 Guests, please rise for the arrival of the official party and remain standing until completion of our national anthem and invocation. Time orderly, strike eight bells. Admiral, United States Navy, retired, arriving. Time orderly, strike eight bells. Naval operations, arriving. Bosen, post the side boys. Color guard, advance the colors. The national anthem will be performed by the United States Academy Band. Retire the colors. Chaplain, Dr. Margaret Kibben, will now deliver the invocation. Would you pray with me? Eternal Father, whose way is in the sea and whose paths are in the great waters. We pause to ask your blessing on this remarkable ceremony, honoring the lifelong service and accomplishments of one sailor and celebrating the distinguished appointment and leadership of another. When you directed the steps of a young Russell Smith to the threshold of a recruiter's door, you not only opened up to him numerous doors of opportunity, enabling him to exercise his gifts to our country's navy, but you also granted countless sailors of all ranks the leadership of one whose enthusiasm, passion, and drive enhanced their lives and touched their spirits. So thank you, O Lord, for the faithfulness of Mick Pond Smith that he has demonstrated in his all two frequent sacrifices, deployments, and personal effort that he has made throughout his incredible career all for the welfare of the men and women he led and served with. The Navy is a stronger institution, and we who are proud to call him shipmate are better people because of the compassion and devotion you have shown us through the testimony of Master Chief Smith's faithful and dedicated service. And now as the mantle of responsibility is lifted from his shoulders, give him the assurance of your approval and appreciation for all that he has done in these 34 years. Then as the title of Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy is bestowed on Master Chief Honea, we ask that you bear the yoke with him. May he yield to your guidance and heed the wisdom of those who have gone before and who now serve alongside him. Gird him with both strength and vulnerability, certainty and flexibility, faith and fortitude to serve the sailors you have called him now to lead. We ask your blessing then on these men and all who sail the deepest oceans and fly the great spaces in the sky. Guide them with the light of your truth. In the strength of your name, we pray. Amen. Thank you, Chaplain Kibben. Will the guests please be seated? Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, family and friends. Welcome to the change of office of retirement ceremony of Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Russell Lamar Smith, recognizing a career of long and honorable service and in keeping with one of the oldest traditions in the military. The chief of naval operations and the men and women of the United States Navy pay special tribute to McPawn Smith and his family. Aunt Sandy and Uncle Ron, sisters Melody and Jamie, cousin Vicki and her husband Harry as well as our two children, Jalen and Dean. And of course, Russ's close, personal, lifelong friends on the occasion of Russ's retirement from the United States Navy. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my absolute pleasure to introduce the presiding officer for today's ceremony, the chief of naval operations, Admiral Gilday. Good morning, distinguished guests, family and friends, shipmates, McPawn Smith, McPawn Honey. Thanks for letting me take part in this very special and historic event. It's an honor to be here. And it's humbling to speak in front of a crowd like this. It's also an honor to have several former McPawns here with us today. McPawn Bushy, McPawn Hagen, McPawn Hurt, McPawn Scott, McPawn Stevens, McPawn Giudano. Each of you stood as anchors for our Navy. Each of your legacies and service have helped shape today's Navy. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for being here. And thank you to your families who supported you through your lifetime of service. In just a few moments, we'll be a witness to the changing of the guard, the transfer of responsibilities, and one of the Navy's most important leadership positions, the Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. I'm going to deviate from my prepared remarks today. I'm going to speak from a book that was given to me when I first became CNO by my first Command Master Chief and my first destroyer. The book is called Winds of Change. It's the history of the Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy from 1967 to 1992. McPawn Bushey knows the author personally. Charlotte Christ. Charlotte was a journalist in the United States Navy. She joined in the early 60s. Her dad was a World War II veteran. She left the Navy. She was a, she worked for a newspaper in Southern Georgia. She came back to the Navy. She married a submarine. When she became pregnant, she was forced to leave the Navy. I think it was one of you, McPawns, that changed that, changed that, changed that rule. But she, she came back into the reserves after that. She never lost her love for the Navy. And a four month TAD assignment to your office, McPawn Bushey led to a 17 month labor of love to write this book. I thought it was interesting as I was given to me, as I mentioned by, by a former command master chief of mine who in his inscription said, the most important, one of the most important decisions you'll make in your term of office is choosing the next McPawn. And so he said, read this book. I said, I, and it definitely, it definitely was informative. I wanna talk a little bit about the history of the office because most people equate the office of the McPawn with, with C&O Zumwalt. And it actually preceded him by probably three, two, at least two C&Os. And it really started in 1964 when under a sector the Navy named NHTSA. And NHTSA saw that our recruiting and our retention was not doing well. At that time, retention among first term sailors was at 10%. This was post Berlin, post Cuban Missile Crisis. We're ramping up for Vietnam. We were in serious trouble. And so he directed a one star admiral named Alfred, Admiral John Alfred who was a veteran of World War II. He was there during Pearl Harbor. He had sailed in NHTSA's island hopping campaign finishing his term on a battleship off of Okinawa. And so Alfred did a study and the study took two years. So it finished up in 1966. He and his team interviewed over 100,000 sailors and they came away with some really incredible insights. They were 115 at all. He worked, he worked directly for the secretary and the secretary published the results. And one of those recommendations from a cryptologist technician first class named John Abraham was to establish a leading chief petty officer of the United States Navy. And his idea was that not only would we have a leading chief but we would then have, that would be a master chief actually, but we would have senior chiefs at each of the fleets and each of the TICOM. So we'd have that connective tissue from the waterfront back to Washington to our most senior levels. And so interestingly, it was put into effect because the secretary of the Navy deemed it so. But I'd like to read a passage from Mick Pond Black, our first Mick Pond, he requested to meet with the CNO at the time to talk about, and the CNO at the time was Admiral David McDonald to talk about his expectations for the job. So McDonald told him he never believed in establishing the office to begin with. So Mick Pond Black asked him, if this is what the enlisted people want, will you give us a chance to make it work? And he told me at that point that I could do anything that I wanted to do. So for Black, who was also at Pearl Harbor, who also crossed the Pacific on the USS Maryland and had eight battle campaign ribbons to prove it, that was a blank check. And so he established the office. The office was to report to the CNO. Within three months, it changed from the senior enlisted advisor to the CNO, to the Master Chief Petty Officer, the Navy, and we were off and running. 25 years later, when this book was written, Admiral Zumwalt wrote the forward. And although I think I could capture this myself, I thought that Admiral Zumwalt's words were quite poignant and I'd like to read them to you. So please bear with me. Zumwalt writes in 1992 after he was out of office for a while. When the office of the Master Chief Petty Officer, the Navy was created in 1967, the United States Navy took a giant step forward and untapping the leadership capabilities of its enlisted force. In the act of adding an extra gold star to the Master Chief's crow, the senior levels of command were in effect saying to our enlisted community, we respect and we value your opinion, we need your input, we will listen and we will act. And just as they met the challenges of war and peace for more than two centuries, the enlisted community responded in a way that only silenced those doubting Thomases, but responded but also amazed those who initially believed. No one could have known 25 years ago, writes Zumwalt, that the office would grow into a position of influence and credibility that it enjoys today. No officer, regardless of his or her position in the chain of command or the Washington bureau demands more respect, gains quicker access or is listened to more intently than the Master Chief Petty Officer, the Navy. Wise Congressman, Secretary of Defense and the Navy, Chiefs of Naval Operations and Chiefs of Naval Personnel and many others have benefited from the Sage Council of the McBon. For his voice is not only the voice of personal experience, but of the broad and ever-changing spectrum of the enlisted experience. Today, when there are so many avenues of communication open to modern Navy sailors, it is difficult to imagine the breadth and the depth of the gap that that first McBon was asked to bridge in 1967. Among the most rewarding memories of my naval career are those snapshots of time that I spent listening to sailors. Whether they were manning riverboats in Vietnam or in the engine rooms of a destroyer underway, if I could get them to talk, I always learned something. But the sailor of the 60s rarely had the opportunity to speak to someone who could make the changes they suggested or at least express interest in what they had to say. We were far too busy running our ships, balancing our accounts or making ourselves look good for the promotion boards. And if by some miracle, we did validate a sailor's suggestion by making the recommended change, we kept the credit for ourselves. As a result, sailors stopped talking and they started walking right out the door. Before they stayed and they convinced younger impressionable shipmates that no one up above gave a damn about what he or she thought. That's where the Master Chief Petty Officer, the Navy came in. He went out to the fleet with a message and I quote, we do take care and if you tell me what's on your mind, I'll make sure that somebody listens. I had the honor of working with Delbert Black and Jack Whittitt, the first and second Master Chief Petty Officers of the Navy. What giants they were. Like so many other good ideas that take years to ripen, the McPon did not work overnight miracles. But those of us who have spent our careers as officers know well, there is no one more patient or more persistent than a chief with a mission. He or she might yell and cuss, they might bang on tables, stomp on a few toes, but eventually they get what they want. If you give them the time and you give them the resources. Between Delbert Black and Duane Bushy, 25 years have passed. Seven Master Chiefs have worn an extra star in their sleeve. They earned that star much the same way they earned that first crow as a Petty Officer. They were tested and approved. Once they had the title, they had to earn it. Credibility gains the Petty Officer much grow with each added stripe, add an anchor, more to prove, add a star, still more. But add that third star and you're out in no man's land, wrote Mr. Malt. Those junior to you are looking up, perhaps holding you, perhaps pulling you down. Those above may extend a hand of confidence or lacking confidence in their own abilities, try to push you down. Seven Men have survived the Winds of Change, which is the title of this book. They learned when to bend and when to stand firm. They adjusted, they adapted, they adhered. Nonetheless, they refused to change one common denominator that has served them well throughout their voyage to the top. They continued to practice loyalty up and loyalty down. They earned a keen sense of balance on the high wire which placed them in that bridge between officers and enlisted. With this history, marking the 25th anniversary of the officer of the Master Chief Petty Officer, the Navy, we gain insight into the job, the men who have held the title, their joint and their singular accomplishments, the support system they develop over the years, the organization, and at last but not least, the leadership capabilities of the world's finest enlisted community. In each and every sailor serving in the United States Navy today, and I think it's still true, lies the potential to be a Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and the opportunity to make the world's finest Navy just a little bit better. Thank you, Admiral Zumwalt. A lesson for all of us. McPawn Russ Smith, I wanna take time to thank you specifically. While I know you would rather defer all praise to your teammates, many of them sitting before me, your work and your service and your sacrifice deserve to be recognized. For over three decades, you've stood to watch for a Navy and for a nation. In 1988, you began your career as an airman, then becoming a weapons technician and before finally finding your true calling as an intelligence specialist. You've always taken the tough assignments, your true leader, your chief to the core, and a sailor who is dedicated to sailors who do anything at any time of the day or night to help a fellow service member. And I know that personally. As our 15th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, your candor to the Congress and thoughtful counsel to two CNOs and numerous secretaries have allowed sailors to have a voice in our nation's capital. Your tireless efforts to provide sailors with mental, moral, and spiritual support has helped make our fleet more resilient and much, much more effective. Your leadership ensured that our most important resource and our people are ready to serve and defend the nation that we love. Having conducted more than 200 fleet visits all over the world, your outreach and willingness to be there for sailors and their families is what truly made your service so remarkable. You care for sailors like few of the leaders that I've met in the Navy. Thank you for everything that you have done over these past four years. Our Navy and our Navy family are much stronger than it was four years ago. As you go ashore for the final time, know that this nation and our Navy are forever grateful for your lifetime of consequential and honorable service. Now, just as we pause to send Mick Pond Smith off, we should also take a moment to look forward to the future. Excited for what lies ahead. The soon to be 16th Mick Pond, James Hone, has been an essential part of our Navy for 35 years. With experience and assignments at sea and all over the world with leadership positions at every single level. He brings the exact kind of professional experience we need for this immense responsibility. I've said it before, he's got saltwater running through his veins. This Boson's mate will lead his Mick Pond with honor, courage, commitment, and respect. We're thrilled to see you build upon Mick Pond Smith's momentum and accelerate America's naval power. I know that like so many other Mick Ponds here with us today, that you are a servant leader, truly, putting the needs of our sailors and their families above all. Without a doubt, our sailors and their families are in good hands with you stepping in. I'd also like to take a moment to thank Evelyn, James, Sarah, and the rest of your family who are here with us today for their support and love for these three decades. I'll close with this. Mick Pond Smith may be retiring, but his legacy will live on. We would be wise to serve others first and to fight for our sailors always. Thank you all so very much for being here today. May God bless you, may God bless our Navy, may God bless the United States of America. Mick Pond Smith, Mass Chief Honey, will you please join Admiral Gilday at center stage. Presenting the Sailors Cutlass for today's ceremony is Chief Yeoman, Jaina Sampson, the Executive Assistant to the Master Chief, Pettius, or the Navy for the previous four years. The sea going Sailors Cutlass, a shorter, heavier weapon than the sword issued to officers has for hundreds of years been an essential part of the Navy's arsenals. While the long, slender officer's sidearm was a highly personal weapon and can vary considerably in dimension and finish, the Sailors Cutlasses were part of the ship's armory. Racked and available to be taken up for drill or battle. The Cutlass was a rugged, utilitarian fighting tool. It was strong and simple, built to withstand the rigors of duty at sea, and it is an appropriate symbol for our heritage. As has been done nine times between Mick Ponds and the past, Mick Pond Smith passes this symbol of utility and service to its new caretaker that will be displayed in the office of the Master Chief, Pettius, or the Navy as a constant reminder of his duty and purpose. Ladies and, so again, ladies and gentlemen, the 16th Master Chief, Pettius, or the Navy, Mick Pond, James, Tony. I almost forgot I was supposed to get up here and say some things. This is all inspiring. I'm telling you, from this perspective, this is just really breathtaking, and I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for stopping in your days and giving me a bit of your time as I come into this new position and we say farewell to Russ. So thank you all, another round of applause for everybody, please. This is truly an honor of a lifetime to stand before you as your 16th Master Chief, Pettius, or the Navy. It is a privilege that only 15 others fully understand the accompanying responsibility, the weight of which is not lost on me and I will do my utmost to live up to the example that have been set by my predecessors. I am proud to share this day with my beautiful wife, Evelyn. We've been married for 33 years as the CNO was mentioning earlier. She has always been my strength, my calm, and my clarity of purpose when I needed it most. Thank you, Evelyn, it makes it all that much sweeter that I have you here today to celebrate again. Thank you. We're also joined by our kids, James and Sarah, and we're so proud of the wonderful and loving human beings that they are. They have been a part of our military journey without choice, but they are proud of that service, that service, and James himself even went on to serve for six years in our Navy. My parents, James and Donita, are also here responsible for much of my preconditioning. Their greatest gift, though, has been their living example of love and devotion to God, to each other, and to family. Thank you. I appreciate everybody playing along with me every now and then, I gotta compose myself. Nobody wants to see a weep in both of them, mate, so I appreciate that. I am also happy to be joined by my sister, Jennifer, my brother, Chris. We also grew up in a military family as our father enlisted and served for 25 years in the United States Air Force from Vietnam and through the Cold War and retiring as a major. This is the first opportunity I have had to share a moment in my Navy career with my sister and my brother, and I love them both dearly and I'm happy that they could join us. I'm also joined by my wife's brother, my loved brother-in-law, Giordano. Thank you for being here. Every family needs their crazy uncle, and I thank you for your spirit. Emerald Gilday, sir. I thank you for allowing us the opportunity to celebrate a rich history, continuing the tradition, started by Mickpond Delbert Black, and for the strong confidence that you have in me. The Navy is steaming in the right direction because of your stalwart leadership, and I thank you, sir. Mickpond Smith, Russ, thank you for your grace and support during the transition period from Team 15 to Team 16. You have made this process seamless, and I am instantly grateful for your wisdom and leadership and for the hard work of you and all of Team 15 that have kept our Navy in good water. And to all the Mickponds who have gone before me, I am tremendously grateful for you all, for the good that you have done and continue to do for our Navy. I thank you for your years of friendship and counsel and I look forward to even closer bonds with each and every one of you. I am humbled to be falling in your footsteps. There are so many other people I owe more than just a measure of gratitude and more than simple kind words can express. All my friends, peers, family of service, my extended Navy family, and countless others, thank you. Each and every one of you holds a special place in my heart, and I am honored that you took the time to support my family and I throughout the years and be with us here today. As I make my way around the fleet, my top priority will be our sailors and their families, and I know that we will all do work to build a stronger and smarter combat teams. That is the business that we're in to fight and win our wars. Our people are a decisive advantage against any competitor that may look to engage us in high-end conflict. Our sailors will undoubtedly rise to any occasion, but we have to be better at investing in them and meet their needs. The Navy is not easy, and probably one of the hardest things our sailors have ever been asked to do. The challenge, though, is so worth it, but we must be better connected to one another as shipmates and our Navy family. We need one another as each other's extended family. In the Navy, we are each other's brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, even moms and dads, and, well, maybe for the CNO and I, we're old enough to be some of your grandpas. Hey, but listen, we're not just any grandpa. We're tough as nails. True grit kind of grandpas. Salty, experienced, and tougher for it. Hey, you can depend on us to fight for you. Also, you can depend on the sailors in the fleet to fight for us. They are just as tough and ready, and they were born from the same DNA of the heroes that have gone before us and equally capable. The Navy does not lend itself to an easy life, but an easy life would be boring. I'm glad I chose this to be challenged by this life and all that it has given me. Thank you all for accepting the same challenge and being on this journey with me. I've always been proud to be your shipmate, and I'm privileged to be your mcpon. Thank you all, and I'll see you in the fleet. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my honor and privilege to introduce a very close personal colleague and friend, Russell Smith. Today's guest speaker, the 39th Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral William Moran. Okay, now we get to shift to, it didn't very well, the Russ Smith mcpon 15. It is interesting that the first time, I don't recall us speaking up here before, I don't know about you, but I never got the invitation back here because I barely passed the grades here. But I know this much, and now I understand. But when you're up here with these lights on, you can't see the people in the back, so I always wondered why I was able to sleep in the back when I was a mid, now I know why. So I got my eyes kind on you folks in the back. All right, I'm gonna try to keep you awake. So the Mahan Hall, what a historic place. And when you're an old soul like Russ Smith, it's not surprising that he chose a historic place to have his retirement ceremony. And the fact that he was Command Master Chief here also speaks volumes to why he chose to come back. It was Admiral Mahan who wrote this tone called the influence of sea power upon history, but he was legendary, legendary for being the only midshipman to never have had a plebe year. And I gotta believe that there's a whole host of plebes out in the yard right now that would like to be part of that legend suit. Master Chief Hone and your family, congratulations. Richly deserved. You're clearly a terrific leader. The fleet looks forward to having you out there. I'm excited for you, but we wanna thank you for volunteering to continue to serve, to continue to serve this great Navy and the great nation. So congratulations, we're proud of you. So I'll offer my welcome to all the distinguished guests, especially the former Mick Ponds in the office or in the audience today. I've met many of you in the past, proud to have been served alongside of many of you. And it speaks volumes that you're here to honor both Russ and Master Chief Hone. Can you imagine a better place or time to be here? This week, we started, the Navy started, kicked off its next season of Chief's initiation. A plebe class has arrived on the grounds of this wonderful institution. I don't think that there's a better opportunity to reflect on this Chief's legacy or the Chief's principal role as a teacher. My dad, who was a teacher for 50 years, once said, great teachers accomplish wonders beyond comprehension. They lift hearts and spirits, they hold us to the highest standards. And now more than 4,500 Chief selects in the fleet are going through the process of learning to how to become even a better teacher. And I would imagine with this class of plebes that have just arrived on the yard, ask the Chief takes on special meaning. 17 years ago, after an arduous year of sharing a home room with then Commander Mike Gilday at National War College, I found myself in a Pentagon when a new young, very young, very young looking Master Chief Smith showed up in my office to say, introduce himself and say, sir, we've got a ship of war reporting to us here in the Pentagon and she's in trouble. The crew needs our help. We need to fly to Boston very soon and go visit. Crew was struggling. The next week as I sat there in Reagan National Airport awaiting the bus out to the American Airlines trip to Boston, I was stunned when Master Chief Smith showed up. He was in shorts, PT gear. Here I am traveling in a suit for all practical purposes, a uniform, wondering what happened. But I was stunned not at the fact that he wore the shorts, but at what came below the shorts. Gigantic calfs. I had never seen anything like it. I thought somehow his growth spurts stopped and his calves get grown. Russ across broke the awkwardness of the moment and in true fashion demonstrated his humility and his great sense of humor and made what was arguably a perfect stranger very comfortable. I knew then, I knew then that we were gonna go along just great. And it's been a lifelong 17 year journey since that first meeting. That trip taught me a lot about Master Chief Smith. He's a smart, articulate, fun, intuitive, a leader who relished opportunities to teach and to learn. He was also a gadget guy. He was the modern day, Mr. Gadget. Anybody who knows him, he knows he's got about 16 Apple iPhones, iPads, watches, and a whole host of things. The true IS in him comes out here, as you might imagine. I'm not sure who he's monitoring, but somebody's monitoring him. But the most important trait that I learned on that very first trip was the size of his heart for sailors, which became a theme for him during his tenure as mick bond. Now I wanna quote, I would like to quote our beloved Captain Wayne Hughes, who we lost the past year, who once opined in a paraphrase. The abiding value of leadership, morale, training, physical and mental conditioning, willpower, and endurance are the most important elements of warfare. And the first cornerstone of naval warfare is that sailors matter most. No one, no one understood this better than Russ Smith. By virtue of his vast experiences at sea, and his absolute faith in the goodness of young women and men who sign on to serve their country. It would have been easy to see that he would be destined to be a command master chief of a destroyer, the command master chief at dis-institution, the command, or the fleet master chief at N1 before becoming mick bond 15. Here at the Academy, master chief Smith accelerated the role of the senior enlisted advisors. CNO and I were talking right before the ceremony and said, you know, we were meds, there were no senior enlisted here. It's why I saluted my first master chief in the fleet because I didn't know any better. I was supposed to be funny, master chief. It wasn't so funny to me when he grabbed me by the ear and pulled me in the ex-o's office, I will tell you that. But Russ taught how to build a team here by finding different people to carry and convey the same messages so everyone could share in the contributions and the ideas across the board. And today, that team has the very good fortune of living vicariously through your midshipmen who have blossomed into the fleet as Marine Corps officers and naval officers. It's what any good chief would want. At N1, he traversed the globe with Admiral Bob Burke, usually in the cattle car section wedged between the two largest human beings that could walk in and sit down next to him. In over three years, the tens of thousands of all hands calls, the nature of which all these former mcponds fully understand and appreciate, he would use movies and music to connect with generations of sailors. If you know Russ, he knows every line of every movie that anybody ever created. And he's got a playlist of songs that go from the most recent to well beyond my generation. And he can quote those as well. And he connects in that way, in a way that I think most sailors just really have come to appreciate. At that all hands call, we started to explain policy where it was easy. This is an all hands call on a big deck amphib that had just failed a recent inspection. And a brand new CO was on board. And they were getting ready for deployment. We thought we were there to give the crew a lift when we were dead wrong. The CO and the triad were extraordinary. And the crew was motivated to restore excellence and show everyone they were ready to go into the fight. Leadership matters too. But when we got to that all hands call, we started talking about policy and process and metrics. And Russ quickly picked up, grabbed the mic because he knew that in order to really get sailors to listen, you gotta make them feel what you're thinking. Not try to make them understand what you're saying. And he was magnificent to death. The crew was focused on war fighting, right where they needed to be. We spent over two hours in that setting. We didn't want to leave. The atmosphere was electric. And I was not quite ready for the CO when he stepped in and said, sir, we got to get the crew back to work. And I looked up and I saw a long line forming in front of Russ Smith back then. It spoke volumes about the fact that they all wanted to shake his hand and take a photo with him. And it was also reassuring to me that we had found another master chief like April Beldo who was ready to step in and say, at any moment, shipmates, what the admiral meant to say? That never happens. Let me flash forward to years later and not too many months back. Russ and I got together for dinner along with another close friend. It was a chance for him to reflect. The opportunity for me to understand much more about Russ Smith, the man, the brother, son, the grandson. I learned that his heritage was six deep in Boson's mates, McPon Honey, six deep. And his grandfather was his hero. And if any of you remember, Russ liked to post stuff on social media. He posted a picture of his grandfather with a sport and a wonderful beard in uniform. That posting would come to haunt him. But what really came through that night at having dinner was that his family is, always has been, and probably will be for the rest of his life, the Navy. To borrow the phrase, saltwater poured out of him that evening. And the real Russ Smith came into full view for me. His endless well of compassion for sailors and families had seemingly taken its toll that evening. I realized that night just how much, just how much we've always asked the moon of our Master Chief Pet Officers of the Navy to lead the mess, to inspire and tougher younger troops, to mentor midshipmen to senior flag officers, at their best to represent the long blue line of Congress and remind the nation of what a great Navy is capable of. At their most trying to support the E-Rings' machinations, to place a stamp of authenticity on its latest endeavors. Straddling the fleet in Washington with no greater chasm in between, no more important connections for the institution they love. And impossible, impossible to make both feet land perfectly. Few could bring this audience together like Russell L. Smith today. How did we create this position? And Sino, thank you for reading that quote from Admiral Zoomwald. It was meaningful. I wanna put a little more context for Russ's role in that. We did not put a lot of scaffolding in place to support the McBon and the demanding expectations that were placed on that position. Expecting the needs and desires to be filled from Washington while counting on decisive leadership in common sense to be filled by the fleet. To be responsive to short term goals but never lose sight of the Navy's mission. The past several years went well beyond even these lofty expectations. I don't have to tell this crowd what it's been like for the last few years with situations we hadn't experienced in the early a century. A pandemic while trying to keep the fleet operating. I think they did a magnificent job meeting the mission. I think Sino would agree and he spoke to this that Russ Smith met the moment. He met those expectations every time. He did bridge. He did warn. He did honor our best. Not always two unanimous applause but did we really want a master chief who made everyone happy? Do we always want a chief's mess that makes us always happy? I don't think so. The senior enlisted shouldering the continuity of an entire institution plays an important role in making militaries formidable and we should never wish our adversaries that advantage. What is more powerful than a leading chief and a division officer on the same page locked arm in arm? Especially if the officer has earned the trust of that chief. What so many of us lucky folks up here on stage and in this audience and around the fleet will always cherish is not the trust from master chief, Smith, but the faith that he had in all of us and the special confidence only he could give to make the kind of change that matters most. For that trust we can never thank him enough for it was never always and completely earned. And if we were honest with ourselves as we became more senior no matter how much we thought we knew the more we invited Russ Smith in the more we involved the mess and the better we all became. Russ taught us where we were headed all along since the days of the late Del Black and through his patience, wisdom and love allowed many of us to fully understand that sailors matter most. There's nothing more American than to be raised by loved ones to understand the worth of serving a higher purpose. No prid, no quid pro quo, simply the honor to serve and have proven worthy the opportunity to lead. Master Chief Smith, McPon 15. The Navy is infinitely stronger for your legacy of teaching and servant leadership. You have postured shipmates, shipmates here, shipmates in the fleet for whatever fight comes their way. So as you go ashore to another team, set sail with fair winds and falling seas and once again find meaning and purpose in your life. We are all, all of us, forever your shipmates and friends, personally and professionally blessed to have served alongside of you. You will be missed and we love you, thank you. Admiral Moran, incredible message, thank you. Admiral Gilday will now present McPon Smith's end of tour award, Master Chief Smith, front and center. Attention to award, the President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Medal to Master Chief Peddioser of the Navy, Russell L. Smith, United States Navy for exceptionally meritorious service to the United States and a duty of great responsibility as Master Chief Peddioser of the Navy from August, 2018 to September, 2022. Master Chief Peddioser of the Navy, Smith exhibited inspirational leadership as he advanced the diverse interest of all Navy stakeholders and the combat readiness of a globally distributed fleet. He effectively articulated evolving policy issues and conveyed sailors' myriad concerns to the senior most military and civilian officials for consideration and provided objective perspectives that were crucial in balancing strategic imperatives and tactical realities. His comprehension of issues affecting the fleet, extensive experience and collaborative agility enabled him to cut through bureaucracy and influence decisional outcomes. His superior performance and duties culminated his 34 years of honorable and dedicated military service. Master Chief Peddioser of the Navy's distinctive accomplishments, exemplary leadership and deep devotion to duty reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. Signed for the President, the honorable Carlos del Toro, Secretary of the Navy. Yes, please be seated and please note various awards, gifts, and letters Mick Pawn Smith has received will be displayed immediately after the ceremony. Shadow boxes. Shadow boxes are born of an ancient naval tradition still practiced today, both in the militaries of the world and throughout civilian life. According to some accounts of naval history and tradition, when a sailor retires and is departing the ship for the last time, it is considered bad luck for the sailor's shadow to touch land before he does. Thus, the sailor's shipmates would construct a sturdy box handcrafted of the finest materials in which to display mementos of the sailor's accomplishments and years of service and thereby symbolically creating a shadow of that sailor. The box protects and contains the sailor's shadow until he is safely ashore at which time the shadow box can be given to the sailor in a presentation ceremony similar to today. Mick Pawn Smith's shadow box is rich with naval history. Included inside lays his grandfather's boson pipe, representing a legacy of valiant and faithful naval service as well as of the national flag flown at each of his previous duty stations. Master Chief Tim Taylor and Chief Will Ladner are honored to present your shadow box made by the Chief's mess. Okay, Russ, you knew this was gonna come. It's my turn and I will keep it brief. We've known each other since October 1993 as we both were nuclear weapons technicians converting to intelligence specialists. I have to tell you, we started off as colleagues, then we became friends, and now we are family. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate that because you see, Uncle Rusty spent a lot of time with my three children teaching my daughter, who's now 32, how to box in Williamsburg and then encouraging her to come box and try to hit me in the stomach. Unfortunately, that was a little too high for her. And then there was some wrestling. You see, I had two boys as well. But if you ever try to wrestle this man, just realize you likely will lose, okay? So he would hold me down so that my boys can do body slams on their father. Bottom line, Russ, you were always there to lend an ear and give advice. And I have to say, sir, many of these gadgets that this man would buy because he loved his little gadgets. Most of you know this. It's gotta be small, it's gotta be powerful. But when he exhausted and finished using them, they usually came to this band right here. The one who was too cheap to buy his own. Russ, from one nuclear weapons technician, former, and now retired, to another, still active duty, I can assure you there's one other out there, but bottom line, we both wish you fair wins in following seas and look forward to welcoming you into San Diego. I love you, brother. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, the 15th Master Chief, Penny House of the Navy, Mcpaw Russell Smith.