 Hello, I'm Rear Admiral Kevin Slates, Director of the Navy's Energy and Environmental Readiness Division. Today, the Navy releases the final Environmental Impact Statements that will allow us to continue training and testing in the waters off the Atlantic and Pacific Coast, Hawaii, and in the Gulf of Mexico. This is a major milestone in our mission of operating forward to keep the Global Commons open and accessible while respecting the environment. Many adversaries have modern, quiet submarines that can pose serious threats to the lawful use of the sea, the global economy, and the safety of our forces. Active Sonar is the most effective means available today to detect, track, and target submarines and other threats. While we use simulators and simulation for some training, Active Sonar operation and underwater explosive ordinance handling are perishable skills that require training at sea under realistic conditions. Newly developed systems and ordinance must also be tested in the same conditions under which they will be used and employed. The best available science in more than 60 years of similar training and testing demonstrate that our proposed activities will continue to have minimal effects on marine mammal populations. We've coordinated with regulatory agencies and adopted standard operating procedures to protect marine species and the environment wherever possible, such as the use of trained lookouts to avoid marine mammals while underway and reducing or halting sonar if marine mammals are seen within certain safety zones. With the care and diligence of sailors like you, we've been able to protect marine life without jeopardizing our ability to conduct essential training and testing. For years, the Navy has partnered with universities and researchers around the world to study marine animals and to share that information. As we learn more, we will keep working with regulators to refine and improve our analysis and our protective measures so we can continue to train and test. Thank you for what you do on a daily basis to ensure that we remain ready and are good stewards of the environment.