 Good morning ladies and gentlemen. My name is Tom Mangold. I'm the Dean of International Programs here at the Naval War College and I'll be honored to serve as your master of ceremonies for the next several days. But before we get started I want to make sure everyone can hear and understand me. So first, make sure you have an interpretive headset with you. It has earbuds and there's a volume control up and down. Let me get to the, there's a volume control up and down and then you can select the channel. Over on the left-hand side of the screen you can also see what language we're being addressed in and you can adjust it to hear your preferred language. So thank you very much for if you'd use these. At the end of the day we ask you drop them off back at the table and we'll recharge them and change out the earbuds. For most of you know we have a large virtual contingent listening abroad, almost 30 people. They're watching on Zoom and I'm also want to ensure that depending how you logged on this morning whether you can use interpretive services that's probably the most important part. So you should have used the desktop application. So you need the Zoom app, the desktop application and then the next slide you can see. On the right-hand side you can hit interpretation, select the language you want and then mute the original audio. That'll allow you to hear everything in just one language. It's a little annoying if you have the floor language running beneath you. But that's one of the tricks we've learned here at the War College. It works very effective. If you have any questions use chat to communicate with the technical staff they can get you where you need to go. Also if you want to speak later on during the address you can just hit the raise your hand button and will the moderator will identify you and then you just on mute yourself and then you can speak. We'll have a chance to go through that again later. For the delegates in the room here in the chair in front of you there are microphones and they're available to use when you're addressing the crowd. They work well but do speak into it directly. It'll catch your voice and project it around the room very well. Also before I forget if you have your cell phone please put it on mute. I caught myself just a moment ago and if you need a message delivered to you please just go to the command center and they will take a message and bring it to you. But if your staff is looking for you or one of the non-delegates the command center is our intermediary point to come in and out of this room. Oh sorry, I'm ahead of myself. Hats, this is a no cover van. I'm sure you heard that. There's a table outside going towards the restrooms. We can drop your covers off. We won't need them particularly for the photo later this morning. A quick layout of the auditorium. Many of you've been here before but I'll just point out here in the to the far left there is the command center I mentioned so if you have messages or have questions the command center which roughly matches what is at Gurney's hotel that'll take care of all your needs and questions. The non-delegates as you know are down and you it in the learning commons where they're gathering and they're watching these proceedings as they unfold this morning and the rest of the week. The restrooms are to the left ladies and men's restrooms. If you wish to smoke please step outside on the Culver Plaza during one of the breaks. Just by those stairs above Sproon's auditorium see if you look out to your right there's two things draw your attention to. One there's the prayer room which I'll talk about and also the media the public affairs officers are just above us in the balcony looking down on us. A quick map and I'll bring these maps up periodically during the course of the week to make sure you get to where you want to go but just I mentioned we are on Sproon's hall right now. The Learning Center is where the non-delegates are located and then down the well-in passageway we'll go to Mahan and Pringle for lunch and some of the presentations in Pringle Hall. I always say just watch the crowd the crowd kind of knows where it's going but we'll also have a staff out there to help you find your way. For the spouses who are going to the officers club for lunch you can walk down the hill or there'll be buses available. I'll bring this slide up periodically just to remind everybody. Media I mentioned that this is there's media available throughout the event. Today is the only day the press will be on station and they'll be covering here what's going on for a few key addresses, the addresses by our principals, the keynote address by Simon Sinek and then the panel at the end of the day. For example some things won't be our regional reports will be just among ourselves here. There will also live stream those same events through DVDs and they'll be published abroad but pretty much that's one of the few events that will be published abroad outside of here. Video statements if you'd like to make a statement or talk to the press with a public affairs officer I mentioned it's up in the upper auditorium and looking down on Spruance and you can see them just go up the stairs you can talk to them and they'll take care of any of your needs and if it's in between breaks and you don't see someone there it's busy go to the command center and they'll also address your concerns about press or a media availability and of course photos and videos will be taken over the course of the next couple days they'll be available on DVDs and APAN. For those who want a moment of contemplation or prayer I mentioned just above on Spruance there on the upper lobby there is a prayer room available for those who desire it. Our schedule events you know generally I will just flash this up very briefly in the morning and the afternoon to let you know of any changes there are no changes at this point. It looks a little bit different from what you have in your programs and that I've tried to combine for convenience the spouse and the main delegate schedules together but we are on schedule today everything is running smoothly and I don't foresee any changes at this point. Here's the afternoon schedule after lunch and of course the staff is always here either in the command center or myself during breaks and I can address any of these issues for you. So next one is talking about COVID COVID's been on everyone's mind for for almost two years now your health and safety is our primary concern we brought an extensive medical staff to take care of this and the leading medical officer the senior medical officer commander Jason Formier is going to speak to you for your fuel moment so Jason come on up. I want to thank everybody for giving me the opportunity to remind everyone of everything that we have in place to keep everyone safe at our event so as you know the theme of the symposium is strength in unity and as I have supervised some of the medical evolutions over the last couple of days I've noticed that although we don't all necessarily speak the same language COVID has taught us to share some some some language that that we all seem to understand. We've we've learned to be able to say hello we've learned to smile and not look crazy with our eyes this means I'd like to shake your hand but I know that I'm not supposed to and this means it's time for your COVID test. Luckily everyone is everyone here is okay as a result of their COVID testing that we've done as part of the intake process so that's that's an overall major achievement. To remind you of a few of the elements that we've put together over the last several months of planning everyone has been required to be vaccinated. We have an aggressive testing program that you all have experienced and will continue to experience with your daily testing. We will be enforcing social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing. I'm not wearing my mask because I can't see to read my slides when it fog when my glasses fog up. And what I'm most most proud about is the more than 50 Navy Medicine personnel that are here on site to keep you all safe and keep this symposium running smoothly. Please continue to do the morning testing before you leave your room. You all were provided self-test kits to use in your lodging. If you do this every morning, okay, if you feel ill or need any sort of medical assistance whatsoever use either of these two phone numbers and medical will come to you. Stay where you are and myself or my team will come to you and take care of you. A reminder about the PCR testing for travel purposes. We have not had many customers, so to speak, as of this morning. And so I want to remind everybody if you need to travel on Friday, your testing really needs to be done today. Your PCR testing needs to be done today. And so we're offering that at both gurneys from 05 to 730. We're actually going to extend those hours till 9. And the purpose of the ending at 9 o'clock is because we have to those results have to get to the lab on a certain time to have the results back. We're also offering that testing here at Hewitt Garage also up until up until 9. And although this says delegates should be done at one place and non-delegates should be done another place again to facilitate all of that. Go wherever is most convenient, but please, but please go today, especially if you need to travel on Friday. Thank you, thank you. Yes, you know, if they if they require testing and I can't, you know, the the folks, different countries have different requirements in regards to how soon the or how close the testing needs to be done or the results need to be done in relationship to their travel. But if that's needed on Friday in order to travel on Friday, then yes, sir. Absolutely. Yes, sir. Yes, so if you do need to get your PCR travel on Friday, just walk out in the lobby into the command center across the hall and we'll escort you down to Hewitt where you can get your testing done now. Otherwise, for Saturday, Sunday, it'll be at the hotel. So it is now my distinct pleasure to introduce my boss, the 57th president of Naval War College, Shoshana Ramo, Shoshana Chaffield to begin our formal welcome. Good morning. I'd like to David and I would like to extend a warm welcome to our secretary of the Navy, the honorable Carlos Del Toro and his wife, Mrs. Betty Del Toro. Thank you for being here, sir. Also Admiral Gilday and Mrs. Linda Gilday. To all of you heads of Navy and your spouses, thank you for traveling here to Newport. We are honored to host you and I'm delighted to see so many Naval War College alumni returning. Thank you for calling this your home away from home. We're delighted to have you back. And to all of our maritime partners, allies and friends, welcome to Newport, Rhode Island and the United States Naval War College. On behalf of my team here who are extremely talented and dedicated, David and I are proud and honored to provide this venue for this biennial event, a tradition here since 1969. The International Sea Power Symposium is a signature event here at the college. We've been working intensely for many months to incorporate these protocols that you have been adhering to to keep you safe. And we're very concerned about your well-being. If there are any challenges that you see, please notify me or our staff and we will work through them with you. Thank you for your cooperation and your part in making this a safe event this year. I'd also like to recognize the 130 Naval Reservists who are here helping us and have been on board for several weeks preparing for this event. We're grateful for that support. By the time you depart on Friday, I hope that you'll agree that the United States Naval War College is the perfect venue for this engagement. Here at the Naval War College, we inform today's decision makers and educate tomorrow's leaders. Our goal is to provide excellence in education, research and all of our outreach activities and we are committed to building enduring relationships with our alumni, partners and stakeholders. Our International Program Office directly supports the development of robust global maritime partnerships and every year we host international military students in our residential curriculum. This year 108 international military students are here with us studying alongside our American counterparts. We feel this promotes trust, confidence and cooperation among partner nations. I'd also like to let you know that today begins a monthly heritage celebration by our Department of Defense. This month from September 15th to October 15th, it's Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States and during this period we will recognize the history and heritage and contributions from those whose ancestors came from Mexico, Spain, South America and the Caribbean and Central America. It is a great honor to have a Hispanic American, 78th Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro and Mrs. Betty Del Toro here at the outset of this celebration. Sir, you honor us. To all of you who are visiting, David and I wish you a very successful week. We're excited to have you here. We know that you will love these discussions, engagements, all the planning that you'll do for next symposium and we know that you have very challenging jobs with great responsibilities. And I want to thank you for all that you do in your part in keeping our free and open global comments. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished visitors, it is my honor and pleasure now to introduce the 32nd Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday and his spouse, Mrs. Linda Gilday, who is the Resources Director at the United States Navy Energy Installation and Environment. Admiral Gilday. Thank you, Admiral Chatfield and David. To the naval leaders and the spouses from around the world and the United States, faculty and staff of the Naval War College, ladies and gentlemen, gathered here today on behalf of the United States Navy. My wife Linda and I welcome all of you to the 24th International Sea Power Symposium. A special thank you as well to our Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Schultz, if you'd please stand so that everybody can see you. He's a very close friend, a partner. It's great to have you here this week, Carl. A special thank you as well to the Italian Navy Admiral Giuseppe Cavodragone, who agreed to shift his regional sea power symposium to the right so that we could have our symposium this year. As most of you know, this symposium was supposed to cure a year ago because of COVID at that time, pre-vaccine we could not. On a phone call, I asked Pino if he would consider moving his conference to the right. He never flinched, he never hesitated. He immediately did that. And so on behalf of all of us, thank you so much, Pino. This event truly is special. 135 delegates from 104 different nations, including many hosts of Navy and Coast Guard, are gathered here and virtually to discuss, debate, and to learn. And of course, to work together. I also want to welcome and recognize their spouses. 66 of them have joined us from nearly all corners of the globe, as well as another about 20 from the United States. Our International Maritime Coalition is a family, and we all serve as families. Thank you all for tirelessly supporting our sailors serving around the world. And we look forward to visiting with you this week. We're grateful that so many of you overcame the logistics challenges to be here with us today. And be assured, we are taking every precaution with our COVID-19 mitigation efforts, so that we can safely conduct these proceedings in person. Before I move on to the rest of my remarks, I'd like to invite my wife, Linda, to the podium to say a few words. Linda. I want to extend a very warm welcome to all of you who have traveled very far, many hours, many days to be here. We are so excited to have you. You've left jobs, you've left families, you've left pets, many situations at home to be here. And so we're very happy that you've been able to do so. So this is a, our theme is unity. So we hope that you have an opportunity to unify with your spouse on this special week, to have that chance to connect, but also to connect with the larger Navy family. We have tried to encourage everyone to sit with someone you don't know, because how often do you have this opportunity to meet so many part of your extended Navy family? This is just a wonderful opportunity. I hope you're able to make new friends and for the spouses, we have a special room in the hotel where we have special little gifts, free gifts, and you can come in and sit at the sofa and hopefully meet a new friend there in a less formal environment. And it's open all day. So if you haven't found the room yet, please ask someone that is on the US spouse side to take you there. And I hope you enjoy it and meet some wonderful friends there. As Mike said, there are 66 international spouses, 21 from the US. So we have smaller groups. So one US spouse has two or three or four people that they are supposed to reach out to and make sure you have what you need. And we designed that based on travel that they might have gone to your country or maybe they speak the language or maybe they don't, but they want to. And so it's a special group. And so hopefully you have met your spouse connection person. And you'll have a special way to reach out if you need something. I do hope you enjoy the week. And I pray that this is a wonderful time for the larger Navy family to become more unified. So thank you all. We know that many of you have visited Newport before and we'd like to welcome back the international alumni who call this charming city home. For those of you who are traveling here for the first time, we think that you're in for real treat. When you walk along the wharfs and the docks of downtown Newport or stand at Ford Adams State Park, you get the sensation that you're traveling back in time a bit. So much of the art and the architecture and the culture around here reflects America's rich and distinct maritime history. A history that dates back to colonial times for us and that continues today very strong and very vibrant. This city has long been intertwined with our United States Navy. Some of the most important ideas concerning naval tactics and warfare and strategy were born right here on these grounds on Coasters Harbor Island. Ideas that were put into action from the late 19th century and beyond. Perhaps the most famous of these contributions no doubt was Captain Alfred Thayer Mahon in his lectures and writings in the 1880s and the early 1890s. Nearly all of us in uniform have studied Mahon's work at one time or another and when his name is uttered, most people think of decisive battle of sea control and of combat credibility. I think most of those arguments are still relevant today. But over time, Mahon refined the rationale for sea power. Naval combat power became less pronounced for him and economics took a more central role. Mahon believed that one of the most fundamental applications of naval power was protect an increasingly globalized world economy. You see wealth generation comes from commerce and commerce floats on seawater. What was theory then during the height of the second industrial revolution is profoundly true today in our information age. Our economies and our values and our cultures are more attached to the sea than at any other point in history. There are more than 60,000 vessels in the world's trading fleet carrying all the solids liquids and gases that we need to feed us to clothe us to fuel us and to sustain us. If you've sailed in the Baltics or up in the North Sea, you've seen the massive installations of offshore wind energy. Today there are more than 160 offshore wind farms worldwide powering millions of homes and businesses. If you've sailed in the Arabian Gulf, you've passed desalination plants of which there are 20,000 around the world providing fresh water for millions of people. If you've sailed in the Western Pacific, you've likely seen ships engaged in the new global gold rush of deep sea mining working to extract metals critical for advanced technologies. And if you've pulled into the largest ports in the world, you've seen the new container ships spanning nearly 400 meters long and holding up to 20,000 boxes. Providing a safe and secure maritime system is an imperative to all of mankind. And it's an essential part of what our navies do each day. We're not simply the keeper of the seas, but we're the keeper of the global way of life as well. And like all of you, I believe that robust, resilient, and responsible sea power is an international consortium of like-minded nations. We are the primary guarantors of peace, of prosperity, and the open flow of goods along the oceans. Our navies provide these benefits to our citizens we serve every single day. In peacetime, and especially during these times of competition, not just in those rare moments of conflict. As sailors, and as coast guardsmen, we share a common culture, a distinct maritime culture. We share the history, the love, and the respect for what the sea can do for us, as well as a mutual appreciation for what the sea can provide for us. During the dark days of World War II, hundreds of delegates from around the world met not far from here at Bretton Woods to set out to form the economic relations among our nations. In time, what emerged was the free and open international order that we cherish and benefit from today. It preserves the maritime commons for freedom and for fairness, for coexistence, and for harmony, where the collective goals of all people, regardless of where they call home, can be advanced. Since 1945, global child mortality has waned, life expectancy has lengthened, extreme poverty has plummeted, and literacy has skyrocketed. The connection between the free and open order and the improvement of human existence is undeniable. United, we have preserved that commitment. United, I think we will grow that commitment. Cooperation will ensure that the most vital economic and social resource, seawater, is shared sustainably and responsibly. Cooperation, when applied with naval power, promotes freedom and peace, and prevents coercion, intimidation, and aggression. Our steady presence greases the gears of global commerce, assuring maritime traffic flows freely, and deters the disruption of our digital infrastructure under the sea. Every day, our sailors and coast guardsmen send a bow wave of diplomacy in front of their path, assuring our allies, our partners, and our friends, and deterring malign behavior that threatens that international order that is so important. Since it is in the political, social, and economic interests of all of us to ensure freedom of the seas, this is a responsibility with truly global consequences, not just today, but for our children and for their children. It can never be taken for granted. Peace does not happen by accident. When the rules prevail, everybody prospers. When the rules are undermined or worse broken altogether, the world is a less secure and poorer place for all of us. The questions we gathered to discuss this week are as important as they are in our profession, and so we have structured ISS to take on these issues and to capitalize on opportunities. Our keynote speakers and moderated panel discussions bring together experts in uniform in academia and government. The selected toffords covers a wide range of challenges. Some of them are affecting us today, such as combating COVID-19 and supporting the mental health of our sailors and our coast guardsmen. Other topics consider our collective concerns in the Arctic and enforcing international and sovereign rules and regulations, which will undeniably affect our future. My goal is that this symposium will provide a venue for candid and open discussion to see issues from different perspectives and to harness our strength and unity. Our collective navy to navy and coast guard to coast guard relationships serve as a strong stable keel for a broader international community. This keel serves as a shock absorber and in turn provides the underlying structure for global stability. We are united by the iron-clad trust among us, and our partnerships transcend beyond just our strategic interests. It is built on shared values, shared history, and a vision of a shared destiny. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to speak with one of our sailors up on the International Space Station, where he was serving alongside with cosmonauts from Russia and an astronaut from Japan. He's captured so clearly the bond of his fellow star sailor's share as they lived for months off the earth. And he so eloquently described that our giant blue marble of a planet has no lines that separate our people, and it's dominated by the blue hue of our oceans. So I'd like to begin ISS with that mental image of a blue world where commerce and ideas flow freely across open seas to connect our nations and bonds of fellowship. And sailors and coast guardsmen like ourselves stand watch to keep it so. Now, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our 78th Secretary of the United States Navy, Carlo Del Toro, Carlo Del Toro, and his wife, Betty. Our secretary was sworn in just a little over a month ago. Born in Havana, Cuba, Secretary Del Toro immigrated to the United States with his family as refugees in 1962. Raised in New York City, he graduated from our United States Naval Academy in 1983 and went later go on to study here as well. A career surface warfare officer, he commanded the guided missile destroyer USS Buckley and served in a variety of critical assignments in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. After retiring from active duty, he worked in the private finance sector as a CEO along with his wife Betty for 16 years as the president of SPG Technology Solutions. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming my boss, a man who oversees, manages, and leads the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, our 78th Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro. Mr. Secretary.