 Well, good afternoon, everyone. Thank you to thumbs up from from your Laura. Can you hear me? Okay. Awesome. Well, good afternoon, everyone. Thank you. Thank you all for taking the time to come together here today. And a special thanks to Laura, Dean and Gary, really for all you do to make these lectures a reality. And it's great to be back at the college, you know, it's been some, been some time since I began co-leading the development and roll out of this strategy, the Department of the Navy's Arctic Strategy. On behalf of Secretary Wraithway and really was an extraordinary journey and learning experience and one that I look forward to sharing with my colleagues when when we all get back together on campus. But today in this virtual environment, I'll highlight key aspects of the strategy, the thinking behind it, and some ways that we can implement it ways that we're starting to implement it today. It really is great to see so many students friends colleagues here at the at the Naval War College, an institution whose research and war gaming has been instrumental in shaping national security decisions for more than a century. And the Navy and the nation will need your expertise more than ever as we implement this strategy in the decades ahead. Again, this is a Department of the Navy Arctic Strategy, but what it really is, ladies and gentlemen, this is an American strategy. It's also a strategy for like-minded nations who want to shape a more just, peaceful and prosperous Arctic region. So it belongs to us it belongs to all of us. And as we look over the horizon, along and beyond our northern shores we must set our sights on the Arctic nation we can be and we must be. So there's a lot of talent that comes comes to the college here. Most students and faculty alike graduates like the 77 Secretary of the Navy, Ken and Jay Braithwaite who is education here and whose past experiences flying pH at ADAC Alaska and serving as US Ambassador to Norway drove him to spearhead the strategy. So when we began developing the strategy naturally turned to the writings of past warrior scholars, particularly the most influential strategist to walk the halls of this college offered there Mahan, who described control over sea lines of communication as the preeminence of sea power. And as someone who studied, you know, he was someone who studied naval strategy and tactics in great depth. He shared his views widely and showed just how influential our ideas can be in shaping the course of history. So how will history remember us surely we can and we must agree and disagree on issues. But as Mahan reminds us, we should never find ourselves flat footed intellectually. And by many leaders that every level across the Department of the Navy the joint force the interagency, as well as key allies and partners were involved in the development of this strategy. We took the time to listen and learn from one another, sometimes in person but mostly virtually. And three things dominated these discussions. The Department of the Navy must enhance our leadership. We must strengthen cooperative partnerships and building more capable Arctic force for the Arctic region. And these themes led to a comprehensive Arctic strategy designed to meet the expectations and needs of the American people. And those are allies and partners over the next two decades. And we aimed we sought to craft a strategy that was was balanced that was forward leaning and enduring. Is it perfect. I'm pretty confident in five 1020 years time, we'll look back and say no no no it was not. But as Secretary Mattis noted, you know we don't look for perfection in our young people, we look for excellence. So that's why the background we have here today at the college really makes us a fitting place to not only introduce but to discuss the strategy because we owe it to the military and civilian leaders the folks who are educated being educated here at the college. The time to think about what the strategy means to them, to all of you. And as Secretary Brathway noted, this is a historical first, it's the first Navy Marine Corps Arctic strategy in the department's long history, a unified vision for the region, a blue green strategy for blue Arctic. And this strategic blueprint is designed to protect America's vital national interest in the Arctic region stretching from Maine in the North Atlantic across our northern constellation of allies, partners and neighbors to the North Pacific and Alaska. It was framed by our national strategy for the Arctic region, which was developed in 2014, our recent national defense strategy and the newly released tri service maritime strategy advantage at sea. Our actions in this decade will shape the maritime balance of power for the rest of the century. Those are the words uttered in the newly released tri service maritime strategy advantage at sea. We carry this recognition and this great responsibility through the Navy Marine Corps team and through this strategic blueprint for blue Arctic. Now a blue Arctic provides the general idea that the Arctic is gradually turning from white to blue, and that what we mean by that is you know warming temperatures and reduced ice coverage is making Arctic waters more accessible and more navigable which enables nations and their communities to access new markets, new resources and sea routes. And this strategic blueprint for the Arctic is really a statement of security and defense cooperation in a region that critically needs it. It's also an assertion of our duty and our determination to ensure the Arctic remains stable, free of conflict and malign influence. In some ways the strategy brings back an understanding of some of the ideals voiced in the 2007 cooperative strategy for 21st century see power, which impose the belief, the American believe that preventing wars is just as important as winning them. And adapting to today's realities, this strategy expands our competitive space along America's northern shores. It prioritizes conflict conflict prevention and security cooperation and provides clear direction to the department on ways that our forces can enhance our presence, our partnerships and our capabilities, so that we can compete strategically and blue Arctic. While we adapt, we also watch China and Russia would redefine the international rules based order. Competing views of how to control increasingly accessible marine resources and sea routes, unintended military accidents and conflict and confrontation, and spillover of major power competition. That threatens US interest. What we found also that it that these things also threaten the interests of our allies and partners and all our northern neighbors, including Russia. And right now, we're watching Russia assert territorial dominance along the northern Syria, as it secures its economic interest, expands its military presence, and invests in new offensive and defensive capabilities, specific to our harsh harsh art of climate. Russia has every right to build the capabilities they need to defend their northern shores but the escalatory and non transparent nature of its military activity and unlawful regulation of maritime traffic along the northern sea route is what undermines global interest, promotes instability and ultimately degrade security in the region. At the same time we're also watching China claim status as a near Arctic state, trying to normalize its presence in the region through a polar Silk Road, using the same course of taxes, tactics that have defined the Belt and Road Initiative. We're also investing in shipbuilding polar ice capable vessels, LNG tankers nuclear powered ice breakers and ports port infrastructure to increase and improve its access in the Arctic. China's investments, their global their global fishing fleet, scientific, economic and academic linkages to people and nations in the Arctic, as well as joint ventures with Russia are likely to continue to rise in the years ahead. And especially relevant for this audience. We can expect to see increased Chinese naval deployments on below and above Arctic waters. Now these challenges of course are compounded by increasing risk of environmental degradation and disasters accidents at sea and the displacement of people and wildlife. New commercial technologies will also increase access and change the character of competition in the Arctic. Cyber attacks on Arctic industries, especially the research and development institutions that underpin them, as well as the laying of undersea cables are all on the rise to overcome these challenges and to restore America's Arctic identity to secure America's future in the Arctic requires much more than words, much more than the strategy requires the most elusive thing in a strategy and that unity. The unity to preserve freedoms we hold dear strategic access and freedom of the seas, our alliances and partnerships and defending the homeland for attack. So those are the strategic objectives that that we're looking at here. When with unity America's sea services can keep the peace and every region no matter the season we can ensure our diplomats negotiate from a position of strength. We can give our alliances confidence that we've got their back when they need it most confidence that it only comes through assurance that we will win if deterrence fails something I've learned firsthand and the degree war game series that we host here at the college. You know, speaking of unity can can sound a little trivial and foreign to some these days however, if you look back on history through World Wars a cold war even through today. Peace and stability have have endured and American presence and partnerships throughout the region is a big reason why in 1867. In the Civil War, the top left of your screen their USS Jamestown maintain careful watch as the US flag was raised over Alaska. The Navy Department assumed administration of our new Alaska territory in 1879. Stationing the Jamestown in Sitka Alaska to preserve order and prevent conflict. We continue to do just that over the course of a century and as early as 1880, Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka discussed the challenges of ice navigation in the pages of proceedings. Then Commander Robert Perry a civil engineer court officer he led Arctic expeditions and was credited with being the first alongside Matthew Henson and Inuit guides to reach the North Pole in 1909. Commander Robert and former US sailor Floyd Bennett set out to Svalbard in 1926 on their quest to be the first aviators to reach the North Pole. The nuclear powered submarine the USS Nautilus completed its record voyage to the North Pole in 1958 with American naval innovation, overcoming the ice cat barrier. A year later, when the US escape became the first submarine surface at the North Pole. Our rings there at the top bottom left began rotational service training in Norway in the 1950s honing their ability to fight in these harsh art climate. And during the Cold War it was the strength of six fleet real and perceived that prevented the Soviet Union from pushing too far preventing crisis from becoming conflict. And though our naval forces have significant expertise operating in the region, our submarines are without equal. The Arctic maritime domain is changing, especially the surface domain, and we must change with it. The dangers we face today may look a little different. But they're no less dangerous and still require our presence our partnerships and preparedness to keep them in check. The fact remains that the most effective way to preserve pieces through strength strength through our partnerships and through our presence. And based on this premise the strategic blueprints three lines of effort aim to restore our comparative and naval advantage in the art. We will enhance our presence we will strengthen our alliances and build new partnerships. And at the same time we're going to build a more capable Arctic force and by doing this will will keep our competitors at bay, prevent them from slowly gaining access and influence through malign activities and aggression. And doing so I will also gain the trust of the American people and Congress, so that we spend our defense dollars well. So let me highlight each line of effort here, and I'll start with capabilities because everything we do in the department of the Navy must contribute to ensuring that the United States maintains the most formidable naval force in the world. The pace and scope of our competitors in the Arctic requires our CVC services to adapt and build a more capable force. And so if we're going to preserve peace if we're going to gain and maintain our advantage at sea particularly in the Arctic stretching from Alaska to Maine. Then we're going to have to find new ways to integrate and apply capabilities, the ones that we have today. And we also have to invest in new capabilities that may not be fully realized and integrated into the force for some years to come. And in all honesty, you know following the Cold War Navy Marine Corps capabilities and our operational expertise diminished our tensions turned elsewhere. Surely, we have increased our capabilities and our operational readiness in recent years especially surface operations during summer months. Credible presence in the Arctic is required in every domain and in every season across the full range of military operations. So this means that the size and composition of our force matters. It also means that as the Arctic becomes more blue, more navigable, more accessible as a demand for our forces and our security and our presence increases, the size and composition of our naval force will have to change. So we will modernize key capabilities recognizing that we can't deter and project power in a blue Arctic in 510 20 years time, and in today with yesterday's mindset and yesterday's capabilities. So we'll need a muster the courage to think and act anew, as we make targeted investments in infrastructure communications, science and technology and crude and uncrewed platforms. And that our sailors and marines have what they need to succeed in cold weather and ice diminished waters. And as we modernize our force especially our surface ships we must recognize to ensure that our Arctic operations and modernization plans are updated and that our defense industrial base can build and sustain our Arctic forces. So in terms of infrastructure, you know, we must continue to maintain our operational advantage in a blue Arctic which means that we'll have to continue looking for ways to really do three things reduce transit times, preserve mobility and meet the logistical demands of naval forces operating across the region. To learn about ports or airfields, our allies and partners play a critical role, and especially in helping us in the US Navy and Marine Corps gain and maintain access in the region, Norway Denmark and Iceland just to name a few. Our joint force, our allies and partners, they all have the same kinds of communication challenges as us as well, especially above 66 degrees north. So that's why the Department of the Navy will enhance collaboration to build resilient, survivable and interoperable networks for our tactical naval forces, our operations centers and strategic plan. The Navy Marine Corps team will also apply and refine existing concepts such as Loki DMO, EABO, but at the same time, we will carve out intellectual capacity to explore new innovative ideas to organize and apply naval forces in the Arctic. And our people, above all are our greatest strength, which is why the department will increase efforts in research development training and education for the Arctic institutions like the Naval War College and naval postgraduate school, the Naval Academy and the newly created Navy Community College will be critical in helping our sailors and Marines and our civilians deep in their knowledge of Arctic strategies and tactics. You know, one of the very first things that our team did on this journey was, was asked every organization across the department, every single one, the extent to which they had they did two things one, what Arctic related activities they conducted into opportunities for improvement opportunities to grow and progress in terms of both our force readiness and and our influence. So we conducted a very high level assessment of where we're strong where we're weak where we might succeed where we may not needless to say there are so many extraordinary efforts taking place already across the Navy Marine Corps, especially within our education and training commands. Yet despite this progress, we can do a better job integrating our efforts. Injecting Arctic curricula and emerging naval concepts into training pipelines is a pretty good place to start. I was also struck by how much we do in areas of research and development, and in the areas of science and technology, especially in cold weather capable designs and ship designs of forecasting models sensors high latitude communications and navigation systems just to name a few. We'll continue to build on these efforts and continue implementing efforts like the International Cooperative Engagement Program for polar research, our naval research laboratories, our warfare centers and academic institutions will play a big part in helping leaders at every level, level both national and naval, a better understand and predict the changing physical environment from sea floor to space today and for decades. And throughout the many feedback reviews that we received from the AO level action officer level through the four star level joint naval leaders recognize that we must carefully balance the capability requirements of today with those of tomorrow. The capabilities we need in the Arctic with those that we need around the world. It's my belief that emerging requirements in a blue artist shouldn't take away from our responsibilities and other places around the world right up blue Arctic only adds to our global responsibilities. So together as one Navy Marine Corps team will take a targeted disciplined and coordinated approach to balancing our personnel, our platforms and our posture and the Arctic. And for example, here's, here's how we begun to tackle that today. And some new news at the direction of Secretary break weight last week one of the last things he did was sign out a memo establishing or creating an Arctic Task Force to implement this strategy, the Department of the Navy Arctic Task Force. So led by the Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy for policy. This task force would coordinate and develop and implement plans for the strategy and provide regular updates to an executive committee made up of the Undersecretary of the Navy, Vice Chief of Naval Operations and the Navy Marine Corps, they in turn would provide updates periodically to sec nav CNO and CMC and really a key effort in this task force will be working closer with OSD the Office of Secretary of Defense, the joint staff and combat commanders to ensure that we identify and meet our naval requirements and even Marine Corps requirements as part of our defense planning scenarios, our campaign plans and deployment models. So, how do we field a modern conventional force that can decisively prevent and respond to conflict in a blue order. Now surely it's, it's different and it's expensive but, and I think we recognize that but it's far less expensive than trying to play catch up, like we are in today in the South China Sea, we're God forbid fighting a war with the Undersecretary who thought that we were weak and that they could take advantage of us in the Arctic, which brings us to our second line of effort. The first in our strategy, and that's enhancing our presence, enhancing our naval forces across the region. We're going to do this in a few ways by posturing our forces by increasing exercises and operations, improving fleet synchronization and integrating Navy Marine Corps and Coast Guard capabilities in ways that we don't today. In the decades ahead will continue to provide the right levels of presence overseas and continue to assess our force posture at home, particularly in Alaska. When we do this through a few ways it's really a combination of permanently stationed forces. So looking across both home and abroad where we permanently need to posture our forces as the operational requirements dictate rotational forces temporary forces, preposition equipment and stocks like we see Norway and basing infrastructure across the region. But taking together these these options provide the department options and maximum flexibility to adapt as operational requirements dictate regular and rigorous assessment of our defense posture is required. And this institution just like it has across history will be critical to helping the department set the theater. So today we have more sailors and Marines deployed underway at any point than the last seven years in a blue art at that will only increase those many hours long hours participating in operations and exercises which may seem trivial at the deck plate level at the time. And I know they challenge our folks and in our families, especially recently but, but they are critical to carving out persistent access in peace, especially in the Arctic. So that's why we've seen we've increased our article exercises and operations these past few years will continue to increase the size and frequency of deployments moving forward operation northern edge saw 10,000 personnel from the USS theater. Roosevelt carrier strike group operate alongside our joint forces to enhance our interoperability improve capabilities above the Arctic Circle. Try to juncture mark the largest post Cold War exercise in the Arctic bringing together 50,000 personnel 65 ships and 250 aircraft for a collective defense exercise in Norway and its surrounding waters. Dynamic goose brought together NATO surface vessels ships submarines and maritime patrol aircraft for complex ASW warfare training off the coast of Iceland. And we've continued ice x, the longest running Arctic exercise honing our undersea capabilities beneath the Arctic ice. Our challenge today and every day moving forward though is applying able power in a way that protects vital national interests and preserves regional security, but doing that without undermining trust and triggering conflict. So to enhance synergies and avoid duplication of effort fleet commanders particularly looking at second third and six will improve their command relationships their coordination and connectivity and such synergies also apply to our allies and partners as well. So I believe the department should consider is my belief my opinion that the department should consider a few new ideas. The first being the creation of an Arctic focus surface quadrant, potentially located with the Marine headquarters of an Arctic ally or Coast Guard partners. We should also consider establishing a an Arctic standing maritime force to enhance maritime security along our allies and partners. The increasingly blue Arctic over a longer period of time, the Navy should take a hard look at creating a new fleet commander, one who has the sole responsibility of the region from Alaska to main. So the departments enhance presence that we have have codified here in the strategy is really built, partly on the idea that increasing the number of interactions between able forces during peacetime will help ensure that we avoid conflict. These interactions, be they through planned exercises port visits or unplanned interactions at sea allow naval forces, both those who are from the Arctic and outside the Arctic, really to demonstrate acceptable and unacceptable behavior, and where there may be some opportunities to unite our forces around a common purpose, which brings us to our last and final line of effort. We will strengthen alliances and partnerships while building new partnerships, especially with Arctic and non Arctic nations. Not to meet yesterday's challenges but today's and tomorrow's challenges, where we lead by the power of our example, an example set by our presence and our partnerships. We face daunting challenges whether we're deterring competitors or responding to disasters that the Navy Marine Corps team is stronger when we operate jointly and together with allies and partners. And when we pull resources and share responsibility of our common defense our individual security burdens become lighter when our naval forces work together our people in our nations are safer and more secure. Together alongside our allies and partners will do three big things will enhance awareness will expand collaborative planning and mechanisms and improve interoperability. We will seek new and innovative approaches to connect people and information in ways that don't exist today, so that we can avoid tactical and strategic surprise. As we look toward expanding consultative mechanisms and collaborative planning. I believe we should look and think hard at establishing new forms, like the Arctic Ocean Naval Symposium and expanding the incidents at sea agreement. Now these aren't my ideas these are ideas forged by Arctic sailors and scholars of this college is Newport Arctic scholars initiative. In the last few years, a great deal of attention has been placed on great power competition and for good reason, but an opening Arctic blue Arctic provides much more than that. It provides the United States in Russia, a rare opportunity to redefine its relationship and work together on areas of mutual interest and concern. Achieving us national security interest in the Arctic region requires unity, preserving peace in the Arctic requires unity. We can see ourselves not solely as competitors or adversaries but as northern neighbors. We can meet this moment as one department. We can meet this moment as one nation, and we can meet this moment as one Arctic. And if we do that we, we won't fail. We will succeed in a blue Arctic. And that will be the strategy we implement. And that's an obligation we have as leaders, as thought leaders, as policymakers, as strategists and operators. And I believe that this strategy led resourced in partnered appropriately will ensure that we live up to our collective responsibility to pass along a blue Arctic, better than we found it. Surely a great responsibility for the many who took part in developing the strategy, but in the months and years ahead, it's an even greater responsibility to intellectually defend it. And so with that, ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for your time. And I look forward to hearing what's on your mind.