WEBVTT 00:06.909 --> 00:10.880 Thank you . Thank you . Uh C OS CG Os 00:10.890 --> 00:13.600 General . Do MS Kim . Thanks for coming 00:14.029 --> 00:16.329 CS A very where we are back there . 00:16.340 --> 00:18.451 Thank you for setting this up for the 00:18.451 --> 00:20.451 CD . Si wanted them to see this and 00:20.451 --> 00:22.229 talk about it . Uh But I really 00:22.229 --> 00:21.920 appreciate everybody coming out and 00:21.930 --> 00:23.930 showing the support sergeant majors 00:24.559 --> 00:27.040 when I got here with Dan Dan's a great 00:27.049 --> 00:29.469 guy . You guys all respect him . I was 00:29.479 --> 00:31.646 like , are they gonna respect me ? How 00:31.646 --> 00:33.812 am I gonna be ? I'm a guy from outside 00:33.812 --> 00:36.035 the world coming in and you all treated 00:36.035 --> 00:35.459 me with respect . He got behind me and 00:35.470 --> 00:37.650 everything I wanted to do . He brought 00:37.659 --> 00:39.715 me in and helped me and made to go , 00:39.715 --> 00:41.659 made to follow up the court . So I 00:41.659 --> 00:43.770 really appreciate everything you do . 00:43.770 --> 00:45.826 So of my newest and best friends are 00:45.826 --> 00:45.779 sitting over here on this side of the 00:45.790 --> 00:48.012 room . They will also be in my ceremony 00:48.012 --> 00:49.568 tonight . So my , oh , so , 00:53.409 --> 00:55.720 so my speech was very short because of 00:55.729 --> 00:57.729 today is my retirement day and I'll 00:57.729 --> 00:59.896 retire . And as I was turning over the 00:59.896 --> 01:02.118 source this morning to general lively . 01:02.118 --> 01:04.229 Thank you for your kind of words . As 01:04.229 --> 01:07.429 well . Im I was good reversal . I went 01:07.439 --> 01:09.772 to go give him the sword and I was like , 01:09.772 --> 01:12.589 it's open , I think . I don't know what 01:12.599 --> 01:13.710 I said but it was , 01:17.150 --> 01:19.589 we did . Yeah , we did not . That's 01:19.599 --> 01:21.877 because over the past month and a half , 01:21.877 --> 01:23.988 two months , I've been praying for my 01:23.988 --> 01:23.379 retirement . This is like the second , 01:23.580 --> 01:25.691 you know , this was on the burner and 01:25.691 --> 01:27.802 April was here and I knew it was good 01:27.802 --> 01:27.550 and then all of a sudden it's here and 01:27.559 --> 01:29.615 I'm like , I thought about what am I 01:29.615 --> 01:31.726 gonna say ? Um So I don't really know 01:31.726 --> 01:33.690 what to say other than there's two 01:33.699 --> 01:35.810 people that got me here to this point 01:35.810 --> 01:37.810 in my career . I , you White Barona 01:38.510 --> 01:40.910 General Donald . Ok . Did he select me 01:40.919 --> 01:43.949 as general work said ? And I got here 01:44.010 --> 01:47.489 and then he have this , he's a super 01:47.500 --> 01:50.410 smart guy . Had this crazy vision . Hey , 01:50.419 --> 01:52.790 we're gonna send breeds forward into 01:52.800 --> 01:54.967 places where they've never been before 01:54.967 --> 01:57.022 and we went to brief brief course we 01:57.022 --> 01:59.078 went over and we briefed the uh seal 01:59.078 --> 02:01.089 teams and I'm sitting there in this 02:01.099 --> 02:03.099 brief and I'm like , this is one of 02:03.099 --> 02:05.321 those moments where you're like , sir , 02:05.321 --> 02:07.377 I gotta talk to all those places you 02:07.377 --> 02:09.543 wanna go and the seals are there . All 02:09.543 --> 02:11.710 they do is go in and kill me . But all 02:11.710 --> 02:13.821 those places you wanna go see , these 02:13.821 --> 02:16.043 are there now sitting there doing their 02:16.043 --> 02:18.155 jobs , the doors open , we just gotta 02:18.155 --> 02:20.321 get in there . And he was like , where 02:20.321 --> 02:22.543 that me , about three weeks later , I'm 02:22.543 --> 02:24.710 on a plane going over to Europe . What 02:24.710 --> 02:27.750 am I doing , sir ? Go over there , open 02:27.759 --> 02:29.926 the door , keep the tables open , tell 02:29.926 --> 02:31.981 them to bring you coming and we need 02:31.981 --> 02:33.981 support and that's what I did . Two 02:33.981 --> 02:35.870 months later , I'm sitting in six 02:35.870 --> 02:37.981 headquarters with the general and the 02:37.981 --> 02:40.037 wars kicked off and we're just , the 02:40.037 --> 02:42.092 marines are doing amazing things and 02:42.092 --> 02:44.092 the CV are there to support . So we 02:44.092 --> 02:43.360 spent a lot of time in Iceland with the 02:43.369 --> 02:45.591 CBS and it was great . He really got to 02:45.591 --> 02:47.813 see up close and personal , what CV can 02:47.813 --> 02:49.980 do . So , everything that I brag about 02:49.980 --> 02:51.813 is CV . General work for General 02:51.813 --> 02:53.980 Donovan knows exactly what to see on . 02:53.980 --> 02:56.091 I really appreciate the opportunity . 02:56.091 --> 02:58.258 And uh I'm , I'm really curious to see 02:58.258 --> 03:00.369 what you'll say after what general we 03:00.369 --> 03:01.369 said tonight . 03:04.899 --> 03:07.010 But at the same token , I'm curious , 03:07.010 --> 03:10.600 what's he gonna say ? Um So 03:10.940 --> 03:13.051 General talked about , you know , the 03:13.059 --> 03:14.837 selection of the process of the 03:14.837 --> 03:17.003 selection . I had 26 packages I had to 03:17.003 --> 03:18.781 go through and it was extremely 03:18.781 --> 03:20.948 difficult because out of that 26 I got 03:20.948 --> 03:23.279 down to about six days in uh April , 03:23.289 --> 03:27.220 you kept coming up to the top . So uh I 03:27.229 --> 03:29.340 ended up handed the list over to went 03:29.340 --> 03:31.451 up , came back down and your name was 03:31.451 --> 03:33.618 in there and I stepped back and it was 03:33.618 --> 03:35.840 totally un general work except the last 03:35.840 --> 03:35.710 day , about five minutes . The last 03:35.720 --> 03:37.887 hour I just went into his office and I 03:37.887 --> 03:39.720 said , sir , if the blue goes up 03:39.720 --> 03:41.776 tomorrow , April Merriman's ready to 03:41.776 --> 03:43.942 take the watch . She knows how to wear 03:43.942 --> 03:43.570 the gear stick in there and she's done . 03:44.169 --> 03:46.336 The other candidate is more of a sheep 03:46.336 --> 03:48.820 type person and would have to struggle 03:48.830 --> 03:50.941 just a little bit . I'm like she , we 03:50.941 --> 03:52.941 ready about the door . That's why I 03:52.941 --> 03:54.997 left . I had no idea for a few weeks 03:54.997 --> 03:57.219 later . Do we select four of those ? Do 03:57.219 --> 03:56.550 I know why ? Because I don't ask that 03:56.559 --> 03:58.781 question . So I , I agree . You are the 03:58.781 --> 04:01.110 right person at the right time for my 04:01.119 --> 04:03.341 kids . Hey , thank you for everything . 04:03.341 --> 04:06.729 And then anyway , uh 04:07.119 --> 04:09.230 talk alone . This is when I'm talking 04:09.230 --> 04:11.508 to you , you're like yell and I'm like , 04:11.508 --> 04:13.730 no , I just , I appreciate your support 04:13.730 --> 04:16.008 over here . Um I appreciate you , your , 04:16.008 --> 04:18.008 your family . We'll talk more about 04:18.008 --> 04:20.119 them . Whether or not I have actually 04:20.119 --> 04:22.119 everybody that came . She is in the 04:22.119 --> 04:24.286 back of the room . The Navy doesn't do 04:24.286 --> 04:26.563 this at all and they don't do it right . 04:26.570 --> 04:29.130 So I asked , Larry said , hey , if we 04:29.140 --> 04:31.251 do ac se here , I think our c need to 04:31.251 --> 04:33.890 see this and we at CD need to start 04:33.899 --> 04:35.732 following the following with our 04:35.732 --> 04:37.788 brother . We need to let our sailors 04:37.788 --> 04:39.899 know that , hey , after she's leaving 04:39.899 --> 04:41.843 and we got a new master sheet that 04:41.843 --> 04:44.010 after she's gonna make things better . 04:44.010 --> 04:43.809 So I encourage all of you to go back to 04:43.820 --> 04:45.820 your CEO S . Tell them I'm buying a 04:45.820 --> 04:47.931 cutlass . I'm gonna get in and grab . 04:47.931 --> 04:49.987 Did you open up this ? And it says , 04:49.987 --> 04:52.153 follow me to digital . I encourage you 04:52.153 --> 04:54.098 to tell your co I'm doing this and 04:54.098 --> 04:56.264 we're gonna do this because we need to 04:56.264 --> 04:55.500 set the example for the rest of the 04:55.510 --> 04:57.839 navy as we do in a lot of other ways . 04:58.470 --> 05:00.748 And the marines , you guys do it right . 05:00.748 --> 05:02.914 You give the recognition where it is . 05:02.914 --> 05:05.026 You make our jobs important as senior 05:05.026 --> 05:07.248 list of leaders . And I think sometimes 05:07.248 --> 05:09.026 that's downplayed in the navy , 05:09.026 --> 05:11.248 unfortunately , and the only way we can 05:11.248 --> 05:13.359 do it as senior leaders is go make it 05:13.359 --> 05:15.414 happen and make those CEO S stand up 05:15.414 --> 05:14.790 there and acknowledge in front of the 05:14.799 --> 05:17.230 sailors what's going on who's really 05:17.239 --> 05:19.406 doing all the hard work . So please go 05:19.406 --> 05:21.517 back and think about that and do it . 05:21.517 --> 05:24.320 Uh I think that's it for now . I'll get 05:24.329 --> 05:28.059 more later . April 05:29.059 --> 05:33.029 your return . You ready ? Uh First and 05:33.040 --> 05:35.262 foremost generals . Thank you for being 05:35.262 --> 05:39.019 here a DC staff . I look 05:39.029 --> 05:40.751 forward to being a part of the 05:40.751 --> 05:42.696 following division , sort of major 05:42.696 --> 05:45.170 mendez . I'm ready to kick indoors with 05:45.190 --> 05:46.190 you . 05:49.809 --> 05:53.260 Um Coming from the fleet , a couple uh 05:53.269 --> 05:55.491 naval tours for the helicopter squadron 05:55.491 --> 05:58.170 and a ship , but I will say it's good 05:58.179 --> 06:00.309 to be home . Uh It is good to be home 06:00.320 --> 06:03.989 with the FM my mother , my 06:04.000 --> 06:07.130 brother , all I can say is thank you 06:07.140 --> 06:09.989 for being here 26 years of service . 06:10.000 --> 06:12.111 This is the first thing my mother and 06:12.111 --> 06:14.278 brother have been able to attend . And 06:14.278 --> 06:15.190 um I'm I'm very 06:26.299 --> 06:28.529 words cannot express the support from 06:28.540 --> 06:31.399 the gratitude that I have . My mom 06:31.410 --> 06:33.354 constantly tells me , when are you 06:33.354 --> 06:35.632 coming home ? When are you coming home ? 06:35.632 --> 06:37.966 Um And I'm like , I can't come home mom , 06:37.966 --> 06:40.359 I'm sorry . Um She knows she 06:40.369 --> 06:42.425 understands both of them were in the 06:42.425 --> 06:44.425 prior army , so they understand the 06:44.425 --> 06:46.591 military life . And I just wanna say , 06:46.591 --> 06:48.536 thank you for letting me do what I 06:48.536 --> 06:50.091 truly absolutely love to do 06:52.109 --> 06:55.850 CV . S . This wasn't part of 06:55.859 --> 06:57.980 my part of my plan , but I will tell 06:57.989 --> 07:00.269 you my grandfather was a PC B . 07:02.820 --> 07:05.320 Should , should he have been with us 07:05.329 --> 07:07.496 today ? I guarantee you he'll probably 07:07.496 --> 07:09.551 be jumping all over you trying to uh 07:09.551 --> 07:11.496 talk to you and ask you a bunch of 07:11.496 --> 07:13.630 questions . Uh Growing up , my 07:13.640 --> 07:15.751 grandfather absolutely loved the Navy 07:15.751 --> 07:17.918 and all he ever talked about was being 07:19.049 --> 07:21.105 so I thank you also for being here , 07:21.105 --> 07:22.827 even though I know you're here 07:22.827 --> 07:24.716 primarily for Scotty . But I just 07:24.716 --> 07:26.827 wanted to uh to give you that because 07:26.827 --> 07:28.771 it's through my grandfather that I 07:28.771 --> 07:30.716 learned the work ethic that I have 07:30.716 --> 07:32.771 today . And it's because of the time 07:32.771 --> 07:36.459 that he spent the 07:36.470 --> 07:38.929 Marines , I will say that I truly 07:38.940 --> 07:41.051 believe that leadership is leadership 07:41.051 --> 07:44.250 no matter what my name take says I am 07:44.260 --> 07:46.371 here to also add the paper for you on 07:46.371 --> 07:48.850 your behalf along with Thor Andrew . So 07:48.859 --> 07:50.915 I just wanna put that plug out there 07:50.915 --> 07:53.026 that it may say navy on my name tag . 07:53.026 --> 07:56.470 But I am here for you to the Chiefs and 07:56.480 --> 07:58.313 the sailors of the Second Marine 07:58.313 --> 08:00.313 Division . I've just got two simple 08:00.313 --> 08:03.720 goals . First is to continue the legacy 08:03.730 --> 08:05.897 of the following division . There's an 08:05.897 --> 08:07.841 illustrious history there and I am 08:07.841 --> 08:10.769 proud and I'm very excited to be a part 08:10.779 --> 08:12.779 of the Carolina Mag Tap and to be a 08:12.779 --> 08:15.299 part of this division like Major 08:15.309 --> 08:17.531 General horse said , my , my background 08:17.531 --> 08:20.350 with the FMF is extensive 20 years . 08:21.059 --> 08:23.570 There was a time as a young hm two . If 08:23.579 --> 08:25.857 you would have told me to go to a ship , 08:25.857 --> 08:29.320 I would have told you to fall . Um 08:30.519 --> 08:32.686 I have truly loved being a part of the 08:32.686 --> 08:35.380 FMF and speaking of Major General , w I 08:35.390 --> 08:37.960 do have to say thank you . Um It's kind 08:37.969 --> 08:41.690 of bittersweet um to be 08:41.700 --> 08:43.756 interviewed by you to be selected by 08:43.756 --> 08:45.922 you but not to be able to work for you 08:45.922 --> 08:48.219 has been sweet , but , but you're not 08:48.229 --> 08:50.340 going hard , he's only going down one 08:50.340 --> 08:52.859 level in the building . Um So I'll get 08:52.869 --> 08:55.500 to still work for him indirectly . Uh 08:55.510 --> 08:57.510 but I am excited to work with Major 08:57.510 --> 08:59.621 General Odom . Major General Odom was 08:59.621 --> 09:01.732 then Colonel Odom when I was a senior 09:01.732 --> 09:04.469 chief in at three meth in Okinawa So me 09:04.479 --> 09:06.479 and General Odom actually knew each 09:06.479 --> 09:08.590 other quite well . He actually called 09:08.590 --> 09:10.757 me this morning to give me uh his warm 09:10.757 --> 09:12.923 wishes as well . But to the Chiefs and 09:12.923 --> 09:15.146 Sailors of the Second Marine Division , 09:15.146 --> 09:18.419 again , my next goal is very simple is 09:18.429 --> 09:20.651 to make sure that you are trained ready 09:20.651 --> 09:23.119 and prepared for the next fight because 09:23.130 --> 09:25.186 we are a war fighting organization . 09:25.186 --> 09:27.074 And we have to continually remind 09:27.074 --> 09:29.539 ourselves that each and every day . If 09:29.549 --> 09:31.438 you listen to our senior military 09:31.438 --> 09:33.493 leaders , they will tell you January 09:33.493 --> 09:36.989 1st 2027 they constantly 09:37.000 --> 09:39.630 tout 2027 as the time that we need to 09:39.640 --> 09:42.000 be ready and prepared in case pres in 09:42.010 --> 09:45.919 case President Z takes the pr C , the 09:45.929 --> 09:48.359 Chinese to invade Taiwan , 09:49.599 --> 09:51.821 he's put the plan out there for years . 09:51.869 --> 09:54.919 He has made it well known and my vision 09:54.929 --> 09:56.985 for you is to make sure that you are 09:56.985 --> 09:59.096 trained ready and prepared to fight . 09:59.096 --> 10:02.789 Should it happen tonight ? I want the 10:02.799 --> 10:04.632 sailors to remember . One number 10:05.739 --> 10:07.250 99% 10:09.609 --> 10:12.450 99% is the survival rate that we have 10:12.460 --> 10:14.238 on the battlefields of Iraq and 10:14.238 --> 10:16.516 Afghanistan as part of native medicine , 10:19.450 --> 10:22.969 our Navy , our Marine Corps , and most 10:22.979 --> 10:25.201 importantly , our nation now knows what 10:25.201 --> 10:28.390 you are capable of . They've seen it . 10:29.140 --> 10:31.179 Your predecessors have set the bar 10:33.369 --> 10:36.190 that standard is there . Now , our 10:36.200 --> 10:38.367 nation expects you to continue to live 10:38.367 --> 10:41.380 up to that expectation to bring their 10:41.390 --> 10:45.020 sons and daughters home . So my 10:45.030 --> 10:47.030 vision is to make sure that you are 10:47.030 --> 10:49.363 trained , ready and prepared physically , 10:49.363 --> 10:52.929 mentally , spiritually , to make sure 10:52.940 --> 10:56.750 you do so . So I am very excited , 10:56.760 --> 11:00.130 very honored , humble to be a part of 11:00.140 --> 11:02.500 the Carolina a and most importantly , 11:02.539 --> 11:04.650 the follow me division . Thank you so 11:04.650 --> 11:04.369 much .