 For over a hundred years our carrier fleet and embarked airwings have projected power, control the sea, deterred our adversaries and stood by our allies. For the first plane that took off from the USS Langley's wooden deck to the air wing of the future here aboard USS Gerald R. Ford, our naval aviators had answered the call. It was carrier-based aviators who turned the tide against our past adversaries at Midway. When the Korean War hung in the balance, pilots like Lieutenant Guy Bordelon, Ensign Jesse Brown and Lieutenant Thomas Hudner commanded the skies over Hussan, Incheon, Chosin Reservoir. From Skyhawks over Vietnam to Tomcats over Iraq, Hornets over Afghanistan and F-35s over the Pacific today, our carrier fleet provides the critical edge for our nation and our allies. When I served as the main propulsion assistant aboard USS America, I witnessed firsthand the dedication and professionalism encouraged naval aviators embodied while serving our country. I am proud to say that throughout my 22-year naval career as a surface warfare officer, I served alongside some of the finest air crews, maintainers, ordnance handlers and air traffic controllers in the world. I witnessed the valor and the dedication of our helicopter pilots and crews aboard many of our ships across the fleet. Our partners and competitors alike are investing today in aircraft carriers because we all recognize to achieve success in strategic competition requires presence. But we have always maintained the edge. Our aircraft carriers are always evolving in support of the most powerful naval force in the world. Through the years, angled decks, steam catapults, swept wings and above all nuclear propulsion kept America always ready and strong. That spirit of innovation continues today with advances in vertical lift and fibious platforms, electromagnetic launch and unmanned systems. First of all, the spirit of innovation lives on in every one of our sailors and marines who serve aboard today's carriers from the deck plate to the skies. I am proud to serve alongside every sailor and marine who supports our maritime aviation mission. So on this Centennial anniversary of carrier aviation, I want to wish every one of you a happy 100th birthday. Remember to fly Navy and continue to make America strong.