 Good morning. I'm Commander Jessica Woody, Director of Officer Development School. On behalf of the Commanding Officer of Officer Training Command Newport, welcome to the graduation ceremony for Officer Development School Class 23050, consisting of 145 officers. Military guests in uniform, this will be a covered ceremony. The order of events for this morning's ceremony are as follows. Captain Everett Alcorn, Commanding Officer, Officer Training Command Newport, and Rear Admiral Matthew Case, Commander, Navy Medical Forces Atlantic, and Director of the Medical Service Corps will arrive. The guests and class will rise for the arrival of the official party and remain standing for the playing of the National Anthem and the invocation. Captain Alcorn and Rear Admiral Case will then address the graduating class. Following their remarks, they will distribute the class awards and graduates will symbolize the completion of their training by returning their respective company guidance to their class chief petty officers. The class will then reaffirm the oath of office and will remain standing for the playing of the service songs and the final dismissal. Please rise for the arrival of the official party and remain standing for the National Anthem and the invocation. Officer Training Command Newport arriving. Naval Medical Forces Atlantic arriving. Ladies and gentlemen, our National Anthem. Let us pray. O Heavenly King, the Comforter in Spirit of Truth, who art in all places and fills all things, treasury of good things and giver of life, we give you thanks for this day of celebration. We are thankful for the life that you have given us, the parents who have loved and nourished us, and the numerous friends and family members who have encouraged us on the journey of life and helped each one to arrive at this hour. We give thanks for the dedicated staff here at Officer Training Command who helped develop each one of these sailors into our newest naval officers. Vice Admiral Stockdale wrote, character is probably more important than knowledge. We ask that you give each one of these officers the courage to be leaders of impeccable character, models of integrity and give them the strength they will need to weather the rough seas of leadership. May they hold themselves accountable each day, staying true to the values that guide them. Today they follow in the wake of the greatest naval leaders of history, selfless men and women of character who fought for the freedoms that make our country great. May they continue to carry on that legacy as they head to the fleet. Be with us today and forever. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Everett Alcorn, commanding officer, Officer Training Command Newport. Admiral Cate, Captain Stevens, Captain McLaughlin, Colonel Bender, distinguished visitors, veterans, Officer Training Command staff, family and friends joining us today and shipmates of Officer Development School Class 23050. Good morning. Good morning, sir. It is an absolute honor for me to have this opportunity to welcome this class into one of the most prestigious and challenging, rewarding careers of our nation, that of a naval officer. Today we will bear witness as 145 officers renew a solemn promise to our nation, reaffirming their oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. For the families joining us, I want to both thank you and commend you for the performance of your sons and daughters, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends. Your love, support and encouragement have produced the quality individuals seated here, ones that not only chose vocations that helped their fellow human being, but who chose a path of service to help their fellow citizens. I can think of no finer group to go forth in the fleet than the officers seated here today. They could not have gotten to this point without careful guidance and support of family and on behalf of the Navy and a grateful nation, please accept my most sincere thank you. To the class, I am proud of you, all that you've accomplished while you're here. As you depart for schools and duty stations, know that you're about to be placed in a position to lead and mentor what are truly one of our most valuable national products, the enlisted men and women of our Navy. The foundations we've laid for you here at ODS are solid. It is now up to you to build upon this as you enter the naval service. I'm very impressed with the effort you have expended over the last several weeks, and I want to thank you for all that you have done and will do in the service of this great nation of ours. It is my pleasure and distinct honor to welcome you to the Wardroom as professional naval officers in the world's finest Navy. It is my privilege this morning to introduce you to our guest speaker, we're Admiral Matthew Case, Director of Naval Medical Service Corps, and Commander of Naval Medical Forces Atlantic. Admiral Case is a native of Nottingham, New Hampshire. He commissioned here in 1994. He served operationally with the 2nd Marine Force Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and U.S. Naval Forces Europe 6th Fleet, the Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa in Djibouti, and with the 1st Marine Logistics Group in Helven Province, Afghanistan. He served as Executive Officer of Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, and Command of Naval Hospital, Jacksonville, Florida. He's done a lot of other things, fantastic things. His bio is in the program, but he asked me to keep it short, so we'll leave it there. In June 2022, Admiral Case assumed command of Naval Medical Forces Atlantic in Portsmouth, Virginia. His leadership is essential to the continued success of the world's greatest Navy. We're fortunate to have him with us here today to share his thoughts. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our guest of honor today, Rear Admiral Matthew Case. Good morning, everybody. Good morning, sir! Thanks for the motivation. Thank you for the brief, though still a little long introduction. If you haven't done your military career, there are times you just listen and listen and listen. It's like, this was never about me. It was about being part of something great, so I appreciate not hearing about me, because it makes me think I'm old again, and I'm not. But thanks for the intro. First, I am really honored to be here today, be part of your graduation ceremony. Special welcome to all the family, friends, and loved ones who've traveled from all over the country to be here. Thank you for supporting these great officers, and welcome to our Navy family. As son of wonderful parents who are community service focused and have an amazing spouse with four amazing kids, family really is the heart of what we do. And all these officers, as they go out, they needed you to get here, and they'll continue to need your support as they serve throughout the world. So, some of the best tips for giving a good speech are the three Bs. Be brief, be brilliant, and be gone. So, I'll try for at least two of the three, okay? But as I was working on this brief, I was getting ready to prepare my remarks. I was thinking about my graduation just a few years ago from what was OIS 29 years ago in this hall. What do I remember? My two-year-old son was in the back of the room crying, and my dad was taking him outside. I remember our car was absolutely jam-packed full of stuff. I was a newlywed. I got married three days before OIS, so we had packed the car. My wife was waiting for me and the baby, and we were heading south. So, needless to say, I don't remember much about the ceremony, although I remember we didn't screw up marching in. And I checked, you guys look pretty good, too, so well done. And honestly, I couldn't remember who spoke. Who was the guest speaker? So, given that, I decided I'll keep my remarks short and just give you one thing to think about. You have places to go, and we need to let you go do that. So, here it is. One of my former CEOs had a mirror on his desk, and inscribed in words on it. It was a question, what I want to be led by me. You have all been selected and chosen to serve in the greatest, most powerful Navy that has ever existed on this earth. You wear the uniform of a naval officer, and with that you are afforded customs and curses prescribed by naval regulation. I'm sure you've heard that before in school, right? Okay? These are given to you, but know this, true leaders earn the respect of their crew. Leaders set good examples, they teach and develop, they are fair and consistent, and they know and support their crew. If you as a leader, no matter what your assignment is, you are a leader. Understand this, if you do it right, you gain your crew's respect. And likewise, when you ask yourself, would I want to be led by me, you would likely say, yes, thank you. You see 131, is that the right number? 143, congratulations, we had some additional, no, I don't know, we screwed up. 143, but two are in Texas, right? Okay, good. So 143 of you, you had many paths to get here. But ultimately, whatever path you took, your package was reviewed. And by senior officers, and you were deemed worthy of commission, and the honor to lead. You were selected for your potential, you were selected to lead our country's most precious resource, our Navy sailors. Never forget that. You've been well trained here, ODS, getting you ready to be a naval officer. Your uniforms are perfect, you've been taught what is expected of a naval officer. You have all learned that our job is to complete whatever mission is at hand. Now you go off to your first assignment, I don't care what billet you fill. You will be confronted with an ethical or emotionally charged issue or event. It'll be something you will not expect, and you were not trained for. And you'll be required to make a decision that will affect your crew. You will need to respond. What will you do? At that moment, will you be that leader who can say yes when you ask yourself what I want to be led by me? There have been many great books written about leaders facing adversity and how they respond. By the way, as naval officers, I strongly encourage you to, if you haven't taken up the time to read, find the time. It helps you boost your professional, and it just makes you a better person. So I recommend getting books and reading as much as you can. Do yourself a favor, one of the great books I read was called Shackleton's Way. It captures the unbelievable survival of Shackleton and his 27 crew members after a wreck of his vessel, and being stranded on an ice float while on expedition in Antarctica in 1914. Despite being 1,200 miles from civilization, Shackleton led them through an almost two-year fight for survival. Through the expedition from start to finish, Shackleton frequently checked on his crew. He had a constant presence amongst them. He built trust and a true connection with each crew member. Shackleton did not change his approach from his crew from the start when they started their voyage through all the way through to the end. Even when they faced the real possibility of death, he continued to be focused on them, exuding positivity and encouragement. The authors describe the moment the crew was at one of their most dangerous points for survivability, a very tough time. Shackleton and the crew were so concerned, they played soccer on the frozen ice. How is this possible, you ask? Because their leader understood his crew and understood his responsibility, and in the end, with his positivity and support and encouragement, they all survived and their story was told. In his book Highest Honor, Captain Sully Sullenberger recalls the 208 seconds where he encountered a problem, assessed it, and made a decision and executed it. Given his processing information and reliance of his experience and that of his flight crew, he made remarkable decisions that saved the lives of 155 souls on the plane and prevented likely what could have been several hundred thousand deaths or casualties on the ground. In both situations, the crew were in dire straits, yet they trusted their leaders to figure it out, leaders who trusted their instincts and experiences. Shackleton kept his crew spirits up in order to survive, and Sully sought out help from his first officer and the cabin crew, knew that they would be ready to execute an emergency landing. Although I doubt many of us would want to be on an expedition across the Antarctic or piloting a commercial jet in an emergency landing in the Hudson River, I believe we want leaders like Shackleton and Sully leading us. If either one of them asked what I want to be led by me, I believe they would say yes. An expedition 105 years ago, an airplane landing in the Hudson, Admiral, what does this have to do with me, you ask. To me, these are examples highlight incredible leadership to me. I have personally had a few moments in my career where responsibility where in the uniform was very hard, where your crew is looking at you for direction, watching you to see how do you respond, and looking to be led. When something bad happens, how will each of you respond? Leaders set the tone. If a mistake is made by a sailor, do you shame them or do you support them? If someone asks you to do something that just doesn't seem right or appropriate, do you do it or do you don't do it? One of these moments when you receive bad news or face an ethical dilemma, think to yourself, am I the leader these sailors deserve? Would I want to be led by me? I believe using this reflected question and self-evaluation throughout your career will help make you a better leader that our sailors, our Navy, and our country desires. Great officers listen and learn, okay? Great officers listen and learn. And if you remember only one thing from my remarks today, like I asked, it would be asking yourself the question, all together ready? Would I want to be led by me? Okay, keep that in mind, all right? And never forget that. Best wishes to each of you as you start your career. I look forward to hopefully meeting some of you. I know you have a swarm of family coming through, but it's really excited to be here and hopefully get a few minutes to say hello and wish you well. Let the wisdom, experience, and faith in your heart guide you all. And thanks again to the families and loved ones who are here for your unwavering support. God bless all of you, the United States Navy, and our great nation. Thank you. Thank you, Captain Alcorn and Rear Admiral Case. At the conclusion of each ODS class, several students are recognized by their fellow classmates, as well as the OTCN staff for outstanding achievement during the five-week course of instruction. Lieutenant J.G. James Shannon, front and center. The Honor Student Award is presented to the officer who best demonstrates an overall excellence in the areas of academics, physical fitness, and military bearing. Consistently setting the example for his or her peers throughout the many challenges faced at Officer Training Command. The Honor Student Award goes to Lieutenant Junior Grade James Shannon. Ensign Montana Koslowski, front and center. The Alfred Award is given to the officer who achieves the highest military grade, derived from personnel inspections, room inspections, and general military bearing. This award is named for the Continental Slope of War, the Alfred. Commissioned in 1775, the Alfred served as the flagship for native Rhode Islander Commodore E. Sick Hopkins, and is regarded as the birthplace of Navy Medicine, as it was the first ship to appoint a dedicated ship surgeon. Serving as a role model of Navy pride and professionalism, maintaining the highest military standards, and providing inspiration to all, the Alfred Award goes to Ensign Koslowski. Ensign Camille Leone, front and center. The Pickens-Wills Peer Leadership Award is presented to the officer who personifies the highest standards of personal example, good leadership practices, and moral responsibility. Officers were nominated by their peers, and the winner was selected by the Officer Training Command staff. The winner of this award embodies the leadership traits and a spree decor of Harriet Pickens and Francis Wills, the first two African-American women to commission in the United States Navy. Their courage and collaborative leadership style paved the way for today's inclusive Navy. The Pickens-Wills Peer Leadership Award goes to Ensign Leone. Ensign Gregory Ivy, front and center. The Edie Award is named for Lieutenant Thomas Edie, United States Navy. It recognizes the highest achievement in academic and military performance. Lieutenant Thomas Edie, who immigrated from Scotland and settled in Rhode Island, was awarded the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor for his courageous efforts as a diver during the salvage of submarines SS-4 and SS-51 off the coast of Massachusetts. He was a member of the Southeastern New England chapter of the Retired Officers Association at the time of his death in 1974. In recognition of this accomplishment, in addition to the certificate of achievement, the Military Officers Association of America has provided a three-year membership to the Edie Award winner, Ensign Ivy. For the past five weeks, the company guide-on has been a symbol of spirit, dedication, teamwork, and unit identity. To symbolize the fact that these officers seated before you have completed their training, they will return their guide-ons to their class chief petty officers. Senior Chief Gunners Mate Christopher Lawrence and Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman David Long. Lieutenant Claire will now deliver the reaffirmation of the oath of office. Would all military personnel please come to the position of attention. The Commanding Officer of Officer Training Command would like to present to you your newly reaffirmed naval officers. Please rise for the playing of the service songs and the final dismissal. Class 23050, upon graduation from Officer Development School, you are ordered to detach and report to your duty stations, where you will assume the duties and responsibilities by order of Captain Everett Alcorn, United States Navy, Commanding Officer, Officer Training Command Newport. Class 23050...