 Greetings shipmates, I'm Vice Admiral John Mustin, your Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander of the Navy Reserve Force. It gives me great pleasure to say happy 245th birthday to our great Navy. That's a lot of candles. Since 1775, every single day, American sailors have stood the watch with honor, courage and commitment. The central theme of this year's birthday celebration is victory at sea, which encompasses the Navy's efforts in battle during World War II. The greatest generation's hard-fought victories inspire today's globally deployed sailors who ensure security and stability for our allies and ensure prosperity worldwide. The Navy Reserve has been an integral fighting force for the Navy and our country for over 105 years. And as we steam into our second century of service, we prepare for the future as well as honor our past. During World War II, Navy Reserve sailors were critical in the fight, with almost three million reserve sailors making up over 80 percent of the Navy. Nearly 23,000 reserve sailors sacrificed their lives defending our nation and the world during that war. Today, we live in an era of great power competition, requiring our reserve sailors to maintain the highest levels of readiness, ready to answer the nation's call at a moment's notice on day one. Today, every reserve sailor should ask themselves the simple question, am I ready for day one? I know I can count on each of you to do your duty, to keep our force ready around the world and around the force. Thanks again, shipmates, for all that you do. Happy birthday, Navy. Now let's go get busy.