memorial Stadium to Camden Yards, in all of your years in the stands at those Oriole games, have you ever witnessed this hometown crowd stand so silent, so reverent, for every note, every oh, of our national anthem. Fleet Week in Baltimore, one of the world's great seaports, made renowned by the famous Clippership. Half a leg from here, at Fell's Point, the keel of our Navy was laid more than 200 years ago. And here, high above the ramparts, those broad stripes and bright stars inspired a young Francis Scott Key, as a rabble in arms, Baltimore Patriots, repelled the great British Navy. And, across the river, at Sparrows Point, Baltimore's great industrial might forged the steel and built the ships that waged the war in the Atlantic and won the war in the Pacific. Here, where every landmark stands as a testament that we are a maritime nation, we commission the newest ship in our Navy. Secretary Mabus, CNO, it doesn't get any better than this. Now, in chronicling the turbulent, truly incredible history of the last century, Tom Brokaw coined a phrase that captured our imagination while capturing the story and the character of Americans who came of age in an era marked by equal measures of sacrifice and achievement. He called these Americans the greatest generation. Who earns the right to be numbered among the greatest generations? So let me take you back to the darkest hour of the last century and the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor as the waters flooded past twisted steel openings and the black smoke billowed from the pierced halls along battleship row. President Roosevelt went on the radio to address the nation. This generation of Americans, he said, has come to realize with a present and personal realization that there is something larger and more important than the life of any individual or any individual group. Something for which a man will sacrifice and gladly sacrifice not only his pleasures, not only his goods, not only his associations with those he loves, but his life itself. In time of crisis, when the future is in the balance, we come to understand with full recognition and devotion what this nation is and what we owe it. Those words at that hour of darkness would serve as a call to arms and today we pay tribute to one who answered that call. Now in telling the story of the extraordinary career of service and achievement of Admiral Bud Zumwalt, today's distinguished speakers tell the story of our nation. From the Second World War to Korea to Vietnam and the Cold War to the years spent repairing the wounds of those wars to the years spent redesigning and rebuilding our Navy and our nation to defend against future war, a story that spans six decades. Ann, Rosetta, Jim, I believe that I speak for all of us here. When I say that if your father were the only member of his generation, it would still be the greatest generation. And today, as you bring to life the ship that bears his name, today the torch is passed, the torch is passed to the next generation, the next great generation of sailors who yearn to follow in your father's footsteps. They are the next strong link in that long, unbroken chain of Americans who understand with full recognition and devotion what this nation is and what we owe it. They are the men and women who proudly call themselves the Zumwalt. And they're dedicated, well educated, well trained. And today, today they are well armed. For when they sail from your warm embrace, they sail in the largest, most advanced destroyer in the world. 15,700 tons of sea power, stealth above and below the waterline, survivability from stem to stern, 78 million watts of power, driving the largest electric propulsion motors afloat, and two, the Navy's most advanced multifunction radar, a ship whose firepower promises to give naval gunfire all new meaning. And when they sail, they will sail far from our shores to calm troubled waters, so that we here in America may continue to enjoy the freedoms we cherish so deeply. So Skipper, Captain Kirk, when you sail, sail boldly. Sail with impunity upon any sea, for you are the next great generation. You are the Zumwalt. And so Godspeed. Godspeed, USS Zumwalt.   And God bless these United States whom you will defend. Thank you. Thank you, Secretary Stackley. Ladies and gentlemen, Admiral Harry Harris, United States Navy, Commander, United States Pacific Command. Ladies and gentlemen, I have the unenviable, even daunting task of following Sean Stackley to the podium and speaking before John Richardson. I am indeed daunted. I know there's a lot of speakers for this ceremony, so I'll get on with it so you all can get on with it. But let me quickly recognize Congressman Ruppersberger and federal, state, city and industry leaders, Secretary Mabus and Navy leaders, C&O Admiral Richardson and fellow flag and general officers active and retired, family members of the legendary Admiral Bud Zumwalt, distinguished guests and most importantly, Captain James Kirk and the crew of USS Zumwalt. Ladies and gentlemen, I can't think, ladies and gentlemen, I can't think of a better place to commission this ship than the port of Baltimore. Thank you, Mayor Rawlings-Blake. We're only a few miles from the Naval Academy and within the site of Fort McHenry where the rocket's red glare of history blazed over a nation barely three decades old. This is an epic venue and in my opinion we're adding a page to its storied past with the commissioning of this revolutionary platform. Make no mistake about it, while this is a Navy ceremony and this is a Navy day, we now live in a world where we must think, learn and fight jointly and rightfully so. It's important to take note of the degree to which our military, your military, has involved in the most powerful joint fighting force the world has ever seen. So today we go back to our roots and take special note of what lies at the very core of the joint force. The continuing recognition and indeed celebration of who we are and what we value as joint military leaders, the absolute nature of accountability, the exercise of command and the art of leadership. Now before I went to flight school a hundred years ago I was stashed in Maine and I lived in Bath. I learned then what I know now, a bath built ship is a ship built for war. After I visited DDG 1000 when she was being built I said if Batman had a ship it would be the USS Zoom wall. Now folks I'm no Bruce Wayne but like Batman's alter ego I've been accused of having an insatiable appetite for cutting edge technology to fight the forces of darkness in my neighborhood. To that I'll simply say guilty as charged. As long as our president and you the American people have an insatiable appetite for security then I have an insatiable appetite for the stuff to underwrite that security. Stuff like this magnificent ship behind me. I've been a provider of readiness and now I'm a consumer of readiness and I assure you the latter is a lot more fun. I intend to consume all the readiness that this ship can provide. I have big plans for the USS Zoom wall and her two sister ships. Thanks to our strategic rebalance to the Indo-Asia Pacific everything that's new and cool in your military arsenal is debuting and they come. We can't get this technological marvel to the Pacific fast enough and it couldn't come in a more pivotal moment in our nation's history. Secretary of Defense Carter has rightly called the Indo-Asia Pacific the single most consequential region for America's future. He's named five challenges that confront the United States and four of those challenges North Korea China Russia and ISIL are in the Pekong area of responsibility. There's no more immediate threat that North Korea which is on a quest for nuclear weapons a means to miniaturize them and the means to deliver them into continental Italy. Zoom will play a heavy role in giving us the clear edge in these challenges. We must continue to develop and field combat power like this ship to defend the U.S. homeland and the homeland of our allies. Indeed it's fitting that Zoom wants motto as Pax Proctor Vim, Latin for peace through power. As a Pekong commander I've adopted the motto Vim Vim Vim. That's Tennessee Latin for there's no such thing as too much power. The technology in Zoom wants unique hull and the ingenuity of her stalwart crew are powerful guarantors of peace. They are the embodiment of America's determined will. As our newest class of destroyer interactive service I can't imagine a ship more like its namesake. Admiral Zoomalt was an innovative visionary and the groundbreaking DDG-1000 delivers not just credible combat power but incredible combat power. Zoomalt will assure our Navy and our entire joint force remain ready to fight tonight. I'm told that Admiral Zoomalt was guided by Edmund Burke's warning all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. If he were here today I'm sure the Admiral would tell us that with this ship evil will not triumph. That's been the mission of Pekong since the end of World War II cooperating with our regional allies and partners while confronting threats to peace and stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific. As our nation's oldest combatant command Pekong will mark our 70th birthday this January 1st. I can't think of a better birthday gift than the USS Zoomalt. Thank you Secretary and CNO. I truly look forward to seeing this ship and her outstanding crew on station in the Indo-Asia Pacific. May God bless the USS Zoomalt and the sailors who manned her. May God bless the United States of America which will always be the land of the free and the home of the brave. Thank you very much. Thank you Admiral Harris. Ladies and gentlemen the honorable Dutch Rupersberger United States Representative Second District State of Maryland. Thank you. Well welcome Baltimore what a great turnout today and it's great that we can all take part in the commissioning of the Zoomalt. And by the way Admiral Harris you're not really easy to follow either. You give a good speech and you have some humor in there but thank you for your service. You've got a real obligation in the Pacific but we're glad that you're there and thank you for your service too. To go forward first thing I want to acknowledge Lieutenant Governor Rutherford. It's good to have you representing the state of Maryland and Mayor Rowling's Blake. I'm happy you're here representing the great city of Baltimore. And also I want to acknowledge all members retired and active from the United States Navy. And let's give them a hand because we thank you for your service. And I do want to acknowledge all the admirals. We probably have 50 admirals here today either current or retired. You know and it's been said that admirals never retire they just get a little dingy. Well it came as no surprise to us that the Port of Baltimore was chosen to commission the USS Zoomalt given its commander Captain James Kirk and I mean the real Captain Kirk. Now for those of you that don't know the captain is a Maryland native and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy of which I am a proud board member. It is my understanding that the commander is required to provide the secretary of the Navy with three options for a commissioning location and Baltimore was Captain Kirk's first choice. Secretary Mabus thanks for listening to him. Now it goes without saying that Baltimore has a strong marine tradition. Just beyond the harbor is Fort McHenry where we stopped the British Navy in its tracks during the war of 1812 and we have a long welcome our country's ships for port visits and fleet week. But never before have we seen a ship like this one. We are standing before 15,000 tons of raw power. The Zoomalt is not only the Navy's newest and largest destroyer. It is the most powerful and technologically advanced in U.S. history. This ship introduces our major innovations in electric propulsion and stealth design that makes it 50 times harder to spot on radar than an ordinary destroyer. Its weapons can strike targets more than 100 miles away and require a much smaller crew to sail. It is truly fitting that it is named after an American sailor unlike any the Navy had ever seen when he became its youngest chief of naval operations in 1970. Like this ship, Bud Zoomalt was a true of revolutionary who fought discrimination within the ranks. He was a crusader for equality and is credited with bringing naval personnel practices into the 20th century. He promoted the first female and first African American officers to flag rank. He allowed women to become naval aviators. He opened up ratings for Filipino sailors whose service had long been limited to steward. And he demanded the Navy fight housing discrimination against black sailors in cities where they were based. Sadly, Zoomalt died of a cancer from asbestos that he was exposed to while serving our nation throughout decades in his long career. On behalf of a grateful country, I want to acknowledge his family members here today and thank you for your service and sacrifices. You know, I really would have liked your dad and granddad. He was a little bit of a rebel. He wore sideburns when they were generally frowned upon in the Navy. He let sailors wear civilian clothes when they weren't on duty. But like your father, this ship breaks the mold of modern naval design. The Zoomalt is a ship that we can be proud of. That we can show the rest of the world the might and the power of the United States Navy. So I wish Captain Kirk and his crew Godspeed and thanks for having me here today. And again, I'm just very impressed the turnout we have here today for this very auspicious occasion. Thank you. Thank you, Representative Rufersberger. Ladies and gentlemen, Admiral John Richardson, United States Navy, Chief of Naval Operations. Well, good evening everybody. Thank you again for turning out.  I've got to tell you it's been magnificent sitting up here. You have no idea what it's like to be the seventh speaker in a row. Secretary Mamus and I are just sitting up here with pens that's taken, that was covered, never mind. I really have almost nothing left to say at this point. But that's not going to stop me. I've got 30 minutes. It is great to be here. In fact, I would say that if you are at all, if you identify yourself with the Navy, this is the place to be right here and right now at this celebration. So there are thousands of people here and I've got to confess I've maybe heard the applause of 100. And so I'd like you all to warm up right now. This is a wonderful celebration and let's make it sound like a celebration. Let me just hear you give it up for the Zoomall from the car. And it is a wonderful time for celebration. This commissioning really continues a celebration of our Navy's birthday on October 13th, just this past week. And of course we're also celebrating Fleet Week here in Baltimore. And so there are a number of occasions to celebrate and this occasion this commissioning tops it off. But we've been underway for some time in this ceremony. We've had a number of speakers. They've covered the map all over the globe. And I've got to tell you, we Navy guys and we've been underway for a little while. We get a little nervous and when we get nervous we take a fix. And so that's what I thought I'd do right here for you is take a fix. And any mariner knows that a solid fix includes three lines of bearing. And so I'm going to cover that. In fact our theme for our Navy's birthday this year included three great navigational aids by which we can fix our position today. Our Navy for 241 years, tough, bold and ready. And so let me slew our gyro around and look in the direction of the fixed star of toughness. And I'll tell you as you look through the reticle, you see the city of Baltimore. The city of Baltimore here since the beginning of our Navy and the beginning of our nation. Here for 241 years. It is here in the city of Baltimore where the first USS warship was built. The first US warship, the USS Constellation. It is here at the city of Baltimore that after burning Washington DC and moving north, the city at the Battle of North Point and at Fort Henry repelled the British invasion and turned them back and led to the collapse of their entire Chesapeake campaign. And it is here in the city of Baltimore where heroes such as Joshua Barney, the hero of the war of 1812, heroes such as Admiral Spruance, the hero of Midway and here that great novelist and supporter of the Navy Tom Clancy was born. And so as you look down the bearing of toughness, it is no doubt you see city of Baltimore. Mayor, thank you so much for being a wonderful host for us. You have a wonderful city here. So now let's go, that's the first line of bearing toughness, second line of bearing boldness. And when you look down the bearing of boldness, you see Admiral Zoomwall. I've got to tell you, when I first became Chief of Naval Operations, it took me a couple of days to go into that office to look at that desk and get behind it. It took some time to work up the nerve, the courage to do that, to get behind the desk that had been the desk for Admiral Zoomwall. He was bold. He defined boldness, especially during his time as CNO and you've heard it. He was known as the Sailors Admiral and he moved us in so many ways. Our social programs, the way we think of our sailors, the way we treat them, he moved us into the 21st century. He ensured that our institution, the Navy, lived according to its values. And that is why at his funeral 16 years ago at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, President Clinton during his eulogy said, if Admiral Burke was the spirit of the Navy, but Zoomwall was his conscience. Now I'll tell you, Admiral Zoomwall is well and justifiably recognized for everything he did for our sailors, but he was also a supreme naval warrior. He spent a tremendous amount of time and energy and creativity in a time of decreasing budgets, a tumultuous global environment. Sound familiar? And through his personal initiative and his guiding hand and his experience, through his strategic efforts like Project 60 and the tactical ones like leading his sailors forward, he brought us through that time onto very solid ground. And he did so with an amazing amount of servant leadership and humility. In fact, one of my favorite quotes, someone once asked him how he was going to handle being the chief of naval operations. And he said, in my entire career, I have always done what I thought was right. And if that isn't good enough, then I know I can always get another job. Well, it was more than good enough and Admiral Zoomwall launched us into the 20th century, launched us, gave us the momentum to achieve victory against the Soviet Union in the Cold War. And so as you look down the bearing of boldness, there is Admiral Zoomwall. Let's now get our third line of bearing, see where our fix takes us. Readiness. Well, you don't have to look any further than right behind me to see the definition of readiness, this magnificent ship and that magnificent crew. Okay, let's give it up. They are ready in every possible way. You've heard it. They are stealthy. They are survivable. They bring more power, more automation, advanced sensors, controlling advanced weapons. This ship is ready to move us forward, to fend our nation for decades to come. That crew, they're more than ready, right? They've been waiting for this day for years to enter the fleet and start on their mission. Team, this day has come. The fleet is ready. We're waiting for you to take care and do the job. So these three lines of effort are fix. Toughness, boldness and readiness. Here in the city of Baltimore, honoring Admiral Bud Zoomwall with this magnificent ship, it cuts to a pinpoint fix right here, right now, the place to be if you fancy yourself a naval person. So let's one more time give it up for the USS Zoomwall and her crew. Alright. This is a celebration. And while we have spent the day, if not the week, celebrating and looking forward to this, I will tell you it is not a day of celebration for everybody.  There are those who would suppress their people, denying education to women, to minorities, denying religious freedom.  To them, this day is not a celebration. This day is their worst nightmare. They will stay awake at night tonight, trembling with fear at what the Zoomwall brings to our fleet and to our nation.  To them, this is not a celebration. So we'll bring it back. It's a wonderful celebration for all of us here. I would ask that when you finish your celebration tonight, before you put your head down, say a prayer for the USS Zoomwall and these sailors that will take us to sea, take her to sea. Say a prayer for all of those sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines deployed around the world, putting their life on the line, defending that thing that allows us to be here under an umbrella of that very fragile thing we call freedom. Thank you all very much and God bless the United States Navy and God bless America. Now, I had to talk long enough to let the sun go down below this building so that it did not burn the retinas of the Secretary of the Navy when he got up to sea. So I have achieved my mission and it is now my great pleasure to introduce our keynote speaker today, a man who, again, if you fancy yourself to be involved with the Navy needs very little introduction. He is the longest tenured Secretary of the Navy since World War I. He has been an advocate for our Navy, an outstanding leader. Please, ladies and gentlemen, join me in a very warm welcome for my Secretary of the Navy, the 75th Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Ray Mavis. See, you know, thank you so much. Thank you all for being here today. Thank you to the city of Baltimore. Madam Mayor, what a wonderful city for welcoming us, hosting this crowd, this ship, this commissioning, and also Fleet Week. And thank you and welcome to the Zumwalt family, represented today by the sponsors Anne Mozzetta. And all the dignitaries on the platform have been introduced and so many people in this audience. But I want to take just a moment to introduce a couple more people. My distinguished predecessor is Secretary of the Navy, Don Winter and his wife, who is president of our Society of Sponsors. And Secretary Winter oversaw the early days of this program. Shipbuilding is not the job of one secretary or one administration. Thank you, Secretary Winter. And to Senator Charles and Mrs. Robb, thank you so much for being here. Like the Zumwalt, who has the privilege of two daughters of its namesake as its sponsors, Linda Robb and her sister are the sponsors of DDG 1002, the Lyndon B. Johnson. Thank you for being here. You know, when you're eighth on the list, there's a chance that some of the material that you had in here might go away. The CNO even took my line of being last on the program. I follow some of the most articulate and distinguished people we have in our Navy, particularly Sean Stackley. Now the longest serving assistant secretary of the Navy in history. I don't know if you've heard of the person he passed to get that title. It was an assistant secretary named Franklin Roosevelt. Harry Harris, not only the commander of the Pacific Fleet, but also one of the great representatives of our Navy and our nation and our CNO. And we've heard, we've heard about the great shipbuilders that Bath Iron Works, the hardworking, uniformed and civilian program managers that brought this ship to life. We've heard how this ship is going to strengthen our fleet and enhance our capabilities in the Indo-Asia Pacific. We've also heard what it means to commission this ship in Baltimore. And we've heard about how this ship's namesake, Admiral Elmo Zumwald, continues to have a lasting impact on our Navy and how the crew of the new USS Zumwald will carry that legacy into the future. And as the secretary of that department, I say amen to all those sentiments. I want to be a little bit personal during this commissioning ceremony. Talk about what it means to me personally and what it represents also in many ways the culmination of the priorities that we've set over the past. You know, if you look around in the inner harbor this evening, you'll see streets with a lot of our sailors. But that's not normally the case. Absent fleet week and outside Navy's upcoming 15th victory in a row of Army, which will happen right down here. You don't usually see a lot of sailors and Marines on the streets of Baltimore. You don't see them because when they're doing their job, they're usually a long, long way from home. They're America's away team. They don't ever get a home game. We don't want a home game. Our Navy and Marine Corps uniquely provide presence around the world, around the clock. We ensure stability. We reassure allies. We deter adversaries and we provide our nation's leaders with options in times of crisis. Sailors and Marines equally in times of peace and times of war are not just in the right place at the right time. They're in the right place all the time. There is no next best thing to being there. And in every case, from high in combat to a regular warfare to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, our naval assets get on station faster. They stay longer. They bring everything they need with them. And because they're operating from sovereign U.S. territory like this ship behind us, we don't have to ask anybody's, any other nation's permission to get the job done. To get that presence, to keep that presence, we rely on four fundamentals. Our people, the sailors, the Marines, the civilians, the families. The platforms, our ships like the Zumwalt, our aircraft, power, how we use energy to make us better warfighters and partnerships. Our strong relationships with industry, with our international friends and allies, and with the American people. Of those four basic bedrocks, the American people, the American people, our friends and allies, and with the American people. Of those four basic bedrocks, people come first for a reason. And that reason has been reinforced for me by Elmo Zumwalt. Elmo Zumwalt was my CNO when I was a young naval officer. I witnessed him transform the Navy, one Z-gram at a time. From seemingly small things like allowing you to grow a beard, and those of you who have seen my junior officer picture know that I took advantage of that, although I'm not sure it could be called a beard, to the monumental. Things like removing demeaning and abrasive regulations. Mickey Mouse regulations is what he called them, and moving to eliminate the scourge of racism and sexism in our Navy. In his words, ours must be a Navy family that recognizes no artificial barriers of race, color, or religion. There is no black Navy, there is no white Navy, just one Navy. The United States Navy. To that end, among a lot of other initiatives, we opened flight training for women and increased recruiting of underrepresented Americans. And has always been the case, when we open opportunities in our Navy and Marine Corps, we get stronger. I've had the great privilege to serve with three amazing CNOs. Admiral Gary Ruffhead, Admiral John Greenert, and now Admiral John Richardson. And there's another great CNO sitting on the front row here, Admiral Mike Mullen. But I also had the great fortune to be in the Navy when Admiral Elmo Zumwalt was a CNO. I never met him. Why would I? But he had no idea who I was or who the hundreds of thousands of sailors, most of us, were. But you felt like you always thought that there was somebody in charge who cared about you.  And who was willing to back up that caring with action. In my time in this job, I've used Admiral Zumwalt as true North. And as a guide in the way I make decisions. The question is, are the decisions that are being made, is it just some Mickey Mouse regulation, which doesn't make us better warfighters, doesn't help us recruit and keep the best America has to offer, or is this the decision that's going to help sailors do their job better? Is it going to help their families? Is it going to make us a more diverse and a better force? I'm connected to Admiral Zumwalt. I feel connected in so many ways. I told this story at the christening and forgive me, I'm going to tell it again. I only met Admiral Zumwalt once in my life. I had finished with my time in the Navy. I was going to Harvard Law School and he came and spoke to the law school. And at the end of his speech you could get up and ask questions and when it came to be my turn I said, my name is Ray Mabus and I was an officer in your Navy. Now I've been out of the Navy about a year then and I might not have had a haircut for that year. And I might have had a Fu Manchu mustache going. And I probably had my Navy great coat on with the epaulets removed. And I was wearing the one pair of blue jeans that I owned to go to law school. And when I introduced myself as having been one of his officers, Admiral Zumwalt looked at me and said, no way. The next time I heard from Admiral Zumwalt was when I was Governor of Mississippi. And he had met a mutual friend of ours and he called me just to tell me he was proud of me. And what I had done after my career in the Navy. But the way that I think I feel the most connected is his love of family. The daughters that represent him today. And maybe, most importantly, his love of ice cream.  Elmo Zumwalt recognized that and our Navy recognizes that. The Navy and the nation are different and we are better because of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. So on our watch, we've tried to continue to carry that torch. I and many of the people here strongly supported the repeal of don't ask, don't tell Admiral Mike Mullen being one of the foremost advocates for that. And led the implementation to open service in the Navy and Marine Corps. Also open service in 2010 on submarines and riverines to women. Call for an increase in the number of female midshipmen at the Naval Academy, which is happening. And our superintendent is here today and advocated for opening all combat specialties to women across the Navy and Marine Corps. Which happened this past January. And working with the Presidents of Harvard and Yale and Princeton and Columbia, we brought ROTC back after an absence of more than four decades. But at the same time, established ROTC units at Rutgers and Arizona State, two of our most diverse campuses in this country. We're doing it not diversity for diversity's sake, but a diverse force is a stronger force. A force that has the same backgrounds, thinks the same way, has the same set of experience, it becomes dangerous. It's dangerous for a military force to become predictable. A predictable force is a more defeatable force. It's also dangerous when there's too wide a gap between those being protected and those doing the protecting. Diversity gives us strength and guarantees that our Navy and Marine Corps are both reflective of and representative of the nation that we defend. In terms of ships, almost more than anyone, Elmo Zumwalt understood the importance of having a fleet that was big enough to provide presence. In a report titled Project 60, as C&O he acknowledged the challenges facing the Navy at the time, he wrote, potential budget reductions would curtail our capabilities critically, would stretch our construction dollars, and we have to find innovative financial approaches. As a C&O said, sound familiar. Using a plan he called high, low, Elmo Zumwalt reshaped the Navy's effort to replace large numbers of aging World War II ships with newly constructed vessels and succeeded in his effort to get more gray hulls on the horizon. And that challenge continues every day. When I took office, we were faced with a shrinking fleet and a shrinking budget. In 2001, we had 316 ships in our Navy. Seven years later, by 2008, we were down to 278 ships. In those seven years, 41 ships were put under contract. Not enough to keep our fleet from continuing to shrink and not enough to keep our shipyards in business. In the seven years since 2009, we have put 86 ships under contract, growing the fleet. We're going to get back to 300 ships by 2019 and back to our assessed need of today of 308 ships by 2021. It takes a long time to build a ship. It takes a long time to build a fleet. The motto of the Zumwalt is appropriately peace through power. In a Navy, power can mean a lot of things. This destroyer, more than any other in our fleet, is capable of projecting that power. A lot larger than today's destroyers, much bigger flight deck. And it has a vertical launch system that's second to none. But how a different power system was deliberately incorporated into this design. From keel to mast and bow to stern, from concept to commissioning is what makes it unique. It generates enough power to power all its systems and has enough left over to power a small city. Or in its case, the weapons systems, the things that are going to come later. This is an example of a larger initiative we have to change the type of power that we use, the way that we use it to make us more operationally effective to give us a cutting edge. The most important partnership we have is with the people of America. Our partnerships with industry, with our international allies are important. But it's the people of this country. From the Battle of Baltimore, where as you heard and know our national anthem was composed, to the commissioning of this great warship, our Navy is a part of the fabric of this city. It's part of the fabric of the state of Maryland. And it's an indelible part of the fabric of America. So to everybody here, take a look at this ship. It's different. It doesn't look like other ships. And it does things other ships cannot do. So like its namesake, it's unique to the crew of the Zumwalt. Look at this crowd. Look at the city of Baltimore. Remember the values that the people here and this city represent. Remember that as you stand the watch far from home. To those of you here, look at the crew of the Zumwalt. These are America's sons and daughters. They all are volunteers. They are volunteered to serve and defend this country around the globe and around the clock. Captain Kirk, the men and women of Zumwalt, your Navy, your nation are with you today. And we will be with you throughout the life of this ship. And finally to the Zumwalt family. And to all of those who, like me, have been influenced by the life and the legacy of our 19th Chief of Naval Operations. Admiral Elmo Bud Zumwalt.  And now the namesake of this ship. This ship and her namesake are the epitome of our Navy motto, Simper Fortis. Always courageous. Thank y'all. Thank you, Secretary Mabus. Mr. Secretary, I would be honored if you would now play Zumwalt in commission. For the President of the United States, I hereby place United Stateship Zumwalt in commission. May God bless and guide this warship and all who shall sail in her. Thank you, Secretary Mabus. And as we start to get things rolling here, Executive Officer, hoist the colors and the commissioning pendant. Aye, aye, sir. Zumwalt, hot tan, hut. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise. I direct your attention to the ship's mast atop the central deck house as we hoist the colors and the commissioning pendant. Quartermaster, hoist the colors and the commissioning pendant. Aye, aye, sir. Captain, the colors and commissioning pendant are flying over USS Zumwalt. Very well. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. I will now read my orders from Commander Naval Personnel Command to Captain James A. Kirk, United States Navy. Subject, Bupers Order 3272 of 25 January 2013. When directed by Reporting Senior, detach in March of 2013 from present duty and report to pre-commissioning unit Zumwalt, DDG-1000 as commanding officer. Upon commissioning of USS Zumwalt, report for duty as commanding officer. Admiral Richardson, United States Ship Zumwalt is in commission and I'm in command. Executive Officer, set the watch. Aye, aye, sir. Officer of the deck, set the first watch. The officer of the deck is the commanding officer's direct representative and while on watch is responsible for the operation of the ship and the safety of the crew. The long glass is the traditional symbol of an officer of the deck's authority and a ship of the line. We are pleased to have Russell Zumwalt IV, grandson of Admiral Zumwalt with us today. He will pass the long glass to Lieutenant Junior Grade Michelle Rowley of Troy, Michigan, our ship's auxiliary officer and first officer of the deck. The petty officer of the watch is petty officer's second class, Matissa McCoggle from Lakeland, Georgia. The messenger of the watch is Seaman Daniel Pineda of Houston, Texas. And the votes are made of the watch is petty officer's first class, Shi Chin of San Bernardino, California. The watch on deck, section one. Sir, the watch is set. Very well. Kevin, the watch is set. Very well. We are delighted to have our sponsors, Miss Ann Zumwalt and Mrs. Mazzetta Zumwalt-Weathers here with us today. Ann and Mazzetta christened this ship in Bathman in April 2014. Ladies, I would be honored if you would join me and give the order to man our ship and bring her to life. I would like to say to the crew of the USS Zumwalt, your footprints are etched on my heart forever. And I am here for you always in times of darkness and in times of joy. To Captain Kirk and the crew of the Zumwalt. As my father embodied the pioneer spirit of his Californian ancestors, you too are pioneers. My father vigorously defended the principles upon which this nation was founded. You too, with this warship. You too, as my father did, will brave life's certainties and brave life's uncertainties. May God bless you all. Thank you. So what do you think? Should we bring this ship to life? No. Officers and crew of the USS Zumwalt, man our ship and bring her to life. Ladies and gentlemen, the crew of USS Zumwalt salute you. We are proud to serve in your great Navy. Zumwalt, ready? Two. Will the guests please be seated? Captain, Zumwalt is manned and ready. Very well. Admiral Rodin, USS Zumwalt is manned and ready and reports for duty. Secretary Mavis, request permission to break your flag, sir. Executive Officer, break the flag of the Secretary of the Navy. Quartermaster, break the flag of the Secretary of the Navy. Aye, sir. Captain, the flag of the Secretary of the Navy is flying over USS Zumwalt. Very well. Ladies and gentlemen, Captain James Kirk, United States Navy, commanding officer, United States ship, Zumwalt.  Live long and prosper.  Like those who've gone before me, I do want to acknowledge and thank all the distinguished guests on the platform here today. We are grateful for your presence. I'd also like to recognize the presence of our other distinguished guests, both military and civilian here today in the audience. Admiral Sanders and your amazing commissioning committee, thank you for all the hard work and marvelous support. The city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland, thank you for being such a gracious and marvelous host. I'd like to start by recognizing our families and friends who've supported us along the way. Our spouses and loved ones deserve our thanks to my wife, Sherri, our daughter, Samantha, Sarah, Jessica, my father, William, whose father's name was James and who I'm named after, and my mother who could not be here today. Thank you for your love and support. On behalf of all the Zumwalt sailors, to all those we hold dear and who have supported us, thank you for caring for us as we went about our duties to our ship and our shipmates. If I could ask the parents, the siblings, the loved ones, our ombudsman, Monica Ritticell and family readiness group leader and Mary Deck to stand for a brief moment, if the family's friends could stand for a brief moment, we'd like to thank you for your support. We couldn't do it without you.  We thank you. Today we have the great fortune to celebrate three wonderful things. First in welcoming United States ship Zumwalt to the fleet we are honoring a great man, Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt Jr. Bud Zumwalt had a meteoric career that spanned World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War. His intellect, work ethic and compassionate leadership led to his being selected as the leader of our Navy, the chief of naval operations in 1970 during one of the most challenging times in our history. He reformed the Navy both as a fighting force to ensure it remained the preeminent sea power and as an institution demanding of his beloved Navy that it become a shining example of fairness and justice to the nation it served by treating each sailor with dignity, affording opportunity to all sailors and with his beloved Muza by his side introduced policies and programs aimed at strengthening support to Navy families. DDG-1000 is and will be a powerful warship but its power is not only found in its ability to fight when called upon by her country. Sending Zumwalt to sea is also a powerful expression of the values we hold dear and each generation's commitment to forming a more perfect union and passing it on to our sons and daughters in puberty. In Admiral Zumwalt's life we find the finest example of a warrior and citizen who lived these values, who acted upon his conscience and now we welcome the warship carrying his name to sail forth and defend the ideals upon which our nation was founded. Admiral Zumwalt's daughters and our sponsors Anna Mozzetta, you, your brother Jim have been kind and generous to us. You have imbued us with your father's spirit, know that we seek to honor your father's legacy in our service in what is now United States ship Zumwalt. The second cause for celebration is the ship DDG-1000. The product of thousands of talented hard working folks from across this nation. Zumwalt is today a technological marvel. When deployed our Navy nation will have on its Navy and Marine Corps team a multi-mission destroyer with the stealth, survivability and combat power to take on our most challenging missions and DDG-1000 shines a brilliant light upon the path to what the future demands and is a mandatory waypoint to that future. To the industry teams led by General Dynamics, Bath Ironworks and Raytheon, we thank you and your teams. Brent, you and Phil, Steve Kofor, Lou Lozano, Mark Haynes, Josh Miller and Larry Stegna and all of the shipbuilders of Bath Ironworks, we thank you. Wes, to you, Pat, Lance, Wade and the entire Raytheon team, I extend a thanks to you for all the hard work you have done and I extend a thanks to all of the other industry partners, BAE, Huntington Ingalls, Rolls Royce, GE, Converteam, DRS, L3 and many more. I mentioned them because these industry teams were more than just the builders of the ship and suppliers of equipment. They also trained us on this equipment and became partners in our success. To the government teams past and present, Captain Kevin Smith, Program Manager, Captain Mike Taylor, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Admiral's Hamilton, Searing, Downey, Gale, Goddard, Bush, Moynihan, Emergalinus and to all those who played a role in the development and delivery of our ship, we thank you. Finally, and most importantly, I want everyone here to know about this crew. I wish I could tell you the story of each sailor, why and how they decided to join the Navy, why they chose to raise their hand and take the oath to serve their nation as a sailor. Each is a story of a different hue, some joined while still in high school looking for something beyond the bounds of a small town or big city. Others lived a little and then saw an adventure, training and an opportunity for a career and a stepping stone to further education. Others went to some of our universities and academies. Their stories are weaved together here in Zumwalt and in them we find the tapestry of our nation. Men and women possessing all of the many things we encounter and can be seen and used to differentiate us as human beings. All here in United States, Jim Zumwalt serving alongside one another unified in service to nation, Navy, ship and shipmate. This is a more seasoned crew, both older and more senior than other ships. Some have spent much of the last three years away from their loved ones. Children were born, loved ones left us, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations came and went, snow came. And more snow. And yes, more snow. All the while these sailors went about their work. They learned this very different ship from stem to stern. They readied themselves to operate their ship and respond to every emergency. They did all of this and much more. DDG-1000 is a marvel of technology. But it remains true that sailors mean more than guns in the rating of a ship. These are a tough bunch. They are because of their personal dedication and effort, technical experts on this ship. And they are team players. They happily share the burdens with one another to get done what must be done. They consistently put the good of their ship and their shipmates first. For this and much more, our requests we all stand and celebrate their victory today. And we got a big crowd. And we have a kind of traditional cheer we've done on Zommel. And I'd like this crowd to join us in providing it to the crew as motivation and inspiration for what they will do. If you would repeat after me, who ya Zommel? Who ya Zommel? Who ya Zommel? Who ya Zommel? Thank you all for joining us today. And I failed in one thing and my crew is going to give me feedback on this. Zommel, parade, rest. Now XO can put them back in attention. Ship's company, Aten Hut. Will the guests please remain standing. River Emerald Tid will now lead us in the benediction. Let us pray. Gracious God, we have gathered here today in your presence to give thanks for those who have designed and built this ship for their expertise and their innovation and their skill. We've also gathered to ask your blessing upon all who will sail in her. Those who, in the words of the Psalmist, will take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea. Give to them the wisdom and the strength that they will need to meet every challenge they encounter. Watch over their families during their times apart. In grant, we pray that those who serve in this ship will always reflect both the moral as well as the physical courage of Admiral Zommelt and that they will continue to bear his name with honor. We pray this in your holy name. Amen. Thank you, Admiral Tid. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated and remain seated for the departure of our platform guests. Ladies and gentlemen, the USS Zommelt Commissioning Committee invites you to join us for refreshments on the pier.


All right cyber traders welcome on back here this Monday afternoon made 24th shortly after 2 30 p.m. Eastern time welcome on back here Of course for our afternoon meeting great to see all of our students live inside cyber group Norman Andrea Buongiorno is always Michael or Mike. I should rather say one of her new trial members joining us Including Kathleen Ray later all of our students alike live inside cyber group and alongside them all of us on social media Facebook live You too. Welcome on back Gotta say folks. I mean I just went over this last week even in our beginner class the phase one stock course You know we talk about best and worst days the week to trade times the day to trade. I'm breaking all my rules Right. I mean just across the last hour and a half two hours. It's been incredible between Space between PLTR Mara AMC and not just from the last couple of hours on you But I mean really right out the gate this morning for a Monday and especially going into a holiday Let alone. I mean obviously next Monday Maybe not so obvious for anyone outside the US perhaps But you know Memorial Day going into next weekend and of course Monday markets are closed next week So things should be slow things were not slow today Things were beautiful on the way up spy at the highs right now So let's talk all about it here space right now to begin just full transparency. I've been in this trade I don't know the exact time minute and second whatnot, but I got in when it re broke over 25 right here going into the afternoon I was playing around with this all day, you know from the morning But ended up beginning to make a nice drop after the market opened ended up finding a bottom off 24 It was tough to like Anticipate the exact when because you would think maybe the first time would be the shot right here And that's what I ended up getting but even afterwards as this was beginning to bottom out You didn't know with this break lower and try and fill the gap on the way down from pre-market Or you know if it doesn't break lower Maybe there's a chance that this can make the type of move that you're seeing here So, you know, hey, I'm in this trade now from 25 I didn't you know think that it would make this type of run right off the bat But here we are now and for the meantime, I already closed half my position out right off of 2550 earlier So I'm gonna keep half on the table for the meantime space pretty much at the highs right now Tight spread great liquidity. I forgot I forgot the news was on this trade to be honest with you And I don't have class coming up at this afternoon. So let me just take a quick look All right, so space trading higher after the company announced it has completed its third Space flight and the first-ever space flight from Spaceport, America, New Mexico The word space in that news headline quite often So yeah, it's a little blurb on space today meanwhile, you know, definitely hope to see this move up higher Making other you know big long-lived run no pun intended heading into the afternoon I think there's a chance that this stock could do it as opposed to like a low-flow crappy pharma You know the stock's got 170 million share float doesn't mean it trades 170 million shares every single day It trades a lot of volume day-to-day. I mean just prior to this week It was trading, you know 12 million on average obviously well above that right now at 95 and counting But you know if the stars align I'm saying if smart money wants to push this up This has the gas tank for it to you know be possible And if you just look at the daily chart here too not only from the last week But we've been following the stock as an IPO back from 2019 ended up making this huge, you know run-up back then 2020 I should say and then you know of course going back into the beginning of this year pumped up made the same type of move I'm not expecting this to make the same exact type of move that we caught these past two times But give me a fraction at that and so far I'm getting it. So, you know, hopefully right now it will continue to push up higher the space trade AMC right I mean AMC wasn't on the morning watch list folks. I mean it was relatively flat But we were hopeful for a bounce on this trade not even a bounce a breakout And I say that specifically for this morning, although it wasn't on the watch list It was on our side list and it was on my side list I was looking at this in pre-market looking at level 4 book map. There was like a 45,000 43,000 share iceberg It was on the ask at the time at 12 dollars and 30 cents So this was pretty early in pre-market that we saw this it broke through that price, you know going into nine o'clock But I want to show you where we ended up seeing this begin to break over 1230 you could see a lot of buying coming in off the level break here and then even the test So it's to say what if history repeats itself? What if after the market opens up this breaks below 1230, but it runs right back above it That was my game plan Second it broke back over 1230. I jumped in on a double-sized position ended up squeezing it up pretty nicely ended up getting out under 13 I left a lot on the table, of course the time ended up running all the way up towards 14 or 12 13 96 And you know pretty close right back up there now I'm in on this position also got in off 13 dollars 60 cents ended up Kind of holding pretty nicely around 13 50 across the afternoon broke below and back above it But I was watching 13 60 for more confirmation and took a while I took a couple losses with the run-up, but ended up jumping back in on this double position here ended up closing part of my Position out at 13 78 about like 10 minutes before we started the meeting. I still have 1,000 shares left But for right now definitely gonna put both on our watch list here the space trade and alongside that the AMC Norman says you have Fubo skills and the VSTM or the VSTM. I definitely want to get to Norman You called this one out pretty nicely after the market opened up You know just hey we caught it early right and broke over 350 going into 1130 12 o'clock eastern time and has made the Perfect type of run-up that you would hope for right? Doesn't always work out that way. So it's just to say I mean this is the type of movie pretty much dream of just a Beautiful slow-moving cheap stock. That's on a really steady trend. It's not choppy. It was beautiful, you know off the lows For right now. It's near the highs right the volume has been waning off though quite a bit after 130 So for right now, I mean I like the stock It's you know wouldn't hurt us if I put this on our list I'm gonna put this on the side just you know give it a second look at the end Maybe you know maybe I go through here. We don't really have much else Maybe I do and there's a whole bunch more so I'd rather just jump to the list here first before a You know considered this one any further we have skills Fubo also Let me check out Fubo also. This one's running up pretty nicely. I like this up 6 plus percent You know a little bit more volatile compared to that VSTM and I mean that in a good way VSTM looks like it's like Watching the paint dry watching the grass grow there Meanwhile Fubo at least pretty similar to space, you know some good bang for your buck $21 so you know if you're not as comfortable trading anything more than 15 20 bucks. I know there's a few of us live inside cyber group right now trade less shares All right, you know that that's the best thing I would say you don't need to do the one share But there is a way of going about risk management Maybe instead of the 500 shares you would normally trade trade 200 you don't need to trade one But you don't need to trade the full position size if you're a little bit more afraid of you know risking on this trade But yeah, definitely for the meantime Fubo Great call And yeah, I guess I'll go to skills here also a stock that we're pretty familiar with you know Slow push-up up 7% practically the same Move percentage wise as the Fubo stock, but yeah, I mean I like this one also for right now Spreads are still good liquidity not to not too thin All right, so we added those to their norm. All right, so we'll go from top to bottom this scps is Follow me here this scps trade is looking honestly like a real POS So if you know it you know it for right now though It ended up running up pretty nicely at least after the market opened off of what like 12 13 separate halts You know, we know for a stock that gets halted on the way up this many times When it gets halted on the way down once that's game the game over that's a wrap So as soon as that first down halt kicked in right off the highs Now it did make a bit of a bounce actually I want to give a shout out to one of our students Lynette She ended up calling this out off of 12 when it first broke through 12 on the way back up Really good call out at the time and ended up paying off pretty nicely She got like two separate trades for like 75 cents then like 56 cents a pop You know for right now though definitely on the way down not looking as good, you know POS you can call it Yeah for right now. I mean just I wouldn't shock me to see this break even lower going into the close down to 10 M M a C trade how about this for all of our students live in cyber group quick little pop quiz We talked about this just last week in in our news class. What's the news on this stock? You don't need to check just to give me an answer. You can just look at the chart There we go all of our students here saying or at least you know guessing for now buyout Maybe not guessing. I'm gonna take a look just to confirm I don't know the news myself who'd make me look like a real ass If that was wrong, but nope we're right here So it looks like they ended up acquiring or getting acquired all cash transaction valued at a hundred sixty one point seven million dollar deal Once the buyouts announced it just doesn't move that's as simple as that there So you look at the chart and pre-market, you know, it's not gonna make that you know big run up or down or go anywhere really The CRE X hasn't gone much of anywhere either though This one ended up popping after the market opened up pulled right back down and That was it. I was pretty hopeful on this trade for a break over 180 actually where was it? Oh, it had to been right here the time held perfectly pulled back I took my eyes off it since so I don't know maybe it can squeak up like 10 cents somehow But I'm not like really trying to wait for that VSTM right now looking more and more like it will probably just join our list there at the end. Oh OBL and I forgot about this one ended up making a big pop took a little while actually I mean it popped out the gate But then took a little bit longer for it to coil up and then once it rebroke resistance later on going into the 10 o'clock Time slot here ended up making this nice move. Yeah, I mean Fausto Described it really well during our audio commentary earlier live inside cyber group. You have this like W shape You know double bottom triple top here once it makes that pattern and then the ensuing breakout leads to a really sharp squeeze So that's what he was commenting on earlier Ended up making a second type of move up at least here going into the early afternoon But for right now, even though I guess it's trying to squeeze back up a little bit here I don't know. I'm not really trying to wait on that either See what else we got Jaguar and GA GX pretty or stock were pretty familiar with at least Ended up making a sneaky move out the gate after the market opened up from 135 up to 160 We caught this off of like 145 150 at the time So a little late to the party on this ended up dying off shortly after 10 o'clock 10 30. All right my amc trade I'm still in from 1360, you know at this point got a say for a Monday and no not everyone can say the same Right, we all have different results for trading different stocks at different times You know Fausto pays me to be here at least so you know, I ended up finishing off the morning at 10 o'clock I would have left like most of us Inside the trading room, but you know given what had happened today I mean if this ends up pulling back on me, it's not nearly at the end of my world So, you know if I waste this profit so be it But I have high hopes of this making the move up to 14 later on perhaps making the big pop You would hope to see you know and plus if you look on the daily chart here, too This is approaching resistance that we had dating back to March or April this year. You could see it ended up peeking off of 1450 1454 1967 back from last week so it has a little ways to go I reckon to get up towards there But maybe you know with a strong close today will happen to see it hold strong tomorrow and make the run up towards that Historical resistance Yeah, for the meantime at least for right now AMC will keep on our watch list Space is doing a good job right now. I have that up on a separate monitor I didn't anticipate a false breakout off the 26 on space at first and then it's a matter of seeing from that point If smart money wants to keep it going Beyond meat, right? You know if we ended up calling this out end up making a nice sneaky move after the open still near the highs right now The stock has made a huge run up for us in the past. I mean, I'm not gonna day trade this It's way too, you know out of my price range personally probably out of the price range for most of us live inside cyber I'm gonna put this on our list as I would nickname it for the C2 billionaires in our trading room You know the stocks at the high is definitely more level 5 so to say you know outside the price pretty thin order book But even outside the stock if you happen to do any calls on it if you're more experienced in options trading You're gonna do any calls going into the close or for this week Maybe that's something something for you for you to decide on yourself SBBP this one. I had high hopes for it to also after the market open. This one was a big bust This brings me to ride in Mara, huh? And I don't even have my Bitcoin chart open right now. It takes me two seconds to load it up So just bear with me there. I don't think I showed Bitcoin going into the end of the week because it wasn't doing a whole lot at least Friday afternoon Then of course the second we finished up on Friday ended up making a big drop once again That's not surprising to myself, but ended up making that move like practically as we finished up the market day on Friday So let me bring up Bitcoin really quick. We had some good correlation between Bitcoin and riot and Mara today So you could see on an hourly chart here. I'm gonna zoom in a little bit more Going into the weekends This is pretty much the drop that we had on Friday morning, but going into the next day That's when we ended up seeing a further drop So ended up bottoming out close to 30 again 32 ended up squeezing back up nicely after and going into this morning Thankfully, we ended up seeing a strong squeeze back up. I know there is some news out on Mara in particular Marathon the stock Mara I'll go to that in just a second here, but for the meantime I mean on the hourly chart for the first time since what? Early May mid May here at least it's making a move back up towards one of the EMA is the 100 EMA Mind you so it's not gonna be ready for a huge pump back up just yet But perhaps slowly but surely this could be the beginning of a nice support build and have this squeeze back up to hold Over more of these EMAs over time now leading to riot and Mara Well, we're finally seeing a bit of a squeeze back up on both I don't mind putting both on our list here for the meantime I also was in Mara earlier ended up Eh, alright on that ended up getting like 15 or 20 cents whatever I posted live inside cyber group But ended up squeezing up a lot more after yeah for right now I don't mind slipping these on our list here the Mara and the riot if I go through the loser's list We have a lot more maybe I'll kind of boot one of them off to be more selective, but I'll consider them for right now Traff Kings popping right now pretty much in our face up to 49 New high the day how could I not I feel like fast would get upset with me if I didn't put draft Kings on our watch list And you know what? I'm just gonna jump around right now folks because one of our students I think it was Chuck had a couple of good callouts and I think draft Kings was one of them I just want to jump to his other one because it was moving up. Yeah, Neo. They're not related mind you Draft Kings and Neo you call that both. I just said no good call at the time Neo just a little bit slower at the highs, you know, probably you're gonna see a lot of stocks They're like this right now So I'm not as keen to put a stock like Neo on our list when hey look at Palin tier coming off of news government deal with the Space Force and Air Force They announced I think it was like maybe like 37 million dollar government deal, which isn't really that that much But you know pretty well-known company locking up a deal with the Air Force and Space Force. No, that's pretty prominent I was in this earlier off. I should have stayed in I was in the straight off of 2075 once It broke through 2075 here. I jumped in and I was holding on the whole way through I got out when it once it broke over 21 because I thought it would be a false break And this is making as good of a move as one could even hope so, you know what Palin tier I'm gonna slip on our list Let's see what else we got on the gainer's side here There's our skills name check back in on this this one was kind of just at the high Okay, it's moving up a little bit more now. Good. All right I thought this would be a little bit too slow I'm just gonna check back in on this one, but ended up making a nice little pop here for us once again this skills trade Cool. All right, so let's hop over to a loser's list and want to check out what's on that side of the field And then of course if there's anyone From our social feeds here or from cyber group that have any questions or call outs Then type it in the chat board here, and I'll just jump to it in a moment NGM down, you know 40% just about just flat stock though Me tx from Friday, I think this was even it's from Friday or Thursday. Yeah from Friday. Oh my goodness So, you know again just a quick little lesson for all of us in social media live inside cyber group you folks here this from us every day So it's to say like, you know, we had good news come out this morning on Friday for me tx This was a day trade not a swing trade and and we made that very apparent when we put this on our watch list But for anyone on social media that just is let's just say on a more blunt word more uneducated in terms of day trading If you expect this stock to make a big move the following day just because it didn't really make a good move this day It's not always gonna happen if if really at all So, you know, you got to make sure that you don't turn a day trade into a swing trade I mean, I didn't even see this until now Sam me tx down 32 plus percent. Geez Wouldn't shock me if that was like direct offering news or common stock offering TAL ended up dropping off today big drop after the market opened from 41 down towards roughly almost sub 35 Tighter range right now Right, but still pretty tradable trading about 30 31,000 shares per minute Tight spread good liquidity. So for all of that, I don't mind it really You know if I was doing this meeting you probably wouldn't put this on on the list But I kind of see the opportunity and some more stocks. He did you know, I always say he is the best at keeping it super simple So, you know, this is one where he probably wouldn't put it on the list But given the the volatility the range, you know one way or another perhaps we see a squeeze up Perhaps we see it break down more and it's a short. So, you know, I'll put it on our list for that reason SFT though, look at this pretty interesting move trading almost 10 million shares across the day at the Lowe's shortable Otherwise looking at level three that all checks out Pretty interesting. All right. So, you know what the blockchain stocks are actually getting the boot live as we speak Mara and Riot You know, they ended up making a bit of a push earlier and plus How about this for our Mara and Riot that we typically see trending so well going into the afternoon They rarely ever make that big continuation that you would hope for, right? We go through this song and dance all the time actually So, you know, I'm yanking my own leash here pit and saying, you know We have a pretty good list you're heading into the afternoon if I'm expecting these to not break out and continue to run up They might be better shorts You know, we'll find out of course in the coming moments But you know, although they're on a really steady trend wouldn't shock me for that to happen I'll bump these off the list for the meantime The SFT though at the Lowe's down big shortable. I don't know if this is all-time Lowe's either Mmm-hmm kind of looks like it 690 that was or 640 from November 13th. Yeah, it looks like all-time Lowe's to me even more of a reason. That's pretty cool It's like my type of opportunity. I like that Edu also at the Lowe the day if I'm putting towel on the list, which is also also an education-based company I feel like Edu I should put as well cheaper also shortable near the Lowe's and we got a big list here folks from Monday How about OCG and having a sneaky down day down over 7 plus percent? I had them on my side list on my notepad this morning I just you know, there were others that I was more interested in so I didn't really line this up But yeah dropped off quite nicely. It's kind of at the Lowe's right now So, you know, that would tempt me to put this on our list. I just feel like it's pretty flat and slow for the meantime Got faster movers to worry about here, right? All right, so folks Let me just take a look inside cyber group first Jeff says I shorted AMC every day for almost or every other day for almost a year Now it's been hard to borrow Jeff you got to learn to buy man. It's not just all about shorting You got to learn to dance with the dance with the stock here AMC was like, you know If you were following it in pre-market, I should say then it should have been very easy to understand the opportunity on this trade off 1230, you know, that's something I'll talk more about inside traders traders talk come tomorrow Now if you weren't watching AMC in pre-market or out the gate, then that's certainly not as easy to say Right there were trades that you folks took that I just didn't follow that, you know, probably pretty easy for you You know might not be as easy for me to say that after the fact myself But for AMC this was a huge pop after the open once it broke that iceberg. How's it actually want to give a shout out? I'm just seeing this right now quick chat to my guy Alan live inside cyber one of our students You know, he asked me earlier just in pre-market just as I always say to you folks to do You know always message me just seeing what I'm watching going into the open What could be a good stock for you to watch and you know, I told Alan I said hey, I'm all I'm watching this morning as PLTR and AMC mainly and he's brought me back About maybe like 10 minutes ago. Actually, I just saw the blurb right now. He said yes I did reason be well on AMC. Thanks for the idea. I'll send you the spreadsheet perfect No problem at all Alan. I appreciate that though and for anyone else that ended up capitalizing capitalizing on AMC And then of course the space trade here congrats and hopefully there's a lot more to come on both Mike says DDD inching up all morning. It is it is another stock that's at the highs You know, I feel like it's a little slow just like you know trend it up here and there not here and there Steadily throughout the day making these pops here and there I'll tell you what Kath Kathleen just got out on space. She got out practically right off 26 I'm gonna tell you what Kath. I just got out to I just closed right now got out at 26 I'm expecting a false breakout off at 26. I said that from before so, you know, you know I'll listen to my own advice there and you know got plenty of time to re-enter coming up Look at Alex here not just on space, but how about a Palin tier Alex P. Got 27 cents He was in from 21 bucks ended up capitalizing off the breakout there going into the afternoon. Excellent Alex nice trade All right, how about all of us in social media Facebook live YouTube I see from Steven T on YouTube How about Tesla's quiet as a rabbit running up today? Let's say Yeah, tell me about I mean we normally don't day trade You know stocks this expensive let alone as expensive as beyond meat. That's what I was saying before so I you know, I didn't even look at Tesla at all today Fantastic move with the S&P with the Dow. I mean markets all up today Very nice either way, right? All right folks, I'll tell you what I think I'm gonna call it for the meantime here I'll check out VST. I'm the only stock I put on the side list and this thing's crapping out the other way for right now All right, so for the meantime, I like our list. We got two four six Eight ten stocks to work with one of them's pretty expensive So, you know, just so we just like we talked about last week at the end of last week our phase two stock course talking about you know Select selection and making sure that we're just consolidating our watch list to a group of maybe two or three stocks That's it, you know, hey for the entire afternoon. Maybe outside of Mara once I was following three stocks Palantir space and the AMC trade, right? I Didn't need to go anywhere else Well, you know, I say the same to you folks try and pick two or three stocks from this list this list here And then you know from that point see, you know, what the best opportunities are There's nothing that moves out of the two or three or four stocks that you tend to choose from here Then jump back to the trading room will work together as a team at that point, you know after three o'clock See what else is out there. All right folks for all of us in social media We will be resuming our traders talk workshop live in our cyber trading room only so we typically do that two or three times Across the calendar year for you folks on social media Facebook live and YouTube If you'd like to join us tomorrow, feel free to go right down to the link on the banner below Just to get started on a trial but outside of that we look forward to seeing you folks come back come back here tomorrow morning For fast this morning meeting. I'll talk to you all soon. Take care