 Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Welcome to Naval Station North Island, Coronado, California, and the commissioning of the United States ship, Michael Monsour, DDG 1001. I'm Captain Jim Edwards. The ship's executive officer is my privilege to be your master of ceremonies today. Before the ceremony begins, take some time. Turn on your cell phones. Place them on silent. We're here today to celebrate the life and valor of Michael Monsour. As we commissioned the first ship honored in his name, Master of Armed Second Class Seal Michael Monsour posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his self-sacrificing act of heroism in Iraq with Seal Team 3 during the Battle of Ramadi. We are the second ship of the Zomal class of guided missile destroyers. The ship before you today was Kristen and Beth Mayne on June 18, 2016. Today, she is complete and is the most technologically advanced ship in the United States Navy. The crew is proud and humbled to serve in a ship which bears the name of a man who consistently put others above himself. Our ceremony today is a time-honored tradition which began with commissioning our first ship in 1775. A captured British schooner, the Margareta. Since then, thousands of ships have undergone the transformation from silent halls to fully alive warships. Our commissioning crew, hereafter known as plank owners, are in formation among you and are ready to bring our ship to life. In just a few moments, the commander, Navy Band Southwest and the sleuthing battery from Naval Station North Island will render honors to the honorable Scott Peters. As a tribute to Petty Officer Monsour, colors will be presented by soldiers from the first battalion of the 506th Infantry Regiment, Seal Team 3, and Michael Monsour crewmen. Will the guests please rise and remain standing for the arrival of the official party, honors, the presentation of colors, our national anthem, and the invocation. Ladies and gentlemen, our platform guests. Major, Paul Anthony Halliday, Chaplain, United States Army. Captain, Kevin Smith, United States Navy, DDG-1000, class program manager. Captain, Joseph Toot, United States Navy, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Bath. Mr. Tom Garcia, Chairman, USS Michael Monsour Commissioning Committee. Rear Admiral, Gary Binelli, United States Navy Retired, Chairman, Navy Seal Foundation, Co-Chairman, USS Michael Monsour Commissioning Committee. Vice Admiral, Timothy Liffelor, United States Navy Retired, Co-Chairman, USS Michael Monsour Commissioning Committee. Mr. James Monsour and Mr. Joseph Monsour, brothers to Petty Officer Michael Monsour. Escorted today by Michael Monsour's first command master at arms, master of arms first class, Cindy Howard. Mr. Wesley Kramer, Vice President Ray Theon, President Integrated Defense Systems. Mr. Brent West, DDG-1000 program manager, Bath Ironworks. Rear Admiral, Alvin Halsey, United States Navy Commander, Carry Strike Group 1. Rear Admiral, Colin Green, United States Navy Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command. Rear Admiral, William Galinas, United States Navy, Program Executive Officer, Ships. Major General, Ronald Clark, United States Army, Commanding General, 25th Infantry Division. Vice Admiral, Timothy Sharmansky, United States Navy, Deputy Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command. Vice Admiral Richard Brown, United States Navy, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. The Honorable James Gertz, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Research Development Acquisition. Admiral, William Moran, United States Navy, Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Ladies and gentlemen, our ship's sponsor, Mrs. Sally Monsour. Escorted today by Command Master Chief, Patrick Tummins, Michael Monsour's Command Master Chief. The Honorable Scott Peters, United States Representative, State of California, 52nd District. Escorted today by Captain Scott Smith, United States Navy, Michael Monsour's Commanding Officer. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Scott Peters. Platform and salute. Platform, ready, two. Advance the colors. Retire the colors. Ladies and gentlemen, Major Halliday will offer the invocation. Major Halliday served as the chaplain with the 1st of the 506th Infantry Regiment, ministering to the soldiers and sailors in Ramadi, including Michael Monsour. We are honored that Major Halliday traveled from Korea to be with us here today. Ladies and gentlemen, Major Halliday. From Psalm 107, O, that all would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men, and let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing. That they who go down to the sea and ships make their living, make their livelihood in the great waters, these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, creator of all things, visible and invisible, we invoke your Holy Spirit upon all gathered here today for the commissioning of the Michael Monsour. And we ask that your Holy Spirit remain always with this vessel and its crew. May what they do in the defense of this nation and how they do it be always inspired, guided and directed by your spirit, Lord, and always to your eternal praise, honor, and glory. Amen. Well, the guests, please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, we are humbled to have 20 of our Gold Star families with us today. These families have, as Abraham Lincoln best described it, laid so costly a sacrifice at the altar of freedom. We are honored and humbled by your presence here today. We are also privileged to have four Medal of Honor recipients joining us today. Please recognize Lieutenant and Navy Seal Michael Thornton, United States Navy retired. Former Navy Lieutenant and Navy Seal Thomas Norris. Master Chief, Special Warfare Operator, Brits Vildensky, United States Navy retired. Former Specialist, John Baca, United States Army. Platform and salute. Gentlemen, we salute your valor and sacrifice for our country. Platform, ready to, will the guests please be seated. Ships company, parade, rest. Ladies and gentlemen, Vice Admiral Richard Brown. Well, good morning, everyone. Welcome to a beautiful day in San Diego. There really is no better place to commission a ship than right here on the San Diego Bay on a day like this. It is a distinct honor and privilege to represent the U.S. Naval Surface Force as we witness the time-honored tradition of placing a ship in commission. I am honored to welcome Mrs. Sally Mansour, Petty Officer Mansour's mother and ship sponsor, his sister, Sarah, his sisters-in-law, Martha and Naomi, who are the ship's matrons of honor. Dad, George, and brothers James and Joseph, and also their beautiful, beautiful families. And to our decorated Medal of Honor recipients, it is an honor to have you here with us today. I would also like to welcome our distinguished guests, the Honorable Scott Peters, United States Representative, California 52nd District, Admiral Bill Moran, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, the Honorable James Gertz, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research Development and Acquisition, Vice Admiral Tim Samansky, Deputy Commander U.S. Special Operations Command and Major General Ronald Clark, Commanding General 25th Infantry Division. In addition to the flag of General Officers, both active duty and retired, and all the distinguished guests, I'd also like to welcome Rare Admiral Colin Green, Commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, and all the SEALs who are joining us here today to honor Petty Officer Michael Mansour. And on behalf of the United States Naval Surface Force, I welcome Michael Mansour and her outstanding crew, led by Captain Scott Smith to the fleet into the San Diego Navy family. Scott, keep the bottom wet and don't scratch the paint. Thank you very much. Thank you, Vice Admiral Brown. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Brent West. Distinguished guests, Captain Smith and crew of the Michael Mansour, family and friends. On behalf of the 6,000 shipbuilders of General Dynamics Bath Ironworks, I offer congratulations to Captain Smith and the crew of the Michael Mansour as she joins the fleet of the United States Navy. Today marks the end of one journey and the beginning of another. That first journey began at our shipyard in Maine in February 2010, when our fabricators cut the first steel plate that is now part of the Michael Mansour. It continued through the Keel Lang in May 2013 and the christening in June 2016, when we launched the ship into the Kennebec River. We delivered her to the Navy in April last year and Captain Smith sailed her from our pier and bath in November. It was at the 2013 Keel Lang that our bath team met Sally and George Mansour. In that ceremony, Sally and George each authenticated the ship by welding their initials into the keel plate. Thus began a relationship that has carried us throughout the shipbuilding process and that we trust what we will maintain as this wonderful ship fulfills her mission as part of the United States Navy. While our shipbuilding process is well developed, each ship brings unique challenges. In building this ship, we had an advantage in attacking those challenges. We had the inspiration of US Navy seal Michael Mansour. You see, at its core, shipbuilding is a team sport. And in Michael, we had the example of the ultimate team leader. Whenever our Navy industry team faced a shipbuilding challenge and there were many, we only needed to remember how Michael led and how he sacrificed for his team. Nothing seemed insurmountable on a ship built in the image of Michael Mansour. So Captain, as you now embark on your journey in defense of our nation, we know that we have built the Michael Mansour in a way that is worthy of her name. We know that through Michael, you will be proud to sail a bath-built ship in defense of the freedoms we all hold so dear. God bless the Mansour family and God speed to the crew of the USS Michael Mansour. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. West. Ladies and gentlemen, Major General Ronald Clark. Distinguished guests, friends and family to the Mansour family, George and Sally, Congressman Peters, Congressman Babin, Admiral Moran, Honorable James Gertz, Vice Admiral Alexander, Miller Brown, and Zimansky. Distinguished civilian and military leaders present, our old boss from the ready-first combat team, Lieutenant General Attire Sean McFarlane. Fellow flag and general officers, my good friend Admiral Colin Greene, our Medal of Honor recipients and our Gold Star families, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, teammates from Task Force, Red Currhee, from the first of the 506, SEAL Team 3, to the crew of the USS Michael Mansour, our veterans of all services, family and friends. It is with great humility and my distinct honor and privilege to have the opportunity to speak with you today about the service and sacrifice of one of our teammates and our teammates who've comprised Task Force, Red Currhee, our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, our band of brothers and sisters who fought gallantly during the Battle of Vermont. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today who shares his blood with me shall be my brother. The bravery and sacrifice of these warriors is the highest form of service to our nation. At a time when less than 1% of the American citizens will ever don the cloth of our nation in her defense, these men and women endured hardship, danger and personal sacrifice every day to protect our country and our way of life. Let me be very clear, our band of brothers was brought together through our fight against a tough and violent enemy. The kind of enemy that Admiral Colin Greene described last night for us so vividly. The fighting in Ramadi was unlike anything I've experienced before or since in my 30 years of military service. This kind of fight was the kind that forges bonds that transcend race, religion, gender or even silly parochial service rivalry. In fact, we referred to SEAL Team 3 as Army SEALs and still do. It was the fight that brought us together, but really what defined our task force was one word, love. A brotherly love that warriors in arms share in battle, defined by selfless commitment to a mission and selfless commitment unfailing to one another. There is no greater human emotion than the feeling to belong, to a team, to a unit, to a brotherhood, to a family. My association with these warriors, men like Jaco Willick, Dave Womack, Seth Stone, Father Paul Anthony Halliday, Mike Sorralli, Dave Swalgrin, Tommy DeChazot, Tim Moriarty, Benny Olson, Doc Whaler, Mike Judd, and Mikey Monsour have been the most meaningful professional relationships of my life and have defined my uniform service. Master at Arms, petty officer, second class, Mike Monsour was a great warrior and an even better man. What an honor to be present as Captain Scott Smith and his shipmates report for duty aboard this magnificent ship, USS Michael Monsour. And for those of us who are privileged to serve with Mikey, we share the pride of all assembled today and those who are not privileged to be with us because they're on other missions elsewhere for this commission in ceremony. We also share great pride knowing that the USS Michael Monsour will be on watch for all of us. The same way that Mikey and his frogmen watched from the rooftops of Ramadi while we maneuvered safely on the streets below, disciplined, focused, and ready. This ship will keep Mikey's service alive and allow us to grip hands with him long after our watch is done. Proud legions of shipmates that are here today will learn Mikey's story and be inspired by his life, his bravery, and his service. In fact, Mikey's legacy is on patrol right now in the streets of Iraq when the soldiers currently assigned to the 1st Battalion 506th Infantry Regiment carry his legacy during their deployment in harm's way right now. I ask that you keep them, their families, and all of our deployed service members in your thoughts and prayers. Mike Monsour will remain our touchstone for he is the connection to our shared history and our shared commitment to one another. It's that shared commitment that will allow others to follow in our footsteps and serve in the line. And for their faithful service, I paraphrase the words of the poet Lawrence Binyon. They will not grow old as we that are left grow old. The age shall not weary them nor years condemn. At the going down in the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. We will never forget. Thank you, Major General Clark. Ladies and gentlemen, Vice-General Timothy Schamansky. Hey, good morning. So Ron, all those army seals are ours, but we'd like to share them. Everybody wants to be a frog man on a warm sunny day. So everyone has that claim today. Congressman Peters, distinguished guests, waterfront shipmates, Secretary Gertz, Vice-CNO, Moran, our band of brothers, friends, SEAL Team 3, crew, Captain Smith, the USS Michael Monsour, soon to be, the wonderful Sally Monsour and her beautiful family. Welcome. It's a great day for the nation, the Navy and Naval Special Warfare. It's really a hum and a privilege to be part of this today, this morning, to take part in history as we bring this warship to the fleet and the Navy the nation needs. There have been 90 ships named after Medal of Honor recipients, over 90 ships. Nine of them have been Marine, Navy, Air Force, Special Operators. It's very fitting that the Zumwalt class is gonna be named after Michael Monsour. There's a lot of attributes between Admiral Zumwalt and Mikey Monsour. Watch words are toughness, courage, love. I'll come back to that in a moment. First two shout outs to two fraternities that are blessed to be here with us today. Our Medal of Honor recipients, our Living Medal of Honor recipients and our Gold Star families. First, yes, please. First, our Medal of Honor recipients. Remember those words, toughness, courage, love. I was talking with Mikey Thornton last night. I was having a non-alcoholic drink. You remember that, right, Mikey? And every time you get to see Mikey speak, it's pretty interesting. But Mike always talks about one thing. It's always in every speech he talks about or every comment he ever makes that the cost of freedom's not free. No one knows that better than two elements today in this crowd. One are the men of formations, of their fallen teammate, and the other is the Gold Star families who give their most sacred treasure. These men that wear the Congressional Medal of Honor, yeah, sure, they're brave, they're tough. But when the act comes to the moment of point of action, it's their love, it's their humanity that gives them strength, it gives them courage. The Gold Star families, it's the fraternity here, both fraternities you never want to be initiated into. Fraternity you don't want to be initiated into, but when you become part of that fraternity, it is an incredible fraternity of love, resiliency, strength, spirit, and inspiration to us all in uniform. The Gold Star families, that debt for your sacred treasure can never be repaid. But we in uniform, we feel we can make a down payment by honoring their legacy and doing our duty, doing our best, and our duties in the honor of our fallen. We come back to Admiral Zoomwalt and Mikey Monsour and the common attributes that they both share. Toughness, courage, love, Admiral Zoomwalt, this door is sitting right over there. Most of the youngest chief of naval operations was a man that modernized the Navy. He understood from his experience of three wars, Vietnam, Korea, World War II, he understood great power competition in the threat of the communism, the Soviet fleet. He envisioned ships like the Michael Monsour, but that's not where Admiral Zoomwalt's love and moral courage manifested itself. It was in the personnel changes he made in the Navy, soon followed by the rest of DOD. See, he knew the important piece of ships and teams, it's their crews. And he knew that artificial barriers to inclusivity, like race, gender, origin, were just that, artificial biases and barriers. And to get the full aspect of team building, we had to be more inclusive. He was erratic when his thoughts here. And he changed the Navy policies for minorities and women. And it was his moral courage standing up to others, not only in modernizing the Navy, but diversifying the Navy, because he loved the Navy. He loved his people. The retention rates were off the charts soon after Admiral Zoomwalt was chief of naval operations. His love inspired others to lead change. So come the Mikey Montsour. Everyone knows how tough Mikey was, physically, mentally tough. They knew his courage, they had seen his courage, multiple tens and tens of times in front of the enemy, fierce determination, out in front, fighting hard. Definitely courage. But it's Mike's last living act, his final act of love to defend his teammates who couldn't defend themselves by protecting them and diving on the grenade. Toughness, courage, love. You see, they were both defenders. They were both defenders of freedom, loved their country, loved their teammate, loved their mission. So Sally, today, when you were Dan Cattonsmith and his crew of the USS Michael Montsour, and crew, when you manned the rails today and you manned your first watch stations at GQ, you bring this ship to life in the spirit and legacy of Michael Montsour with toughness, courage, and love. And you will be the defenders. You will defend, stay in the fight. Thank you, Vice Admiral Schimanski. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable James Kurtz. What an amazing morning so far as we honor Michael Montsour's fighting spirit and dedication. Like others here, I'm honored and humbled to recognize the courage and sacrifice of this mighty warrior as we bring to life the Navy's newest warship, one that will example of I, his valor, the USS Michael Montsour. Distinguished platform guests, our wonderful ship sponsor, Sally, and her family, the crew and family of the USS Michael Montsour, fellow veterans, shipbuilders, SOCOM teammates, Medal of Honor recipients, gold star families, fellow Americans, thank you for joining us today. It's always great to be back here in San Diego, not because of the weather, because this is a community that supports its military. This is a community that takes care of military families. This is a community that takes care of their own. So thank you for all you do to enable us as a military to help defend you. Participating in commissioning ceremonies is one of the most rewarding things I get to do. And that's not because we get to bring new ships out here or you get to see old teammates. It's because it really honors two key traits of Americans, teamwork and commitment. The teamwork and commitment of all the shipbuilders who poured millions of man-hours to build ships like this, thousands of suppliers all around the world. The crew who's been training and training and training to get ready for this day. All those in Congress, all those in America that support us, all working to deliver an awesome warship like we have here before us. It's a pretty exciting time for your Navy right now. Last year we commissioned eight warships. This year we're commissioning 13. We are all working hard together to build the Navy the nation needs so that we can defend our awesome country. Now as a head weapons builder for the Navy, it's my responsibility and sure we put the best technology in the world, the best capabilities in the world on these ships. And this ship has got some awesome capabilities. But besides its stealth and combat systems and weapons systems and guns and crew, we've given this ship a special weapon, a weapon we've never put into fleet before, a weapon that is unstoppable. And that secret weapon Sally Montsevier. We are so grateful of all you and your family have given us as a nation. And all that you will do as a sponsor for this great warship. With this well-trained crew, the support of the special operations community, the American people, all of us here today, I'm confident this warship, like its namesake, will serve with undaunted courage, fighting spirit, love, and an unwavering devotion to duty. God bless this ship. God bless your crew and the families. God bless our Gold Star families and the Montsevier family. And God bless United States of America. Thank you. Thank you, Secretary Gertz. Ladies and gentlemen, Admiral William Moran. Well, good morning. What a great thing to be out of Washington, DC and in San Diego. You know, they say every day is a great day in San Diego. Every day is a really good day in the Navy when you get to bring a new ship to the fleet. But there's nothing better than bringing a ship that's named after a national hero into our Navy. So congratulations to the ship, her crew, the Montsevier family, Sally and George, wonderful to meet you and your beautiful family, and so many other distinguished visitors here today. Easy to recognize heroes across this front row, every single one of you. But I think even they would agree that there's no one, no one more important than the Montsevier family today because it's a day that we honor your son's legacy and we bring the ship to life with his spirit. Nothing more fitting than a commissioning of the Navy's newest warship than to do it right here in San Diego right now. San Diego is the epicenter of American seat power. At the point of departure for countries and countless Americans, American sailors over the decades who have sailed from these conch shores to defend our freedom and our way of life. And as we've heard from several terrific speakers here this morning, Mike Montsevier's story is a testament of what's best about the American spirit. He has gifted us with a legacy of selfless sacrifice, teamwork, devotion, love, bravery, and most of all, love of country and his fellow soldiers, airmen, seals and Marines. It's a legacy that every member of this crew carries with them and they will honor with their ship. Those who wear the trident know that Mike's legacy is far more than just that. They know that pinning on the trident is the beginning, not an end, that perpetual improvement is the mark of true professionalism. It means loyalty to the institution, not unquestioning devotion to its assumptions. It means placing a premium on the team's capacity to learn, to evolve, to persevere and never to be out of a fight. As we come out, hopefully, of a long ground war and look to the sea once again, our flexibility, our agility, and our ability to integrate with everyone in the fight is no longer just the business of the seals, but for every Navy sailor. As we grow to meet our obligations to defend this country, this ship, like her sister ship, Zumol, represents American know-how and advanced technology and design. Like all of our ships, it was forged out of raw materials and fashion in the hard work and expertise of numerous dedicated shipbuilders and engineers across America. And today, it's brought to life by young American volunteers from across this great land who carry the spirit of Michael Monsour and who will carry the spirit of your son and our shipmate for decades to come, ready to answer the nation's call anywhere, anytime she asks. So on behalf of the Chief Naval Operations and all of our sailors around the world, deployed and non, God bless the Monsour family, the ship, her crew, and the United States Navy. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct privilege to now introduce your final speaker and our guest speaker today, Congressman Scott Peters. Thank you, Admiral Moran, and thanks to Navy Secretary Richard Spencer for inviting me to deliver these remarks today. You never quit. You never quit. Those are the words Michael Monsour wrote with permanent marker inside the camouflage hat he wore throughout his bud's training at the Naval Special Warfare Training Center here in Coronado. If you visit the quarter deck of the magnificent new ship we commissioned this morning, you will see his hat there with those words inscribed within it. It's encased in glass and will remain on display permanently for the life of the ship. The letters are faded from time and where but their significance and how Michael applied them to his life are as vivid and meaningful today as they were that day when he wrote them many years ago as his reminder to persevere. The words you never quit are also brandished prominently throughout the ship as if Michael himself is offering encouragement to every man and woman who sets sail upon her. If you traveled from out of town to be here this morning, welcome to San Diego, welcome to Coronado, welcome to California's 52nd congressional district which I've had the privilege of representing United States House of Representatives for the past six years. And you, San Diegans, it's an honor to represent you and it's an honor to represent more than 110,000 active duty and 240,000 veterans who call this place home. San Diegans are very aware of and proud of the critical role that our region plays in the national defense because of the breadth and the depth of our military presence which includes seven military installations just in the district that I represent. San Diegans know the selflessness and sacrifice of our armed service members. The sacrifices made by our Blue Star families and most significantly by our Gold Star families we are forever indebted to you. San Diego is a beach town, it's a border town, a technology hub, but no matter how our region and our economy evolve, we are still at our core, a proud Navy town with a cherished Navy history. Today San Diego is home to 62 Navy ships. These ships that stand sentry in and around San Diego Bay are a concert reminder of that history and today the USS Michael Monsour becomes a part of that history. The USS Michael Monsour is the second of three Zumwalt class guided missile destroyers. She is 16,000 tons, 610 feet long and considered one of the most lethal and advanced surface fighterships ever built. She was constructed for stealth and speed and will navigate and operate using the newest and most sophisticated technology and weaponry available. She was built for battle and reflects the highest level of combat readiness as was her namesake, petty officer Michael Monsour. Michael was a native son of Southern California, raised just up the coast in Orange County. He was a stellar high school athlete who enjoyed the outdoors, the ocean, the snow, riding his motorcycle and driving a fast car. His friends described it as a leader, a jokester, a loyal teammate and a silent warrior. In 2001, Michael enlisted in the Navy. After graduating basic training in quartermaster school, he transferred to Naval Air Station, Siganella and Sicily, served there for just a short time before he decided to train for naval special forces. Before Michael could finish his first Bud's training, he was injured and medically discharged, but that didn't deter him because Michael Monsour never quit. Michael returned and completed basic SEAL training in 2004, went on to complete several advanced SEAL courses and was assigned to SEAL Team 3 in 2005. In April 2006, he deployed with his platoon to serve with Naval Special Forces Welfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served in Ramadi in almost continuous combat from April to September 2006. Michael's platoon fought in 35 heated firefights. As a machine gunner, Michael ran toward, not away from, incoming gunfire to protect his teammates. For his service in just those six months, he was awarded the Bronze Star for a heroic achievement in combat, the Silver Star, the nation's third highest military honor for valor in combat, the Purple Heart, and the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest and most prestigious military medal, bestowed only to those who distinguished themselves by extraordinary acts of bravery. Now the occasion for which he was awarded the Silver Star occurred just one month into his deployment on May 9, 2006. While on patrol, another SEAL patrolling nearby was shot in the leg by insurgents, fell to the ground in the open street, and he likely would have died if it were not for Michael's boundless bravery and immense strength. You see, Michael was a heavy machine gunner and a communicator or a radio operator, so between the weapons and the radios, he typically carried an additional 100 pounds of equipment. He was a big guy, he was a strong guy. And bearing this load, he ran into enemy fire to rescue his teammate while simultaneously firing back. He and another SEAL dragged the wounded man to safety, and after loading him onto a Humvee, returned to the fight because Michael Mansour never quit. The events of September 29, 2006, for which Michael was awarded the Medal of Honor are known to many. While holding position on a rooftop against an enemy sniper, an incoming grenade bounced off Michael's chest. Now Michael was positioned near the exit and could have saved himself, but instead in an act of selfless and moral courage, Michael threw himself upon it to save others. Throughout the ship, there are photos of Michael and what you'll see in him and them is a look of steely determination on his face, a maturity beyond his years. And although he did not live long enough to move beyond the rank of petty officer, he was a fierce and loyal leader nonetheless. In recognition of his leadership, he was designated an honorary chief petty officer posthumously. At a surprise ceremony, his mother was presented with his charge book and his chief petty officer hat, symbols of his honorary rank that are now displayed in chief petty officer's mess of the ship. Michael's teammates respected him for his leadership and his bravery. They also respected him as a kind and honorable man who loved his family and lived his faith. He was a devoted Catholic who attended mass daily, even in theater. Now as is common in Catholic families, Michael was named after a saint, St. Michael the Archangel, who was known as St. Michael the Protector. He is the patron saint of warriors. In Catholic teachings, archangels are entrusted with the task of guarding nations and battling evil. Michael the Archangel is represented on the unique crest of the USS Michael Monsour in the form of a winged arm holding a sword set within the thick frame of the shield. And as anyone know, the feast day of St. Michael, I bet Michael's family does, it's September 29th. The day Michael gave his life as a protector of others and in defense of the nation. I wanna thank Michael's mother Sally, his father George, his sister Sarah, his brothers Joe and Jim, his sisters in law Martha and Naomi for the privilege of getting to share these stories with you today about Michael. It's been a tremendous honor. I hope you will find some peace and comfort in knowing that this vessel will protect its sailors and defend our nation in Michael's name. And I wanna recognize and thanks all the veterans and active duty military who are present and there are many I know, including the four Medal of Honor recipients. Thank you for your dedication, your sacrifice and your willingness to serve. Finally to Captain Smith who will command the ship, Captain Edwards, its executive officer and to the entire crew of the USS Michael Monsour, congratulations on the commissioning of this exquisite new ship. I wish you all fair winds and following seas and remember, you never quit. Thank you, Representative Peters. Admiral Moran, we would be honored if you would now place Michael Monsour in commission. On behalf of the Secretary of the Navy and for the President of the United States, I hereby place United States ship Michael Monsour in commission. May God bless and guide this warship and all who sail in her. Thank you, Admiral Moran, executive officer, hoist the colors and the commission pen. All right, sir. Michael Monsour, hoot in, hoot. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise. The commission penit and professional national navies began to take form late in the 17th century. All ships at that time were sailing ships and it was often difficult to tell a naval ship from a merchantman. Navies began to adapt long, narrow penits to be flown by their ships at the main mast head to distinguish themselves from merchant ships. The commission penit will fly continuously until the ship is decommissioned. I direct your attention to the ship's deck house as we hoist the commission penit and the flag of our United States of America. Quartermaster, hoist the colors and the commission penit. Aye, aye, sir. Captain, the colors and the commission penit are flying over USS Michael Monsour. Very well. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. I will now read my orders. From Commander Naval Military Personnel Command to Captain Scott M. Smith, United States Navy, subject, viewers order number 0625 of 3 March, 2015. When directed by reporting senior detach in June, 2015 from the Office of Secretary of Defense, report to pre-commissioning unit Michael Monsour as prospective commanding officer. Upon commissioning of USS Michael Monsour, report for duty as commanding officer. Admiral Moran, United States ship Michael Monsour and present commission and I am in command. Executive Officer, set the watch. Aye, sir. Officer of the deck, set the first watch. Aye, aye, sir. In days of sail, the Bosons mate will call forth the watch. Today, the sound of the Bosons pipe still pierces the air to make major announcements. In tribute to the leadership displayed by our namesake, USS Michael Monsour's first watch team is comprised of all second class petty officers. The officer of the deck is the commanding officer's direct representative, while on watch is responsible for the safe operation of the ship and the crew. The long glass is the traditional symbol of an officer of the deck's authority in a ship of the line. We are pleased to have Michael's brothers, James and Joseph Monsour, pass the long glass to the first officer of the deck, petty officer second class Jorge Cardona from El Paso, Texas. The petty officer of the watch is petty officer second class Adriana Williams from San Jose, California. The topside rover is petty officer second class Emmanuel Mancia from Louisville, Texas. And the Boson mate of the watch is the recently promoted petty officer first class Alfredo Martinez from San Jose, California. Set the watch on deck, watch section one. Sir, watch is set. Very well. Along the side of the ship, you'll see 19 naval special warfare qualification badges. These 19 tridents represent those seals lost in action from September 11th, 2001 until September 29th, 2006. As well as Michael's officer-in-charge Commander Sestone. In the audience are many of the teammates from Red Currie and Task Unit Bruiser that served with Michael during the Battle of Ramadi. When our sponsor gives the order, we would be honored to have you join our ranks as the crew runs aboard. Our sponsor, Mrs. Sally Monsour, has been with the ship from its infancy and christened her two and a half years ago. Sally, I would be pleased if you would join me at the podium and give the order to man our ship and bring her to life. I know you're all hot and, but I can't go without saying thank you for coming today. You're here either because you knew Michael, you're a friend or family member, or you heard about Michael from someone who knew him or you came because you were just following his story and you cared. So I wanna say thank you to our military, men and women, the best in the world, and SEAL team, you have our hearts as well. So I won't be any longer, this is the fun part. So officers and crew of the USS Michael Monsour, man our ship and bring her to life. Ladies and gentlemen, the crew of the USS Michael Monsour, salute you, we are proud to serve in your great Navy. Ready to, will the guests please be seated. Captain, USS Michael Monsour is man. I'm Halsey, USS Michael Monsour is man and ready and reports for duty. Fran, request permission to break your flag. Executive Officer, break the flag of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Aye, sir. Quartermaster, break the flag of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Aye, sir. Captain, the flag of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations flying over USS Michael Monsour. Very well. Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Scott M. Smith, United States Navy, commanding officer, United States ship, Michael Monsour. Representative Peters, Emma Moran, general and flag officers, friends, family, shipmates, and everyone who came here because they want to honor Michael Monsour. Good morning. I know that I'm the last person that stands between you and getting aboard, so I'll be brief. I hope that what you have witnessed so far today would demonstrate the source of our national power. I do not speak of the capability of this magnificent ship. If that is all today it was about, it would be impressive. But I speak of our capacity as human beings, as friends and family. I speak of being the best of who we can be. We hear of Michael's acts and recognize that that capacity knows no bounds. There was a subtle recognition of that when Mrs. Monsour gave her order to man the ship because it needed its sailors to give it life. So let me tell you about them. They're from Garden Grove and Ghana and everywhere in between. They are the vibrant soul of our great nation that extends through the heartland and exceeds the limits of Alcoce. One year ago, these men and women assembled in Bath Main. Yes, that was popular. In case you're wondering, it's 21 degrees in Bath Main and there's snow predicted tomorrow and Tuesday and Wednesday. More than two thirds of these sailors left their families and friends here in San Diego. Seeing them a week here, a week there, little more frequently on their phones. Our families played a vital role in bringing the ship to life and I'd ask that our families rise and be recognized. Main in the winter is isolating. Internet services are not as prolific as California and being the pine tree state means that cell phone coverage is spotty. And it's cold. Did I mention it's 21 degrees there today? And the Kennebec River upon whose shores the ship was built, usually thaws out by April. So these conditions afforded us the opportunity to bond with each other, whether huddled around a turbine engine or ice fishing on a lake. And we became stronger for that. This crew completed 26 individual certification events while outfitting an entire ship from scratch and simultaneously preparing themselves for the voyage from Maine to California. They not only learned new technologies, they advanced them and stand today at the leading edge of the Navy our nation needs. They created enduring relationships with SEAL Team 3 and the 1st of the 506th. They were cited by the Maine State Legislature for advancing civil military relations and by the Secretary of the Navy for their innovation in leadership. And sometimes they performed simple acts of kindness. I received a note last year from a family of a Navy veteran who served the board USS Corey from 1971 to 1976. This veteran was in hospice care after being diagnosed with cancer. Four Michael Monsour sailors paid a call on him. His daughter wrote, quote, the sailors came in and introduced themselves to our dad. He was so happy, you could see it in his face. He had not smiled in weeks and had not been talking much until that night. He spoke with all of them and reminisced about his time in the Navy. And when they left, dad was in tears with happiness. Our dad sadly passed away a few hours after they left. We believe they gave our father some closure when he needed. Three weeks after he passed, I received a call from the chief who brought me a flag that had been flown on the Michael Monsour. This is the crew that mans Michael Monsour. 143 sailors performing acts they believe are ordinary. The soldiers and SEALs that stand alongside them, they too perform their seemingly anonymous, ordinary acts which are anything but. And ladies and gentlemen, that's why this ship is so important. Because it is the recognition that the true source of American power lies in its people. The author, Colin McCann wrote, no matter who we happen to be, no matter where we happen to be, no matter how supposedly anonymous our actions are, we enter the grand historical narrative at an angle and we affect history in all of the descriptions of Michael, consistent theme emerges. He was a good dude. He was good. He affected the lives of those who served alongside him and through his example, he continues to affect history and will as long as this ship sails. This is what we give you today, the good ship, Michael Monsour. May God bless our nation and the families that support it. Ship's company, Aten Hook. Will the guests please rise. Major Halliday will now lead us in the benediction. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, bless and approve this newly commissioned vessel, the USS Michael Monsour and its crew. Send your holy angels as custodians and gods. May Michael the Archangel ever defend it in battle. Be its protector against all enemies and ravages of foul weather. May this vessel and crew always know the friendship of the creatures of the deep, the camaraderie of the winds and the amity of the tides. And may the USS Michael Monsour ever know the unified patronage of the citizens of heaven and the creatures of the earth and every mission it undertakes to restore peace, ensure freedom and enact justice for all. Amen.