 Mr. Horai, Re Admiral Fujiwara, Mr. Ito, Brigadier General Wellens, Colonel Rodin, Chief Dunn, distinguished guests, family and friends attending virtually, and most importantly, the men and women of the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. Thank you all for making time out of your busy schedule to join us today in this momentous occasion of the standing up of the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Kanoya Air Base. First, I want to thank our Japanese host, Honorable Nakanishi, and Re Admiral Fujiwara. Thank you for making this deployment a reality. Next, I want to thank all the family members back home supporting our Airmen deployed at Kanoya. We would not be able to accomplish our mission without your support and sacrifice. With that, Christine and Devin, I know both of you are watching virtually, so I want to express my gratitude for your support and sacrifice. Thank you for holding it down at home while Alex embarks on this important command tour. Thank you. I would also like to recognize and thank the team that put this event together. I know it takes a tremendous amount of work, planning, coordination and preparation. You made this a truly memorable event. Master Sergeant Peterson, Captain Ooglo, our wing protocol, public affairs, and rest of the team, great job. To provide you a brief history, the lineage of the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron dates back to the 319th Fighter Squadron that was constituted and activated in 1942 at Mitchell Field, New York. Over the years, it was inactivated, reactivated, reorganized, and redesignated multiple times. The unit was last inactivated in 1977 as the 319th Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Fast forward about 45 years, and we are here today on Kanoya Air Base with our Japanese allies in this historic moment where we witness the reactivation of the unit as the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. The U.S.-Japan alliance has been the cornerstone for regional peace and security over the last 60 years, and our partnership remains indispensable to our mutual security interests in the Indo-Pacific. This deployment will assist the U.S. and Japan's collective interests in ensuring open access to the region and capitalizing on shared technology to overcome mutual challenges. With our commitment to a free and Indo-Pacific stronger than ever, it has never been more important to work together as we face increased security challenges. The significance of this deployment cannot be understated. Our work here, together, to serve side-by-side supporting real war requirements, is groundbreaking. It is a culmination of significant hard work on both sides in exactly the kind of cooperative activity we must do to evolve the U.S.-Japan alliance to meet the evolving challenges of today and the future. The MQ-9s will support Japan, U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance parties throughout the Indo-Pacific, enhancing our ability to respond to threats and emerging situations, and strengthening our alliance posture. Furthermore, the MQ-9s can be used to cooperatively address regional challenges such as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and other issues affecting the Indo-Pacific. With that, I would like to thank our Japanese allies and our host base for not only their support, particularly over the past several months since personnel began arriving here, but also for their continued support going forward. Ruiro Fujiwara, thank you again for your support and partnership. We are very fortunate to have the alignment in our bilateral mission set, and we look forward to enhancing our operations together. Honorable Mayor Nakanishi, our sincere gratitude to the City of Kanoya for welcoming our airmen into your community. There is a lot of history here in Kanoya. We are grateful that we can come together to write a new chapter together in this strategic location. In doing so, we are excited to be not just representative of the United States and the United States Air Force, but also your neighbors, your friends, and members of your community. Indeed, the safety of this community and our airmen is our utmost priority. I know that our airmen of the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron are looking forward to being part of this great community and strengthening our relationship. As we stand up the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron and conduct the Assumption of Command, I can't think of a better airman to lead this squadron. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Blade Kelly is absolutely the right leader to take the guide on and to lead this outstanding squadron. He is a seasoned MQ-9 pilot with vast experience as an instructor and evaluator. His MQ-9 expertise and leadership has been displayed across every geographical combined command theaters. Simply put, there is no one better suited to take this job. Blade, I am truly excited for you and I know you'll do an exceptional job leading the 319th. Most importantly, to the men and women of the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you. You represent the very best our nation has to offer. You provide the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities supporting the U.S., our allies, and partners to ensure regional stability and security. And know that what you provide at the tactical level have strategic level impact in the Indo-Pacific region. I know you'll be ready to respond to any challenge at a moment's notice while continuing to strengthen our alliances. Blade, you have a group of amazing dedicated professionals. Take care of them, lead boldly, and make it happen. Again, thank you all for joining us today. Thank you very much. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you everyone for coming today to celebrate this historical event and to celebrate the cooperation between our two nations to ensure free and open Indo-Pacific. First I would like to personally thank our distinguished guests for attending. Honorable Naganishi, Mr. Hanemurai, Mr. Nagashima, Mr. Horay, Admiral Fujiwara, Mr. Ito, Breeder General Wellens, Colonel Rodan, Chief Dunn. As well as all the other distinguished guests and visitors today, as well as family and friends at home, and most importantly, the men and women of the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. I am proud and honored to serve as the commander of the 319th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. The people of Kanoya and of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Base at Kanoya Air Base have been very welcoming and helpful since we have arrived. We're looking forward to be part of your local community. Know the safety of my team in this community is our utmost priority. Our service members are highly trained professionals who also regard as such. This strategic location, combined with the MQ-9 capability, will allow the Japan-U.S. Alliance to see and monitor vast areas. This will greatly enable our joint mission set and mutual security to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific. In an increasingly severe security environment in the region, it is vital that the Japan-U.S. Alliance continue to maintain peace so that we may all prosper. And I'm honored to lead the professional men and women in this important task that directly bolsters our mutual defense capabilities. While there's still a lot of work to be accomplished, the men and women of the 319th have accomplished much so far. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, and I look forward to serving with all of you. To my wife and daughter, still in the United States, I love you both very much and miss you greatly. Especially to my daughter, I know you may not understand why I'm gone for so long, but just know that daddy's work is important, and that I'll get my own jobs done. Thank you all for coming.