 Today's anniversary ceremony marks the 75th anniversary of recruit training here at Cape May. Presiding over today's ceremony is Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Mr. John Teen. He'll be joined by Admiral Steve Pullin, the 33rd Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, and Master Chief Petty Officer Heath Jones, the 14th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, and Captain Warren Judge, Commanding Officer Training Center, Cape May. We also have many distinguished visitors joining us today, including Deputy Mayor Lorraine Baldwin from the city of Cape May. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. State Mechanical Commissioners, Brigadier General Jeffrey Pearson, retired, and Mr. Will Morey, Mayor Frank Sipple, Mayor of Lower Township, and a retired Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army, Mayor William Pekoski, Office of the Mayor, Borough of Woodbine, Mayor Patrick Enzonola, City of North Wildwood, Master Chief Petty Officer Saul's Deputy Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Master Chief Petty Officer Tim Beard, Reserve Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Rear Admiral Jeffrey Randall, Perspective Commanding Officer, Force Readiness Command, Rear Admiral Timothy Riker, retired, Captain Curtis Odom, retired, 26th Training Center, Cape May, Commanding Officer, Captain Kathy Felger, the 32nd Training Center, Cape May, Commanding Officer, Captain Jonathan Thiel, Commanding Officer of Sector Delaware Bay, Mr. Christopher Chin, District Director of Representative Van Drew's Office, Ms. Wendy Taylor Emerson, Regional Director for Philanthropy for District Five of the Coast Guard Foundation, Mr. Bob Montgomery Coast Guard Foundation Trustee, Ms. Marla Brown, Director of Cape May County Coast Guard Community Foundation, Mr. Mike Valls, City Manager of City of Cape May, Rebecca Parks, Regional President, USO Northeast Region, Joanne Schultz, Executive Director of USO Pennsylvania in New Jersey, Mr. Brian Laughlin, USO Philadelphia Airport Center Manager, and Ms. Caroline Schultz, Training Center, Cape May's own ombudsman. We sincerely appreciate you all joining us here today. Already joining us on the stage is Command Chaplain, Lieutenant Commander Andrew Colvin, United States Navy, and Training Center, Cape May's Command Mass Chief, Mass Chief Petty Officer Rad Hoffpauer. The Activity Reserve civilian and auxiliary men and women who make up the Coast Guard family at Training Center, Cape May are represented today by the assembled audience and guests. In a short moment on your left, the Recruit Training Regiment will be represented by the Recruit Company Uniform 203. They are in their seventh week of training and are the senior recruit company. Training Center, Cape May historically graduates approximately 3,500 Coast Guard men and women annually who are prepared to carry out Coast Guard operations and missions. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of official party, bringing our honors and playing of the national anthem. Military personnel, attention. Now, Training Center, Cape May arriving. Now, Mass Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard arriving. Now, Vice Commandant, US Coast Guard arriving. Now, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security arriving. Hand salute, ready to. Ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the national anthem and the invocation. Hand salute, ready to. Ladies and gentlemen, Chaplain Colvin will now deliver the invocation. Let us pray. Almighty God, Divine Commander of Wind and Sea, Radiant Source of Virtue and our Hope. Thank you for this memorable occasion on which we honor the proud legacy of US Coast Guard Training Center, Cape May, birthplace of the Coast Guard Enlisted Corps. As we celebrate the 75th birthday of this remarkable Training Center, we trust the near divine providence to steer her course upon the waters of abundant grace and success undeterred by the gloomy storms of darkness. May the fruits of this esteemed institution keep our nation safe and continue to give hope and deliverance to those in peril at sea. Since the establishment of the US Coast Guard Training Center, Cape May in 1948, its dedicated command and unwavering company commanders have generated the finest Coast Guardsmen in the world to thrive with the incomparable virtues of honor, respect, and devotion to duty. Bless our selfless young Americans who courageously give their lives to face and master the challenges of search and rescue, marine safety, maritime law enforcement, national defense, and marine resource protection. Bless all present and all our guardians of the sea, especially those who now stand the watch. Keep them safe, vigilant, and robust in all their duties. Forever bless our families and loved ones. May your divine light give radiance to our hearts and minds, O Lord, this day and always, as we look forward with the hopeful vision of our future. Amen. Thank you, Chaplain Colvin. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Training Center Cape May's Battalion Commander, Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Schneider will now lead the battalion as they pass in review. The battalion is now preparing to pass in review. This is a military tradition that demonstrates honor for the official party at the reviewing stand. Own command, each company will pass, perform an eyes right and salute. Training Center Cape May's recruit battalion is led by Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Schneider from Brigantine, New Jersey. He is joined by Chief Curran of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Chief Nobel of Smyrna, Tennessee. Whiskey Company is in their fifth week of training. Their lead company commander is Petty Officer Daman from Preach Street, Georgia. His assistant Petty Officer Howell and Petty Officer Lincoln Hawker. X-ray Company is in their fourth week of training. Their lead company commander is Petty Officer Caballo from Waipahu, Hawaii. His assistant are Petty Officer Cologne and Petty Officer Prioli. Victor Company is in their sixth week of training. Victor Company is also our second 10-week beta trainee. Their lead company commander is Petty Officer Kaplman from San Pedro, California. Her assistants are Petty Officer Vasquez and Petty Officer Berg. Nessar between the Atlantic Ocean and Cape May Harbor, Training Center Cape May once belonged to the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Navy and was an instrumental training area for troops during World War I and World War II. Training Center Cape May was originally named Coast Guard Receiving Center Cape May when it opened on May 31, 1948. In 1982, Training Center Cape May became the service's only recruit training center. In the late 1960s, three 500-person recruit barracks and housing facilities were constructed and named after Coast Guard heroes. Signal and First Class Douglas Monroe, the Coast Guard's only Medal of Honor recipient. Captain Joshua James of the U.S. Lifesaving Service and one of the most celebrated lifesavers in the world. And Captain Michael Healy of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, a legend along Alaska's 20,000 miles coastline. In 1974, the first group of women enlisted and reported to Cape May and mixed gender recruit training began. In the 90s, the Training Center's recruit processing building was dedicated to Petty Officer First Class Charles W. Sexton, a shipmate who sacrificed his life while attempting to save the lives of four people aboard a sinking fishing vessel. Today, the Training Center graduates approximately 3,500 new Coast Guardsmen each year and is committed to developing America's newest enlisted men and women in a manner that secures the trust and confidence of our service and families who trust us with the care of their loved ones. Our women and men also provide the highest level support to our 12 tenant commands that includes operational and support units. Training Center Cape May is the Coast Guard's sole enlisted session source and the fifth largest base in the Coast Guard. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my distinct honor to introduce Captain Warren Judge, commanding officer of Training Center Cape May and the 33rd commanding officer of Training Center Cape May. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Honor, respect, devotion to duty. With protocol already been established, Deputy Secretary Tien, Vice Commandant Admiral Poole, Mass Chief Pet Officer of the Coast Guard, guess all. I'm Captain Warren Judge and humble and honored to be your 33rd commanding officer of Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, New Jersey. I'm grateful of the trust with the CommonOp, ForceCom and the Coast Guard has put in my abilities to lead this prestigious command. This only happens with the outstanding team we have surrounding each other. With that being said, please join me in a round of applause for the entire staff here at Training Center Cape May. From the beginning of the Cold War in 1948 through today, a large number of Training Center Cape May recruits have been present to help shape the big rock world with the U.S. events, armed conflicts such as Vietnam and Gulf Wars, hurricanes such as Hurricane Katrina, major oil spills such as Exxon Valdez, humanitarian efforts such as the Mario boat lift and migrant rescues, as well as search and rescue and counter drug operations. For the past seven and five years, just about every Tuesday evening, I know some of you in the audience are thinking about what was my Tuesday? A group of volunteers start their voyage to the land of being called a coastie. The potential recruits get off the bus filled with the butterflies, anxiety and nervousness. They immediately take on the task of not only knowing but learning the values of the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard's core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty. Eight weeks later, the recruits are crossing the stage filled with confidence, motivation and dedication that Training Center Cape May and the company commanders have taught them. I remember the day I graduated from bootcamp in 1986. Damage control and chief Evans gave me that look saying, hey, recruit judge, now semen judge or semen apprentice. Go out, have fun and do what you have been taught. Going to my first cutter as a mess cook, understanding and learning and growing and maturing is all phenomenal. And this is what we are teaching the recruits are today, the value of the Coast Guard. While preparing for this anniversary event, I pondered the impact of Training Center Cape May through the past 75 years and came up with three key areas. The first impact is on our greatest resource, our people. Unfortunately, I'm unable to give you the exact number of Coast Guard women and men that have graduated from Training Center Cape May since 1948. But what I can tell you, every one of us has graduated with this regiment, carries a special place in our hearts for what we have learned. Many have gone on to expand their Coast Guard families with wives, husbands, sons, daughters and pets. This is what makes the Coast Guard our Coast Guard. The advances we make today with our diversity, equity and inclusion to display a military service where everyone's treated equal will have it will have a lasting impact on the next 75 years. Number two, the second impact is our facility. If you look around, you will see few buildings on base. They have been around for the past 75 years. Heck, the duration of the land's existence. Today, we are building a better infrastructure for tomorrow. The third impact is in the community. With the jobs for some of our permanent party loved ones, significant others, being a part of a welcoming community through volunteerism economically by shopping local. I would like to end here. Like I do with all my all hands. When I say one mission, the response is one Coast Guard. All right, audience, we ready? One mission, one mission, one mission. Thank you. Simple Baratus. It is now my distinct pleasure to introduce our 14th Master Chief Pet Officer of the Coast Guard, Master Chief Heath Jones. How y'all doing this afternoon? Everybody good? So the last time I was on stage with Captain Judge, he made me and the Commandant do push-ups, but that was before lunch. So I'm trusting, you know, everybody's safe in the front row from my buttons right now. So don't worry about that. Now, it is great to be here in Cape May as Captain Judge and his team here have have harnessed. It's great to be home in Cape May. Every enlisted member of our organization starts their career right here in Cape May, New Jersey. You know, I got to tell you, it's a, as myself and the Deputy McPaw and the Master Chief of the Reserve, you know, talk, it's a selfish thing sometimes for us to come to Cape May because it recharges me. It keeps us fired up and I'm going to, by every time I come here and I see these sentinels march in front of us through the passing review, I think of, and I've turned them as the Coast Guard's greatest poet in history, Admiral Charlie Ray. And when you watch these folks go by, and his word is, if that don't make you want to run through hell with gasoline, drawers own nothing will. You know, so sorry, I told you I was going to say that, sir. But that's, that's what these young women and men do. They charge us, they are the future of our organization and we are committed to ensuring that they have everything they need in their professional lives and their personal lives to succeed as they go out and do the amazing missions of the Coast Guard. Mr. Deputy Secretary, I know we were talking about the weather we call you, you mentioned in the Army, it's if it ain't raining ain't training. We just call this beautiful Coast Guard weather. So thank you, Cape May, for, for giving us this great day. And you know, what what our goal is what I'm committed to what the Vice Commandants committed to and the Commandants committed to is we have beyond the shadow of a doubt the most world class staff and team here at Training Center, Cape May, they are the greatest in the world at what they do. We also, as you can see over to your left and behind you, we are bringing the greatest women and men and our nation in to be part of our world class Coast Guard. As Captain Judge mentioned the infrastructure, we are committed to ensuring that we have the world class facilities that we need here to continue to train our sentinels of tomorrow. So that's that's what we're rolling up our sleeves and getting after there. And I will tell you a couple of folks that aren't here that I that I promised I would pass on their condolences. Right before we came out, I got a text from Admiral Fagan and she goes, I'm not happy. And I text her back why ma'am? She goes, I want to be where y'all are. And sorry ma'am, not sorry, but she does really, really want to be here. I promise you that she's doing other important business. And the other is our ombudsman at large, I'm a little partial to my wife. Carol's been traveling for her work. So just couldn't make this out. But she wanted to pass along and say thank you very much for everything you do. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention this front row right here. This is like the New York Yankees murderers row as I'm looking around here. I'm looking all these great Master Chiefs of the present. One of the past a dear friend of ours, Bill Hollingsworth, always great to see you here, my friend. Thank you for being so much a part of Cape Mag. And with that, I have the honor of bringing on the stage our 33rd Vice Commandant and someone that we go back a long time in our career together back to Captain Pullen and Senior Chief Jones days back on the Gulf Coast. But it's my privilege to introduce our 33rd Vice Commandant, Admiral Steve Pullen. Thanks, Master Chief and Captain Judge. Thanks for letting me come down here and spend some time with you. It's great to be here. What a great afternoon and good afternoon to everybody. Chaplain, thanks for setting a great tone. Bringing us this great nautical weather wouldn't be a 75th anniversary celebration, as Mckpock said, without some great nautical weather. And it's great to see so many distinguished guests here, our elected officials, our flag officers, our senior list of leaders, those that have walked through the gates of Cape May, and those that have supported others who have walked through the gates of Cape May. So I'm just absolutely thrilled to be here to celebrate the 75th anniversary at the home of the Coast Guard's Enlisted Workforce. And I tell you what, you know, I get to do a lot of cool things. This is one of the coolest things I get to do is spend time with young Coast Guard men and women and see the excellence each and every day that represents our service. And I'll tell you what, to all the recruits that are out there in formation, to the company commanders, to the staff, you guys look sharp. I'm proud of you, common arms proud of you, and we're proud to serve with you. And you guys have an exciting future ahead. And this is one of the most meaningful and special places for our service. And what we do here in Cape May will always be critical to our success demand for Coast Guard missions at home and abroad are expanding. The world is complex. And we provide a unique contribution to the rules based order. It continues to grow. And I've seen that throughout the course of my career. And after these recruits complete their training, they're going to report to operational units. And at units that have been in no greater demand, never busier and never more critical than they are today. Our cutters and our training teams are deployed throughout the Indo Pacific. They're supporting partner nations and allies to uphold that rules based order that I mentioned, to protect natural resources, to ensure the oceans remain free and open for all. They're in the Caribbean, in the Straits of Florida, our cutter and our air and our boat crews protect the safety of life at sea in response to the ongoing surge in a regular maritime migration. And the Eastern Pacific, our sentinels keep America safe by interdicting illegal narcotics before they can reach our shores and infect our communities. And our ports and our inland rivers, our AIDS navigation teams and our buoy tenders maintain the marine transportation system to keep our nation's economic engine running at full speed. And I will tell you, the marine transportation system contributes $5.4 trillion annually to America's prosperity. Along every US coast, from the Arctic to the tropics, our crews are always ready to save lives when disaster strikes. These missions are challenging, but for 75 years, our enlisted workforce has prepared to accomplish all of them through their training here at Cape May. Our sentinels have learned the basics of their profession here. They've endured the heat of summer, the cold of winter and the high energy attention of their company commanders. And I will tell you what, I'm going to pick up on something Mass Chief Jones said. He quoted Charlie Ray. I'm going to quote another person from Arkansas. If you're not inspired by today, and it doesn't burn a fire in your belly, your woods wet. To the recruits here today, each of you, you can be proud to be on this parade field, marching in the footsteps of the thousands who came before you. And thanks to the diligence and the professionalism of the training staff here and with the support of local Cape May community, you're going to complete your training and you're going to go on to conduct Coast Guard missions around the world. And as I said, the Commandant and I are so grateful for you and we're so proud to serve with you. And there is no limit to what you can achieve in our service. Some of you could even return here one day as company commanders to carry on the tradition of excellence that you see. But whatever your Coast Guard journey is, there's never been a better and more exciting time to serve in our Coast Guard. Look at some point, you may even find yourself as a senior leader in the Department of Homeland Security. Just like our Deputy Secretary John Tien. He, like you, started his federal service and the Armed Forces and he served a career as an Army officer. He started out much like you are today, being challenged to perform by his command cadre at West Point during that six week basic training program. When you first report, it's called Beast Barracks. It's a summer training program. Now, Mr. Deputy Secretary, that's only six weeks. This is eight weeks. So I'm not sure who had it worse. Here's my point. The leadership lessons and the sense of service instilled in these first weeks of military training are common to any branch and lay a foundation for a lifetime of service to our nation. So I am so proud and honored to introduce Deputy Secretary Chen. He's a true advocate for the Coast Guard who ensures that as the only military service in the Department of Homeland Security, we will continue to make our greatest contributions to the nation's security and economic prosperity and be a vital part of the Joint Force. We are indeed blessed to have him as our Deputy Service Secretary. So, ladies and gentlemen, it is an immense honor for me to welcome to this podium Deputy Secretary John Tian. Thank you. Admiral Pollan, thanks very much for that introduction. You're right. West Point Beast Barracks is only six weeks. And so that tells me, and my Chief of Staff is out here, and so she's my administrative person who authorizes my travel. It looks like I need to come back to Camp May Training Center and do an additional two weeks uniform. 203, you only have eight more days. I eat lunch with you. I know that so it won't be with you. So I think I need to come back with probably Victor X-ray Company and come back with you. So Captain Warren Judge and Master Chief Petty Officer Rad Huffpar. I look for me in about one week's time. I'll come back and I'll complete my full eight weeks of training. Yeah, Roger that. He says he's sizing me out. Although I think I'm going to have to have a slightly bigger bow size than you. You look pretty lean there, Captain Judge. You know, it is good to travel with Admiral Pollan. Number one, he always brings some kind of aircraft that I can tag along on. Number two, he brings great travel mates like the McPog Heath Jones. But also it means that I don't have to stand up here and be the oldest guy on stage because he graduated from the Air Force, or I'm sorry from the Coast Guard Academy in 1904. I graduated from West Point in 1987. But if you do that math, if you do that math Admiral Pollan and for myself, that's still 36, 39 years. We're only literally 50 percent of the age of the Cape May Training Center. That is remarkable. It's remarkable because it is said that the Coast Guard and eventually the Department of Homeland Security have remained committed not only to the Coast Guard mission, but committed to this mission that is so incredibly important to the United States Coast Guard, to the Department of Homeland Security, and to the United States of America. And the only way we could do that is A, with the Coast Guard support, DHS support, federal government support, the nation support, but also the community support of Cape May. Now I've been told there's a couple folks here who I'd like to acknowledge. I haven't met you yet, but I look forward to meeting you at the reception. I've heard that Deputy Mayor Lorraine Brown is here, so thank you. Cape May County Commissioners for General Retired Jeffrey Pearson is here, Mr. Will Morey, another Commissioners here, as well as somebody who's very special to the Coast Guard, and particularly to Cape May, Ms. Marla Brown, who's a Cape May County community foundation leader, and it was really her and her leadership, my understanding, is that helped Cape May become a true Coast Guard town. I love on the Force Com, on the US Coast Guard.mil website, when you open it up and it says Cape May, the hometown of the Coast Guard, the hometown of the Coast Guard, and I was reminded of that when I got off the airplane, Captain Judge, for a second he paused, he wanted to say hello to all those folks in the blue suits, and I could tell him that to give his tongue, he wanted to say welcome home to me, but I'd never been here. I'm not a coastee, I haven't yet not yet finished my training here at Cape May, so the next time I get off the plane, then you can say to me Warren, welcome home, but the only way we can say that is because of the community support from all of you in this audience, who are in this city, who are in this county, or who are in this town, and folks to include, and not just a count, not just the city, not just the county, but from the federal government. I know we also have a representative here today, a former Marine, or a Marine who comes from Congressman Vanjure's office, thank you to all of you who support the Coast Guard, and in particular Cape May Training Center here. You have made Cape May the hometown of the Coast Guard, and as Mick Pog said, as we rolled on the post, and I could tell, I mean he was getting goosebumps as we rolled on the post, he said sir, this is the birthplace of the Coast Guard Enlisted Corps, and he said it was such pride, and the fact that he could say it with pride, but he could say with pride over a long period of time. Now Mick Pog, you're a little bit younger than us, than me and Admiral Polin, but you've been saying it since the mid-1990s, and so we really do appreciate your leadership. Now over the last, I know Captain Judge is a 1986 graduate of Cape May, and when I took over as the Deputy Secretary, one of the great honors you have to be the Deputy Service Secretary of the U.S. Coast Guard, is you get a chance to have two military aides, two military assistants come and basically support you across a whole breadth of responsibilities, and I thought about it, saying you know I went through a bunch of interview processes, I said sir you can pick across you know the wide breadth of the thousands of Coast Guard officers, O4s, Lieutenant Commanders, you know what's the profile you're looking for, and I said I think what I'm going to meet a lot of Coast Guard officers, I'm going to have you know at that point in time it was Admiral Carl Schultz obviously, and then eventually now very proud of her Admiral Linda Fagan as the comment out, she was then the vice comment on the comment on Admiral Pullin, and I went on some travel very early, and I said but still the admiral's are super important, the officers are super important, but for goodness sake the Coast Guard is represented by 80 percent of the Coast Guard is represented by the enlisted. I know I can't have as my military aides because it's the rank and billet and needs to be lieutenant commander, but I said is there a way for me to understand the Coast Guard through the enlisted aides perhaps through somebody's gone through OCS, so my profile, my threshold was to select two officers who had gone through Cape May, one is here in the audience today, the other one they're on rotation, the first one is a lieutenant commander Bobby Lapult, he's a graduate and this is going to make him old, thank goodness he's not here, doesn't look this old but graduated in 1997 and then went on to be a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. The second one who is here today is Lieutenant Commander Brandon Earhart, who went through here after having served in Iraq, the same time I was in Iraq in the 2005 as a Marine and then came here as prior service and then went on to eventually become, go through OCS and become a commission officer and as part of the boat forces now. I asked them as we are planning to come up here, it's actually been a couple months in the making, I said tell me what's special about Cape May and they went through and they said look sir it's the birthplace of the enlisted corps of the United States Coast Guard but for us what it taught us was that the team comes first, that you must have a mentality that the reason you're on the boat, the reason you are standing watch, the reason that you are on Inland River is that you are there to serve and support the American people and that somewhere at some time no matter what the weather is we need to be there and I thought wow Cape May taught you that, we are so fortunate that those two decided to join the Coast Guard, that those two came through Cape May and that those two are going to be joined soon by all of these different companies who are standing before us today within this battalion. We're fortunate that they came through the birthplace of the US Coast Guard enlisted corps. Now, Admiral Pollan was talking about all of the different missions of the Coast Guard. He is absolutely right, he certainly knows it as the Vice Commandant, as someone who's been in service a little bit longer than me, in service for quite a few years and when he was touching on those different missions they really are the missions very representative of and certainly inclusive of the missions of the Department of Homeland Security. The overall mission of the Department of Homeland Security is that with honor integrity we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values. With honor and integrity we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values. When I came in here two years ago after being confirmed by the US Senate I said I need to walk in the steps of all of those who serve in the Department of Homeland Security. Coast Guard's a super important part, it's one of eight big components, and I thought I'm going to start with the Coast Guard. I am their service secretary, I need to see and understand all of the different things that they do. I've not been in the Coast Guard, I've never been in the Coast Guard, but I've only been with the Coast Guard for two years. I thought I'd better get on the accelerated track, and so I did. In Seattle I went and stood on the deck and understood the mission of the icebreaker Keely. Super important to our overall Department of Homeland Security mission up in the Arctic to keep it the kind of area of operations part of the world where we'll have freedom of navigation and making sure that the economic viability of that very important part of the world remains so. Then I went down to Port of L.A. Long Beach where I met with the marine inspectors to make sure that the free flow of trade continued especially from the important eastern part of the world. And I went to San Diego where I got on a UH 60 Jayhawk and flew the trace of the southwest border where the cartels especially the Sinaloa cartel means to do harm to us who have nefarious intent to bring to traffic human beings in particular synthetic opioids like fentanyl across the border. Then I came across the nation. I'm not in all the stops but these big ones. I went to the Ohio Valley sector and stood on the Louisville on the Ohio River and spoke to those who manned the buoy tenders to make sure that that commercial progress and process remain part of the 5.3 trillion dollars that the vice just spoke about. I went down to Miami more than a few times but definitely went afloat with the US Coast Guard Bernard C. Weber who will have an incredibly difficult mission both in terms of counter human smuggling and again in terms of counter narcotics. I had the great privilege of going to Fort Meade, Maryland which is the home of US Cyber Command and the National Security Agency where I met with Coasties who were standing the watch as cybersecurity officials to make sure that the maritime transportation system is secure against the cyber attacks from the likes of Iran, Russia, North Korean China both state and non-state actors. In every one of these places they told me about all of the different stories about how they are serving how they are serving the Coast Guard mission and how they are serving the Department of Homeland Security mission and how they are serving the United States of America. When I came here today I'd never met a recruit who somebody was in holding you know wearing the hat that says recruit on it as I look to the left and to the right and as you did the pass and review but I've had a chance over the last six hours to spend the day with some of you to see the training to see the seamanship training facility over there at the Bernard C Webber building to see you in formation to eat lunch with some of you especially in uniform 203 recruit company. My question to all of you who are standing in formation they're at ease and over here to the right to the senior company uniform 203 what will your stories be what will your stories be for wherever you're going and again at lunch some of you told me you're going to South Carolina some of you're going to St. Louis some of you are going to Key West and into Alaska what will your stories be now the other question I have for you is the question I continue to see in every single hall that I've been walking across with Captain Judge and Master Chief Petty Officer Hoffpar which is are you ready I know you are ready based on what the Master Chiefs has been telling us what the Admiral been telling us and what I've seen with my own eyes both here today and out in the Coast Guard fleet you are absolutely ready to stand to watch you are absolutely ready to be helping safeguarding the American people our homeland and our values and for that for you to become sentinels in the United States Coast Guard the Secretary of the Homeland Security and myself we appreciate you and we thank you thanks thank you Mr. Deputy Secretary Secretary ladies and gentlemen it's now my pleasure to introduce Deputy Mayor Lorraine Baldwin who will offer a few words good afternoon everyone both myself Lorraine Baldwin the Deputy Mayor of Cape May and Zachary Molock the Mayor of Cape May welcome you to Cape May I'm honored to be present with you today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of recruit training here at the training center of Cape May the Coast Guard service members and their families are invaluable to the city of Cape May and I am proud that Cape May is known to be the Coast Guard's hometown it is my privilege to present this proclamation on behalf of Mayor Molock and the city of Cape May and if Captain Judge would come up and you'll read the proclamation and also we're asking Seaman Newman please report to the stage he was not ready for that just so y'all know proclamation recognizing the 75th anniversary of recruit training at United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May whereas United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May formally known as Recruit Receiving Center Cape May officially opened in 1948 and whereas in 1982 Training Center Cape May became the sole accession point for the entire enlisted workforce and whereas the city of Cape May acknowledges the caliber of the service members that Training Center Cape May graduates annually from the Recruit Training Center program and whereas the city of Cape May is proud to be the birthplace of the Coast Guard enlisted corps and the Coast Guard's unofficial hometown and whereas the city of Cape May values its relationship with the Training Center Cape May leadership and the Coast Guard service members that take pride in Cape May County's designation as a Coast Guard community now therefore I Zachary and Mullick Mayor of the city of Cape May New Jersey call on all residents and visitors of Cape May to celebrate the 75th anniversary of recruit training at Training Center Cape May and thank all active duty veteran and fallen members of the United States Coast Guard for their service in witness thereof I have here on two set my hand and it calls the seal of the city of Cape May to be affixed this eighth day of June 2023 thank you Deputy Mayor Baldwin Ladies and gentlemen Deputy Secretary Tian Admiral Poulin Master Chief Jones and Captain Judge will now unveil Training Center Cape May's 75th logo and pose for an official picture the diamond on the logo is recognition of the 75th anniversary as a traditional gift for a 75th anniversary on both sides of the logo are the years Training Center Cape May has been training recruits 1948 to 2023 the slogan brilliant at the basics since 1948 is a nod to the diamond anniversary while acknowledging the years of basic training that has been conducted at Training Center Cape May Ladies and gentlemen Captain Judge would now like to show his appreciation to the official party we'll start with Mr Deputy Secretary the recognition states thank you DHS Deputy Secretary John Tian Admiral Steve Poulin and Master Chief Heath Jones respectively in joining Training Center Cape May and honoring our 75 years of distinguished recruit training dated June 8th 2023 Ladies and gentlemen please rise for the playing of Semper Paratus Ladies and gentlemen please remain standing for the departure of the official party now Deputy Secretary Homeland Security departing and salute ready to now Vice Commandant U.S. Coast Guard departing now Master Chief Petty Officer Coast Guard departing now Training Center Cape May departing Ladies and gentlemen this concludes today's ceremony