 Welcome to All Hands Update. Here's what's happening around your Navy. Vice President Michael Pence administered the oath of office to the new Secretary of Defense, retired Marine Corps General James Mattis, January 20th. Congress passed a waiver for the retired four-star general to serve in the position. Law requires former service members to be out of uniform for at least seven years. General Mattis retired from the Marine Corps in 2013. Mattis is the first retired general officer to hold the position as General of the Army George Marshall in the early 1950s. Nearly 6,000 sailors attached to the George H.W. Bush carrier strike group departed Norfolk and Mayport, Florida, January 21st for a regularly scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and forward naval presence in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. You can read more about what's happening around your Navy at Navy.mil.