 Greetings, everyone. I'm Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro. May has recognized his Mental Health Awareness Month, and especially in line of the recent tragedies involving crew members from the U.S. as George Washington, I want to take a few moments to talk to you about a critical but often hidden aspect of your wellness and readiness as you continue to serve our nation. The Secretary of Defense Austin has said, mental health is health, full stop. We must all do more, at every level, to practice mental health maintenance and to end the stigma against seeking mental health treatment. Addressing mental health is just as important as your physical health. When you break your arm, you go to the doctors, you have a cavity, you go to the dentist. This is what your leadership expects you to do for your physical readiness, and I expect the same when it comes to your mental health. I urge you to learn how to recognize the signs of mental health crisis, burnout, exhaustion or depression, and to have the courage to act when you see these signs in yourself or in others. We have too many sailors and Marines suffering in silence. This should never be shamed in pursuing health for yourself or for others that you care about. We need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. We must continue to have tough but necessary conversations with ourselves, as well as with those close to us. When we see or feel signs that our mental health readiness is not at 100 percent, every leader out there, from the most junior NCO to our flag officers, should encourage mental health maintenance, move barriers to help seeking, and learn the skills to engage team members who may need additional support. As an organization, we must continue tearing down the stigmas attached to seeking help, dealing with some of the problems life throws at us, as well as the mental illness, depression, and suicide ideations. Seeking help and treatment is not a weakness amongst our ranks. It is a commitment to yourself, your team members, your family, and our national security mission. The department is committed to supporting force-wide efforts to eliminate suicide and provide direct access to mental health support. In April, I directed department leaders to take ten immediate steps to make mental health care more accessible and review our policies and practices across the department to eliminate barriers. I also welcome leadership at all levels to share their own experiences related to mental health, seeking behaviors and the positive effects it had on both their careers and their families. And I push leaders to ensure our sailors and marines have the time needed to get the necessary treatment when they need. Throughout my time in uniform and civilian life, I have seen the benefits of counseling and mental health care. While we have 35% of our mental health practitioners embedded in the fleet today, we will continue to do more to ensure trained professionals are available for you to get the help that you need in a timely manner when you need it, wherever you need it. You are not alone. Mental health professionals, chaplains, family counselors and others are here to help you. If you or someone else needs immediate help, you can call the military veterans crisis line at 1-800-273-8255 or chat with the counselor online at veteranscrisisline.net. You matter and we need you to be well in all areas of your life. You deserve the finest care available. Thank you for all that you do to protect the United States of America and may God bless each and every one of you.