So for anybody that doesn't know me if you haven't been able to tell for my body language and watching me if you've ever seen my Hogan assessment I am very comfortable with appreciation. I am very uncomfortable with recognition. So Taking a cue from McPawn West something he said once if it's important write it down because at the moment you will forget I don't want you guys to think that I'm a novice in public speaking So I'm gonna give a little example at an admiral's expense To make people understand of when I when I do a presentation. It usually goes a little bit differently So Admiral now and I went up to the to the senior enlisted Academy and a couple funny things about Admiral now I can so Admiral now And I went up I think you were filling in for Admiral Burke I don't think you were CMP yet And we were doing a presentation the senior enlisted Academy in the senior enlisted Academy stage Audience chairs looks a lot like this a lot smaller not as grand not as historic But very important to us as chiefs and in the first time he walked in he goes and pardon me chaps Please forgive me He goes, what do I do if I get nervous, you know chiefs?  I was like I know But the best one by far and I just I think so many of my funny experiences came with Admiral now because he's one Of the most genuine people persons. I know we're up on see we walk into the thing We good he goes up on stage my thing is I like to hang off to the side until it's time for the tough questions So he walks up and he's doing this and he's doing this and all of a sudden the chiefs over here are like I'm like what and they're like Like what and finally someone goes his flies down So I pick up my phone And I go. Yes Admiral now sir they somebody from DC needs to talk to you Mashi tell him to wait and I was like I'm with the chiefs I was like sir. You need to take this phone call. He goes. I'll be done like sir. You need to take this phone call. He's like All right, so we walk up and as soon as we get to the door I said sir your flies down and it was like down and He starts laughing so loud as he's walking back in he tells the entire scene you're listed a cat In the audience what just happened and I was just like oh my god, but that's so that's the way I prefer to do presentations This is gonna feel a little bit more stiff and scripted and I'm gonna try to sit to the script I'm not gonna cry But I don't want to lose my place and I don't want to as as many people that are out there that I know I'm going to not have a chance to address like ma to Hannah Wallace a Grizzly from Susanville, California daughter of a classmate of mine from Lassen high school He put both his daughters in the Navy, but ma to was able to come here and help us out as an usher There are people like the Naval Academy band the Navy's oldest band and amazing and a privilege that you guys played And it's the reason why instead of a singer really wanted you guys to play Because of the amazing work you do and under appreciated work that military music does and performs for the for the for the Navy and for the military I know I will forget some things. I just want you to understand It's hard to capture 34 minutes or 34 years and get you out the door in a reasonable amount of time So let me try First thanks be to God for allowing me to arrive at this day many rivers were forded and canyons traversed to get here Some divinely inspired in some of my own making, but here I stand this marathon run over Thank You Ceno Gilday for graciously giving your time to host this ceremony and to pass the cutlass to Jim Hone Now at your side is your conceit gliary As I said often the mcpawne has no authorities only a small team and an opportunity through access to influence others and Compel the work that sailors need done which came from my connection to you sir You Perry and speaking here today moving the Hone family onto the Navy are next to you and your countless other actions Only strengthen that bond and will further empower mcpawne Hone's ability to get stuff done Far more than the words you've said sir your actions speak volumes modeling the relationship We hope to see it every level between the wardrobe and the mess Thank you feels insufficient, but I hope I've been able to convey my gratitude in a meaningful way By Saddam O Buck Thank you, sir for allowing me not a graduate to utter my final words in uniform here This place is meant and will continue to mean so much to me that if tears were to happen at any point during the ceremony Just kidding One of the two reasons would be Because I discussed the Naval Academy at length the way you have embraced our Navy's history and shepherds our nation's future In one of the toughest jobs. I've ever witnessed firsthand has been amazing And you have sailed through the pandemic and some of the most difficult waters imaginable sir over the last few years with both Efficiency and personal dignity Amma Moran dad as we call you with all intended meaning and affection. I've always known that when this day arrived I could not do so without you. I Will talk more about it later as I moved through my remarks, but I would not be alive today Without you much less have had the opportunity over the past four years And with all of your disparate endeavors you continue to apply yourself to Regardless of the length of our relationship. I never take for granted how generous you are with your time You are the other reason I might cry, but don't worry. There's no crying in the Navy Admiral Kiven your servant leadership ma'am with God first has always inspired me as much as I had hoped to have chaplain Madison Carter here Who in so many ways during our friendship Represented resilience and toughness kindness and compassion always putting others ahead of self and providing true hope for the future I think I know where he learned it Words cannot express my gratitude as you invoke God's presence here today as well as for sending us away in peace at the end Thank you, and I actually heard that somehow the Truman let him go and he showed up sir. Are you here? Oh Okay, I might cry I'm just saying Thank you, sir. I can't imagine what it took to get here on time Only one short now from what I find to start with thank you Secretary Spencer Thank you, sir for coming today As soon as I was selected you threw me your jet you taught me invaluable lessons your leadership and personal example through the use of your time Along with some of your final words a bold statement about the professionalism of our senior enlisted and the capability to manage the high Standards we expect from our sailors that's high standards task and purpose words matter as Always will always be my benchmark. That's an insight joke if you follow social media in the press I know that this was a difficult schedule de-confliction for you, sir And it means so much that you're here both sergeant majors that I shared time with We all appreciate how much that you gave us the time to meet with us routinely and hear our concerns directly As I look out at the crowd I'm reminded of a great Mentor and friend Scott Benning who famously said at his retirement and everyone from e1 to oh my god Thank you for coming today No one deserves a crowd like this and seniority in her size And I'm not sure I can summon the words to accurately convey the feelings I have standing here at the end of 34 years There's so many people here that I cannot thank everyone the way I want to there simply isn't enough time Mcpaw and West said in his ceremony that some moments are important and writing things down as a must So I've written this out and I'll do my best to infuse the emotion. I feel into it as I speak My intent is to simply thank those of you who are here and a few who are not The exploits of 34 years in uniform are not especially remarkable No different from any other sailor out there who has a story to tell whether we serve for four years or 40 We all have a story the value of my career is not in the stories of seeking national secrets while living in a foreign country And we're driving our combat rubber rating craft down a muddy inlet to drop off some burly dudes with guns The value for me is always lie in the relationships the friends and shipmates that you that have become my family So I'm here to talk about all of you So with that The buttery voice you've heard is the emcee is retired CW05 Sean Schwinnaker We met 29 years ago at damn neck as a former nuclear weapons technician cross-rating to intelligence and beginning our careers as human errors and naval special warfare enablers Sean and I have had a love laugh at you love relationship over three decades Once as an IS-1 he called me proud as a peacock, and I'm sorry for those of you Not in the military. This is gonna be hard to understand But proud of it proud as a peacock to tell me that he'd made himself a one-of-one MP while he was stationed at the embassy in Bogota To give himself room to grow Talk about flexing the chief's network. I was a senior chief at the time from Moscow I had to find a way to rescue that evaluation from the mail service at DIA headquarters So he could resubmit it and become and and resubmit something that might give him an opportunity to be a chief someday Sadly he turned his talents to the war in officer community John Ryder. I love you, bro But you know talents to the war in officer community, but became a spy in his time without equal quite literally retiring as the community is only five As much as you've made me cringe my brother and that is a lot I have loved our friendship and mutual support you have quite literally been my ride or die and in retirement I just asked that you stop trying to pull me into these really problematic Situations because this is a retiree. I won't have the kind of juice. I've had to get us out of it Toby Ruiz We started this journey at op-nav together at N1 and NSF Both perhaps thinking we'd retire there with some great stories of moments that made us laugh made us cringe Like that day with tuck Oz tuck Williams and James Osborne in the selection board spaces a story that will forever be one of my favorites Even if it's not suitable for the audience here Thanks for coming alongside and for echo 392 it's the McPawns office to do this with me in a very challenging first half I've missed you since but I'm glad you didn't stay your whole tour The Navy the Marine Corps desperately needed Toby time and it was unfair for me to Bogart that all to myself I love you brother, and I know that this isn't the end just the end of the beginning There will be many sippy sippies to follow My car bone my brother If I've struggled for words in this speech, it's how to write about you I don't know that I admire or look up to anyone the way I do you your thoughtful detailed approach to leadership Your calm and steady demeanor your absolute absence of unhealthy ego And your willingness to give of yourself and serve the Navy while still keeping that balance that so few of us find with Chris and your boys if my epitaph were to read he was like Mike I would be at peace Thank you for your friendship and truly being my family my other writer die who reminds me of that saying Friends talk you down when you have a bat in your hand best friends skip alongside you saying someone's getting a beating I Love you Mike say it back say it back John Perez man, you and I are probably twins like Schwarzenegger and DeVito though, and it's obvious which one is which We've shared a lot of good times and hard ones as you left the Navy It was the first time I had to really struggle with people leaving me to finish this experience without them You left when you did because you needed to though and you remain an amazing humble servant dad to some amazing men Mentor counselor and friend to so many. I love you man, and we have a lot of life left together to plow through Jeff Bayless boats Your use of your own life's experience humbling yourself in order to inspire others by the way that is a slow pennies wearing There's a reason for that You changed the lives of so many and I couldn't think of anyone I would like more to pipe me ashore for the final time Also a generational descendant of Boston mates. Thank you for continuing to serve in a multitude of capacities Christina Crawford your incredible success in two separate careers that both serve the Navy all while raising an Amazing daughter of your on your own and caring for your father have shown me what warrior toughness looks like You're reminding on tough days that someone else has a more difficult always has a more difficult challenge to solve And then I need to get back up on my feet and keep going Well, you were only a crazy eight for a short period of time I'm grateful and I think for every I speak for every mass chief out there who knows you that you are now one Of us because I'm not sure we could have survived a prolonged time with you expertly pranking and smart assing the mess Arianne thank you for coming out with your mom trust me You have the best example of what it means to succeed as a woman in a male-dominated culture sitting right next to you And you quack and bush You my friend are legend and someday the world is going to tell your story Everywhere you go you engender the trust and admirations of those the admiration of those who work around you You are a street fighter with a tough exterior, but with a softer side that is just amazing to see Your little friend who you made while in Boston? Constitution's number one fan Colton highlights the range of your personality and reach Kim Ferguson a first in her own right when she managed to with what she managed to accomplish for the tribe at damn Nick did me the biggest favor by connecting us and while no one should try to speak for Kim I feel confident in saying two people could not be more proud of what you're doing right now My life is far better with a friend like you in it Brandy Janetti while we've not known each other long as long it is clear to me that we were meant to connect One can spot another that phrase is so apt when it comes to you You have overcome so much and done and to do such amazing things Even as I know you're only just getting started. You are the most amazing friend You give of yourself so completely to your family your teammates and your people Modeling the best examples of strength and resilience for all of us I'm grateful Steve Timmons one of your great mentors steered me to you And I hope one day that you're sitting on this stage pretending to take the helm But for now there is no better place for someone and no better fit than for you to help Toby teach our new CMC's how what we do for the Navy? Thank you to you and your family of warriors for braving new ports cold to do it PS keep an eye on that newest driver of yours scares me a little a Swim buddy Jena who handed me the cutlass you have actually been my ride or die Assisting me during most of my travels while keeping me on schedule Managing my correspondence and so much more all at the same time You took on more than anyone could or should have and did it was such grace and finesse There are no words of thanks that can close that gap Captain Bassett Sorry the pause. I was waiting for that signature laugh of yours There it is Since Lieutenant Clouser first sound set down next to me as a senior chief on Abe in 2002 in Indock My life has been far a far richer experience because of the way you laugh the way you leave and the way you live Selflessly pouring yourself into everything that you do more often than is fair and sometimes underappreciated Nothing dims your spirit Whether you are inventing the protocols and writing the manual on how to manage a new class of reactor plant or pulling together a Symposium for the women of the Department of Defense with very little help You relentlessly drive your relentless drive embodies the never-quit mentality that has made you a legend Thank you for always listening for not judging as you helped me sort out some of the complicated challenges I've had to deal with on so many occasions Lieutenant David Silver is on deployment with SEAL team one, but his parents are here No, I'm not gonna cry, but I thought about it for a minute Noah, thank you sir for what you've done to ensure your son was someone of such quality and integrity He's made a huge difference in my life since we were here at usna together and being his first salute was the honor of a lifetime Witnessing his marriage earlier this year and starting his own family with a puppy for now at least Highlights the true beauty of this place seeing midshipmen move on to change their world and eventually change the world I am getting to see the tail end of this story, but it is the foundation that you and Natalie laid For all three amazing silvers that is your legacy the reason they are all finding incredible success and all their endeavors Captain Caroline Fender You are an amazing example of what this institution represents and what someone can go on to do who is from here Forging a bold path ahead in the Marine Corps set example setting for your young Marines Men and women who look up to you to show them what it means to be a warrior in the artillery business When Frankie introduced me to you, I had no idea what I was in for Thank you for the way you inspire with your service and your example for clearly making the hard choices instead of the easy ones That's how you'll make real impact Force Cole Dr. Cole Kareem My friends since we met in 2010. I wanted to be more like you There is so much to say but we'd be here all day if I just talked about you No one understands the promise of America more than an immigrant from Sierra Leone and to have managed the largest of three worldwide Type commands and now the Naval Academy was such ease and efficacy while earning your PhD Anyone who says I can't means to have a pep talk with that man It might be tough love that you'll get and oh my god. Has he given me some tough love over 13 years But you but Sorry Friends and now family you are truly in the smallest circle of trusted advisors and counselors I would readily place my life in your hands. In fact, I think I have a time or two Thank you for helping me pull this together here at us and a it's so wonderful to have you and your wife Bridget here to have the chance to see Alex finish his process of growing up here And this is second-class parent weekend. So we out of that Your whole family is amazing and I just I'm grateful that you include me in it Fleet mash chief to corset Smitty you came into my life at a critical time And you did so is you define the rent the rebranded deputy mcpon position that Toby and I envisioned It should grow to and as a friend you changed my life You've been an invaluable Consolidary and true friend especially during a short time when I was on the struggle bus to find personal clarity that I needed As a sailor while actual selection involves some timing and luck You are of the caliber of leaders you should expect might someday be standing on this stage as a husband and father You are so very humble in how you describe the relationship to your daughters How you would say that we were a lot alike and sometimes needed to say don't do it like I did learn from me But you and Abby are clearly the right balance to ensure that Jenna and Jaden turned out the way they did That did not happen by accident my friend. You are truly the complete package And you and Abby are two of the best people I know Thank you for oath for who you've been to me, and I hope to repay that in years hence PS Check your doorknob when you go back to your room. It might be time to tell Abby that story. I can't tell it here Or smashy David Twyford Meeting you as the command senior chief on iron size. I was so amazed. I could not believe you weren't already a mass chief Thankfully the Navy corrected that in short order and the friendship that has followed since I wouldn't trade for the world You are probably one of the most talented mass chiefs the Navy has ever produced second to none and how you network and bring resources together to make us successful What you did along with captain Cooper to move Constitution away from simply being a tour platform to bridge in the gap between our steer beginnings and the 21st century Sailor was a feat that forever changed service there and how the public sees both the ship and the Navy What you've done since on Mesa Verde cure Sarge in rota Spain at I4 in region southeast Is also impressive, but what you did at RTC Great Lakes during the pandemic kept the Navy solvent Finding a way with captain Thors to keep new recruits heading out to the fleet It came at a high cost even personally to you and our Navy owes you a debt of gratitude. It can never repay I'm looking forward to visiting more major league baseball parks with you and enjoying our friendship in the years to come Mass chief Nate Carlin. Thank you my friend for stepping in for my other friend mass chief Jeremy Hire who couldn't be here today You've been a legend in our rating far more than just the mayor of damn neck and what you absolutely what you do is absolutely Essential to a critical national capacity even as you make doing it look effortless Thank you for being the quiet professional for continuing to include me in one of the one part of the Navy that I've missed It's becoming command-mache Keep it high in the clock. Sorry Before I was a sailor I lived in a small mountain town where the high desert meets the Sierra Nevada Mountains From Susanville my childhood friends who remember my funniest and most devious moments as a prankster in class clown came out to see me My oldest friend Kristen my sister from another mister I Love you so much, and I'm going to enjoy being closer to you and your amazing husband John as you finish raising Addy and Lauren and Reminding their potential suitors that if they get out of line you can pick them off from about 500 yards with hired sites Dave since I was a Susanville earthquake, and you were a Jamesville Rowdy soccer You've been you've been who I wanted to be quiet confident and eclectic And since you don't brag on yourself, I'll do it Are you trying to tell me no because I'm gonna do it You are truly the guy from the Doseki's ads a renaissance man who speaks many languages and understands disparate cultures has been a professional chef I'm not kidding. This is true a professional chef a professional photographer a race car driver on the Nurburgring armor and marksman You're a lot like the special folks I've spent a lot of my time around though military service was not something you would have loved even if your dad Thanks Bob for making it here. This means so much that you're here. I think your dad will have loved that for you. I Look forward to spending more time with you oxana and Sebastian by the way, this is a STEM school Sebastian is a born engineer get it get him in here Sorry sir boys recruiting Teresa my own psychiatrist and life coach, you know, we need people like you in the here in the Navy Just saying probably get you in if you want I'm really happy that you and Steve found each other. I hope maybe you'll consider a leap relocating It's about time that you found a guy like Steve so congratulations Thank you all for you for meeting me when mom's and return home for my last deployment at sea and sharing that I didn't have to come home to an empty house For all of our unions big and small that is the one that will always remain preeminent in my heart Even if not all complete and total in my memory I went on to RTC grad San Diego in September 1988 and would be remiss if I didn't think gunners make chief Carl V Farmer and senior chief submarines Michael geezer. Yes, his name was geezer I did push-ups because I tried not to call him that My two company commanders they weren't exactly my friends But they were exactly what I needed to make the transition from civilian to sailor From there I flew to San Francisco and a service dress blue uniform made my way across the Bay to report to USS enterprise in January of 89 After a brief brush with the idea of a career on the flight deck with v2 or v5 division I ended up instead in W division with my friend skippy Williams who would later convert to Intel specialist with me My first real chief Mark Boardman was an incredible example I ran into him almost 10 years later as a chief selectee. He just looked at me. He's like no, no But he still signed my chargebook so I called it a win What I learned from my first ship is best embodied in the John Paul Jones quote And I believe the C&O paraphrased it sailors mean more than guns in the rating of a ship. He actually said men I changed it to sailors for a reason. Thank you for the experts who pointed that out on my coin The biggie was old and broken in places even in 1989, but the crew made it awesome I went from there to the Lincoln where I met some of my teammates. I value so much today One officer ran a Lamarston who exemplified the best of what a warnausers should be Wt1 now retired captain Gary Martin at one point served as purse 40 and I believe was a senior LDO Wt1 now retired force mash Eve Chris Engels and anybody is Chrissy Chrissy you here Dang it now you would have heard him if he was here John Marius Ron Swenner Wayne Scott Norris Blasovich Nazarick big Al pedki and the indomitable Joe butts Wt3 butts now an army officer taught me so much about real leadership about how to compel others to action He coached me even though he was a third class and better equipped to lead than I was as a Wt2 I've used his relationship with me to help me guide and develop junior officers in much the same way Next thanks to my detailer and future director of the senior listed Academy then WTC Gilchick I found myself detorted from dive school EOD school pipeline needing to shed my defunct rating After a conversation with then ISC Tom Lally, I wound up at ISA school I was heartbroken when IS 1 Tracy Reese explained there was no longer a path from IS to EOD So I ended up at a SEAL team as an enabler as did Sean Schwenecker Thanks to ISC then ISC Tina Dolan as my great friend Robin Sue and my great friend Robin Sue who had an Incredible impression left an incredible impression on me I still year's your example of how to solve problems within the system and not go outside it without at first exhausting every opportunity inside At SEAL team 4, I had commander Pat to ease my CO someone whose precise recall ability still both scares and osmy Chris Dugan our opso was truly the best of best of Athens and Sparta Leaving a promising career as a frogman to attend Wharton and find a very different path My CMC was a guy named Perry Bruce who took me on my first jump And I still try to model my actions on his after his leadership by example So many amazing frogmen guys like Tim Beamer Dan Schroeder Craig Thomas and some of the junior officers like Joe Price Rust in peace and now retired captain Rico Lenway But an intel platoon Mark Stewart our photographer and battle buddy taught me so much and now retired captain Bill Hamlet Who works just across the way here at the Naval Institute? The first graduate from Annapolis that I ever met his story was one I became fascinated and he's one of the most amazing leaders I've ever worked for And I can't forget the NYNC Leanna Boyer who only recently retired with finality from RTC Great Lakes Retired mass chief and seasoned civilian who truly gave her life's work to the Navy Thankfully our next met a guy named Scott Bladel rest in peace who took an interest in me and gave me some perfectly timed advice He really showed me for the first time with the reach of a CPO network could truly be and helped me understand that the goal for me Should be a chief petty officer He introduced me to the one who would eventually succeed him as the godfather of our rating is one then is one Vic Dalton Well, he was still at Dev group and though I had no I had I had no idea Vic And I would eventually become the closest of friends and teammates, but I'm sure that was the divine reason for Scott's brief appearance in my life He also introduced me to my next chief Tom Boynan who would mourn Scott's passing with me soon after I arrived to work for Tom on Vincent Tom taught me more than anyone else ever has and he would be a for a fleet of forced mash if he'd stayed He selflessly elected to retire as a mash chief to care for his ailing father also a retired senior chief I still use the lessons that he Jeff Elkins Mike sushi Ron Calvert big daddy Rick Ayala and Nick Potter taught me as I began my life in the mess I'm grateful that Rocky Turner, man. I almost did not recognize you with all that facial fur, man Rocky Turner that that has stayed in tour touch and set tour Rocky was an intense and opinionated ISSN when he came to the Gold Eagle and now he's all grown up a professor Teaching college and living in Montana I'm a Dave Crocker our CEO at the time probably had divisions to get under control O P O S O Z Because we gave him a lot to do Especially then ensign Trey Danzler my first fun leadership project with the true junior officer and ensign now captain Jamie Frazier There's a funny story about shining boots if she's here and she wants to tell that story. She certainly can Oh Trying to get through it. Sorry After leaning after learning so much on Vincent as a new chief I left for Russia There I met the best example of a humble servant leader in general Kevin Ryan Who also introduced me to Army Navy football and as a 75 grad he did it at the absolute worst time the year The streak of 14 began I used to apologize as I smiled as the years wore on Maybe forever winning may the 14 be with you, but I digress The office was nothing But superstar non-commissioned officers Dave and Mickey Robinson continue to work today as senior executives in the national security and defense in London Thank you to their son Jason who by the way I regret beating up when he was smaller than me because that's no longer the case as he follows in his parents footsteps as an Army linguist and made it here today Jay Phipps Steve Rush both former ops NCOs from Moscow now serve as SES's and Brad Bennett Once an IS-1 and retired Army Warrant Officer instructor for making sure I had everything I needed when I got to Moscow My CA friends across the hall who shall remain nameless were so accommodating and helping me with my responsibilities Teaching me so much about the business and giving me a love for the only part that I still miss and why I keep close and stay close to Leaders like Vic Vanilla who I continue to reach out to and share with today Enter Vic Dalton once more now a senior chief as the detailer allowed me the chance to return to Abe This time as a senior chief He later hurt my feelings by diverting me from damn neck to DC But he always made sure that I ended up exactly where I needed to be that was Vic special talent Now Mass Chief Jeremy higher and I met on Abe and he's become a come another friend for life He led a great crew of sailors including some who followed me over from the Vincent and we had a blast together I learned so much from so many including my CEO retired Vice Admiral Kendall card and Captain Steve Roberts One of the best intelligence officers and leaders I've ever known My youngest there I thought had the legs to also retire as a Mass Chief Nicole Billmeyer I told you I find a way to see her name But after becoming a chief she found a different path as a civilian as a wife and a mom and someone I'm so grateful is still in my life regardless As I mentioned Vic diverted me to DC into the company of then Rear Admiral Bob Marrett to shepherd our enlisted community expansion and rebuild Human for the Navy It was the third and final time I'd be with Ed Dillard rest in peace as he Vic and I managed the IS community together Thanks to see mommy Jackie De Rosa I also got a taste of what it meant to be a CMC filling in for her for over a year until the legendary Willie Klaus arrived It was a turbulent time for me personally and professionally But one of the greatest relationships of my life would come out of that time in the form of Captain Bill Moran Part of my story in regards to Admiral Moran He came on board as my second deputy director the Navy staff And he was the first one to engage me like a member of the triad truly and truly leverage me in true NSW fashion He'd say I know what you're here to do, but I think you can do more He led broadly yet sought to matter individually at the same time This was the model that I also saw and then fleet massive Rick West and it was what I decided I was going to use as I as I tried to shape the way I would lead for the rest of my career He folded me into all things great and small and at a time where I began to struggle again with why I was here What was my purpose in life? He made me made me feel valued and needed He was concerned with me not just as a mass sheet But as a human being and the way he cultivated a sense of team and his people is unlike anything I've ever seen I take credit for introducing my best friend John Perez to him as a chief As he was plucked from DDNS to be C&O Mullins EA Peanut butter meat chocolate and the two were never better together. I As I'll mention later, I would chase two more opportunities to work for him while neither were successful I've been better for my experience in developing a lifelong truly lifelong relationship From there I went to USS Momsen rise above and the best of the unit level see in the best unit level co I ever got to experience in a direct relationship Then commander Mike sparks along with do it right lieutenant commander Jake Douglas is the XO We had a great time together prepping and taking mom's and out on a deployment I knew this first tour in this first tour that I'd found the right calling for me in the CMC community and with Commander Bob Bodvick at the end of my tour I learned so much even if I got very little sleep From there I moved across the country for what would be the eighth and final time to a short stop at the office of naval intelligence Before now mcpaw and rick west asked me to apply for op nav At this tour each one was supposed to be my super bowl and I endeavored to do it as best I could Admiral Lachler hired me but shortly after it left me and I inherited vice-admiral bird And ended up with vice-admiral Rickon at the end go badgers And the kind of leaders that make you realize that you work in the best organization ever That was also the first time and admiral birds here when I saw somebody of immense talent Not eclipsed by anyone I'd ever met Was not somehow found a way to continue in the navy and you realize It becomes a pyramid at the top and with the amazing talent we have at some point We all get squeezed out me included today So admiral bird was a huge lesson learned for me because I've never seen anybody that Incredibly supremely talented have to go Uh self is smart Outspoken to decisive.  I've ever worked for and of course as the then as cmc Then for op nav and working for mcpaw and west later mcpaw and stevens with johnny walker and later scott fleming was amazing Sean nuke Sean new cos became my friend for life during this tour and wow do we chew on some hard problems together? Thanks for coming shaw man. He's a lot. You made it But then when jeff garrison came along It was it was he that I wanted to not only emulate but someday replace He was the consummate example of mass chief leadership guiding and steering with quiet advice and counsel and mcpaw and mike stevens Even as he served as a sounding board for myself and literally hundreds of others Watching him work was to see the epitome of humble servant leadership With the expert knowledge and incredible grace that kept mcpaw and stevens focused on the high level issues He needed to tackle My other sister from another mister now command senior chief jackie smith Really showed me how to use personal charisma and more in a and how as a more junior member of the team to drive outcome She thought smart and relevant just as she's doing today on board the mighty wp larch as their command senior chief After a failed attempt to get a carrier for my next tour I had planned to off track to an army special mission unit for my last few years until one day mcpaw and west pointed out That the naval academy was open And the decision apply was the best one i've ever made and it was fortunate to get vice admiral ted and linda carter As the first couple of anapolis I don't know that i've ever been around two more consistently incredible people and slap shot carter's leadership and inclusion of me made This my favorite experience I'm so grateful. He was made a distinguished graduate this year And i've seen some amazing leaders come through here very well deserved Major general azuzki is the common ornament shipment You really turn the brigade mass chief into a consequential position Further enabling our enlisted footprint of about 300 sailors and marines to more More substantively participate in midshipman development I had other amazing leaders such as major general bobby shea and the dep daunt Captain hank adams and now rear admiral adan crews and their tours as the head of pro dev Aside from making an mcconnell the director of protocol and i love you. Where are you? I love you in Aside from making and the director of protocol the best decision i think the academy made was to hire retired captain steve Ozen as a civilian. He is the keeper of knowledge. He's very master chief like uh the keeper of knowledge Defining pragmatism and completely unflappable as he leads and manages and of course the midshipman So many former midshipmen have uh have come home today to share this experience with me Lieutenant frankie gale my midshipman Captain julia arthur captain caroline fender captain chris goodale of the marine corps And lieutenant kelsey bezilla and her mom. Where are you at, ma'am? Oh there you are. I met her at the new jersey parents club at a dinner and uh wow If you think the mids are amazing you should meet their parents As i said earlier the best part of the experience here is watching what they do after they depart And it's going going on to be consequential consequential leaders and the leadership of our navy marine corps in our nation April beldo called me one afternoon and asked talk to me about my career options and thought i should apply for the n1 Another decision that changed my life Coming to work with admiral berk the only person who can go toted so with me on movie quotes I'm sorry rich james. You can too. No surprise. You were once his cmc um Going toted so with me on movie quotes annoying everyone around us was another experience that words failed to capture in any Meanful way on how truly wonderful it was Having a boss that i shared so much in common with who i could support with counsel and advice Yet share personal loves of cycling technology pop culture Uh that made gave me a sense of team like nothing i've ever had I know he's going through his own transition after an amazing tour his commander naval forces europe and africa And wish the timing of today would have allowed him to attend But careers are short and if we're lucky life is long so i take solace in knowing i'll see him again And then in a moment of difficulty i arrived at admiral richardson's doorstep I thought i'd be holding down the fort for a while as he made the difficult choice about our navy's future And was surprised but grateful he selected me to do it He was one of those leaders that you so rarely see that are focused on true outcomes And the speed with which they're delivered No moss ever ever gathered under that rolling stone and there were days. I thought I could not keep up In hindsight he taught us all that we could run faster than we thought we could and then we often enable bureaucratic creep to keep us from moving faster And that our sailors deserve better than that When admiral gill day was named as a cno we'd only met once at a dinner at the naval academy He was very clearly the consummate gentleman And while he was patient those early days were some turbulent for me at least as I struggled to find his rhythm and get in sync with it I actually asked him three times if he'd like to find another cmc because I wasn't sure I was what he wanted But he reassured me that what I was doing and how I was choosing to do it was what he expected At all the right moments He allowed me to come alongside always able to get into the office and share my insights advice and requests on behalf of sailors He allowed me to work directly with the flag war dream to solve problems unencumbered by excessive staffing and bureaucracy Increasing the speed of change where change was needed He was the perfect blend of leader for our time a slow fighter with a hint of nerd herder Gained as the commander of tenth fleet I talked a lot about the flag officers I've served but of far more importance to effective networking as a chief Are the enlisted leaders that I've worked with During my time we had what we called the g5 which included the four organic to the navy fleet mass chiefs The four horse the original four horsemen were sues wittman ray kamp paul kingsbury and I with jim honey coming on Coming in not long after to relieve sues I miss sues every day her steadying present presence fortunately still only a phone call or a text away And still remain connected to ray 30 years we've been shipmates And paul as well in retirement what you're continuing to do paul To show the mess and what the chiefs are really capable of even in retirement just amazes me West cost offer who came behind me at n1 and showed the navy how it truly should be done Is someone I hope to stay connected to for the remainder of my days and that beard Where are you west? Please at some point showcase that beard for the audience because that is amazing Maybe not for the cno not yet, but He and his wife heather amazing and any team west is on is better for it And I'm now well past any reasonable time for executing my final words. I knew this would run long And And I'd like to offer just a few more bits of thanks Retired force mash chiefs tuck williams and james osborne in different ways You two are some of the most most amazing people I've known Admiral bernaki you are an admiral so unique the perfect blend of vision and leadership combined with the brutal honesty of a mash chief Not always to your benefit what you did in great lakes was just a short period of your illustrious career But you and later admiral jamie sands did to further our efforts there and truly prepare for combat at sea May very well be the difference And the reason that our nation perseveres And for all of those leaders that I've not mentioned I truly apologize because no one arrives at this place. I'm standing on their own in fact alone is the surest way not to My family my aunt and uncle cousin vicki and harry is small And I have but I've had this navy family that has carried me for the past 34 years And I know no one has been so fortunate as I in that regard Finally thank you to laura nani and stacey what you worked Through to transition to the office even as you two are pcs'ing tomorrow was eye-watering. You've been amazing teammates Let me make sure I talk about my family Thanks to my sisters melody and jamie Melody for making the trip out from north dakota and jamie for driving down from sykesville It means so much that you're here My aunt and uncle who honestly they're my parents along with my grandparents You've been the people that got me through to this point My aunt sassy sandy if you read name tags, but I couldn't say sandy is a kid and frankly sassy is most fitting Is the epitome of a strong female role model a nurse for over 50 years who has done amazing things in her career A career I look forward to celebrating with her if she retires next year I say if because it seems to extend time and again Originally planning her career to end before mine did and my uncle ron showed me what patients through adversity look like The value of remaining steady and calm for those around you Much like my grandfather. He has a quiet strength about him that I wanted to make my own and for the most part it worked His daughter my cousin vicki and I met when I was 14 and she was younger It's never polite to nail down an age and as someone whose resilience I have always admired Finally paired with the perfect man harry Who's only different effect I can sense of those teeny-meeny calves his Has been the father that day needed and jailing was fortunate to be born of It is you all more than anything that I am looking forward to reconnecting with in a consistent way You allowed me to stray and do what I love to do what I was able to do And I'm grateful that in spite of the time I've been away that you're still letting me back in I love you guys. I don't say it enough and I don't show it enough with my presence But moving to california was deliberately designed to ensure I could more easily spend time with you So that's it That's the end of a speech that also marks the end of my career To borrow from our new vice chief. Thank you for my concentric circles of family As you were often the only reason I sought to have a ceremony because recognizing My exploits is not worthy of a ceremony, but making sure you understand my grateful heart was definitely one I've talked about this realizing that all I wanted to do is thank some people but understanding that there are others watching I just want to ask one thing before I go This life and this life where we serve others is hard It's truly a team sport and nobody gets by on their own Whether it was my c&l calling me on a saturday to check on my mental health Or dad coming up to have dinner with me to make sure I was okay Or one of hundreds of you who never let me feel like I was alone Even when I felt like I was I am grateful beyond words standing here today because of that I will pay that forward for the remainder of my days and I ask that all of us look out for each other and do the same For those of you my age and older the best advice was dispensed each week by a sergeant And his officers in hill street blues when he went out into the before they went out in the field when he would simply say Let's be careful out there God bless each and every one of you. God bless our navy and God bless us bless this greatest nation We serve the united states of america Retired master chief john prez will read the chief peddioser retirement creed all chief peddiosers past Present and honoraries Please cover rise And attention to the cpo retirement creed Russ You on this day have experienced that which comes to all of us who have served in active duty in our navy I say our navy because your departure from active duty in no way terminates your relationship By law and tradition the united states navy retirees are always on the rolls Ever ready to lend their service when the need arises The respect that you earned as the chief Was based on the same attributes you will now carrying to retirement You should have no regrets Do not view your retirement as the end of an error but rather as orders to a new challenging assignment To a form of independent duty Remember well that you have been and will always be an accepted member of the most exclusive of all fraternities That of the united states chief peddiosers The active navy duty the active duty navy chief salute you and salute Ready to Your retired chiefs welcome you. I wish you the traditional fair wins and follow the seas Actually folks, uh, I want to have you stand up again. So the width against please rise for the benediction Mcpaw, you did me a great service by allowing me to offer your prayers here at the ceremony But I know I was not your first choice I don't mind Being the backup band to chaplain madison carter A remarkable chaplain who as the navy does things was on deployment And the deployment was extended And so at the last minute mcpaw called and asked if I might have today free I'm retired sure however Madison carter is here today And I know he would be privileged as every chaplain worth his or her salt would be To offer a benediction to your remarkable career And to send you forward into what god has in store for you next chaplain carter Shall we pray God of mercy grace and love We come before you right now because we are desperately asking for your anointing to be upon mcpaw and smith And lord, we're reminded that there's a sailor out there right now Who understands what it means to ask the chief because he embodied it in everything that he does So we pray that you wrap your arms around him go with him and stand by him And while he continues to listen to a plethora of songs in his playlist We also pray that we will never forget the words of one of the iconic movies that he loves to quote from maximus Who says what we do now will echo in the halls of history So father, we thank you because his footsteps echo in the halls of history His words of encouragement echo in the halls of history his love for the sailor echoes in the halls of history But no matter where we go no matter what we do We are a reflection of him and so many great chiefs that have come before And we also pray that you would just cover mcpaw and ony as he continues to take the helm and understands what it means to serve Your people because today at this very moment the skies are friendlier the seas are bluer And the land is so much safer because there's a sailor who stands the watch will magnify and glorify your name It's in your name. We give you thanks and praise amen Okay now will the guests please be seated Folks today we have given most of the pomp and circumstance to honors traditions and ceremonies back through history Time does not often afford the freedom to perform these traditions but from today Today We stop all engines lay about smartly and drop anchor To pay homage to one of our shipmates going ashore To honor the years served the guidance the leadership the friendship And the expertise this shipmate has freely given bosen post the sideboys Ladies and gentlemen In a couple of moments. We will pipe mcpaw and smith ashore for the final time after 34 years of military service That's right ladies and gentlemen for 34 years mcpaw and russell smith stood the watch While some of us were in our bunks at night resting Our shipmate stood the watch While some of us were in school learning our trades That sailor right there. He stood the watch Yes, even before some of us in this very audience was born and brought into this world of ours That old guy right there He stood the watch You know, I heard that way back in the day when king neptune Welcomed his first shell back after doing a crossing the line ceremony ross smith stood the watch You see in those years were the storm clouds of war We're brewing on the horizon of our nation's history That navy leader right there He stood the watch Many times he cast his eye ashore Seen his friends seen his family Needing his help Needing his guidance Needing that hand to hold on to But yet He still stood the watch He stood the watch for 34 years He stood the watch so that we Our friends and family our fellow countrymen can sleep soundly in safety each and every night Knowing that a united states navy sailor That united states navy sailor Stood the watch and so today We gather here in this amazing historic hall To celebrate a festive ceremony a time-honored ceremony But in the end we're simply here to say russ Thank you for your service Thank you for the 34 years of honorable dedicated and faithful service that you have given to our navy And on behalf of all the sailors across our great navy command mashing my car bone stands ready to relieve you and take the watch Boson stand by to pipe the side We have a shipmate going ashore Mcpawn smith will now report to admiral gilday and quest permission to go ashore Please rise and remain standing while mcpawn smith goes ashore For the very last time Time orderly strike eight bells The 15th master chief peddioser of the navy united states navy retired departing Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the ceremony You are cordially invited to a cake cutting ceremony in the atrium and escorts are available to guide you Thank you