Officer of the deck, set the watch. Aye, aye, sir. The officer of the deck. The commanders direct representative and while on watch is responsible for the safe operation of the ship and crew. The long blast is a traditional symbol of an officer on the decks authority and the ship of the line. We are pleased to have mr. Greg willard with us today. Greg was the white house staff assistant to gerald ford while he was president and served him after he left office. Greg will pass the long blast to lieutenant of south orange, new jersey. The first officer of the deck. The Petty Officer of the watch is quartermaster first class very well. Were delighted today to have our sponsor, Susan Ford Bales with us. Susan christened gerald r. Ford in 2013, newport news. Susan, id be honored if youd join me alt at the podium to give the order to man our ship and bring her to life. [applaus [applause] mr. President , ladies and gentlemen, in the twilight of his life, dad learned of the decision to name c
[applause] james e hornfish, the author of the book the last stand of the tin can sailor said it best, a fighting force cannot be reduced to its order of battle any more than a ship s value will be reduced to the number of guns she carries or the shaft horsepower her turbines can generate. a vessel draws life from the spirit of her crew, which derives in large part from the leadership qualities of her chiefs and officers. morale defies quantification and yet, it weighs significantly on the ultimate lethality of the tools of war. we cannot succeed absent the strength and skills of our sailors and the dedication and commitment they bring to the fight. our sailors will ensure the gerald r. ford remains