defense and chairman dunford, head of the joint chiefs of staff. please join me. [ applause ] in august of 1790, by request of george washington and alexander hamilton, congress established a fleet of ten swift vestals to defend our shores. these revenue cutters would fight pirates, stop smugglers and safe guard our borders. they are the ancestors of our faithful coast guard. [ applause ] when our ships were seized and sailors kidnapped by foreign powers in 1812, it was a revenue cutter, the swift schooner thompson jefrd that swept in to capture the first british vevle