Thank you very much.
What an honor.
You know, they just gave me this beautiful jacket;
they said, "Here, Mr. President, please take this home."
I said, "Let me wear it."
(laughter)
And then they gave me the beautiful hat.
And I said, "You know, maybe I'll do that.
We have a great 'Make America Great Again' hat,
but I say this is a special day we're wearing this."
Right?
(cheers)
So, I have no idea how it looks, but I think it
looks good.
It's a great-looking hat.
Just like this is a great-looking ship.
Thank you.
I'm privileged to stand here today with the
incredible men and women of the United States Navy.
(cheers)
American sailors are the best warfighting sailors
anywhere in the world, and it's not even close.
And Susan, I am so glad you could be with us.
I know how hard you work.
17 visits, and she wanted things done right.
I will tell you, they told me she wanted this one
done right in honor of both of her parents, who
were great, great people.
And we wanted to introduce this beautiful vessel to
the American people, and I wanted to be here;
I wanted to be with you.
So, Susan, and to your family, unbelievable job.
Unbelievable.
(applause)
The soon-to-be-commissioned
Gerald R. Ford USS,
what a -- what a place.
It's almost -- it really feels like a place.
You stand on that deck and you feel like you're
standing on a very big piece of land.
But this is better than land.
It will not only be a great symbol of American
strength but a great legacy for your father and
our former president Gerald Ford.
President Ford was a navy man.
By the way, he was also a great athlete, for those
of you who didn't know.
He saw action in the South Pacific during World War II.
He served his country with honor in the military and
in Congress, and in the White House.
The proud dignity of this ship is a fitting tribute
to Gerald Ford -- the man and the president.
Congratulations to all of the men and women who
helped build it.
This is American craftsmanship at its
biggest, at its best, at its finest.
American workers are the greatest anywhere in the world.
This warship and all that serve on it should be a
source of shared pride for our nation.
We're joined today -- better believe it, right?
Better believe it.
(applause)
Better believe it.
And by the way, we're soon going to have more coming
-- have more come.
(applause)
We are joined today by General Mattis, now
Secretary Mattis.
(applause)
Where is he?
Who will be charged with overseeing this great
rebuilding of our military might.
We will give the men and women of America's armed
services the resources you need to keep us safe.
We will have the finest equipment in the world --
planes, ships, and everything else.
We are going have very soon the finest equipment
in the world.
(applause)
We will give our military the tools you need to
prevent war and, if required, to fight war and
only do one thing.
You know what that is?
Win!
(cheers)
We're going to start winning again.
Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations,
is with us today as well.
Great gentleman.
Admiral, we're going to ensure our Navy has the
resources, personal training, and equipment,
the kind of equipment that you need.
So, congratulations, Admiral.
And a lot more is coming.
(applause)
Let me congratulate Captain Richard McCormick,
commanding officer of the Gerald R. Ford.
This ship will make an extraordinary addition to
the fleet, like no other.
Like no other.
Anywhere in the world, there's nothing like this.
It represents the future of naval aviation.
I have no greater privilege than to serve as
your Commander-in-Chief and the Commander-in-Chief
of the men and women of the United States military.
Great people.
Great, great people.
(applause)
I salute you, and I salute our sailors.
I will always support you and your mission.
I will never, ever let you down, and I also have to
recognize Mike Petters, President and CEO of
Huntington Ingalls Industries, along with
Matt Mulherin, President of Newport News
Shipbuilding.
They won't let you down, either.
(applause)
They're not going to let you down, either.
To those who serve our nation in uniform,
and to those who build the instruments of our
defense, I thank you on behalf of our nation.
(cheers)
Male Speaker: USA!
The President: (laughs) I agree.
I agree.
Our carriers are the centerpiece of American
military might overseas.
We are standing today on four and a half acres
of combat power and sovereign U.S.
territory, the likes of which there is nothing to compete.
There is no competition to this ship.
It is a monument to American might that will
provide the strength necessary to ensure peace.
This ship will carry 4,500 personnel and 70 aircraft,
and will be a vital component of our defense.
This carrier, and the new ships in the Ford class,
will expand the ability of our nation to carry out
vital missions on the oceans to project American
power in distant lands.
Hopefully, its power we don't have to use.
But if we do, they're in big, big trouble.
(applause)
This great aircraft carrier provides essential
capabilities to keep us safe from terrorism and
take the fight to the enemy for many years in the future.
The great Admiral Nimitz, who commanded the U.S.
Pacific fleet through the Second World War,
once said, "It is the function of the Navy to carry the
war to the enemy, so that will not be fought on U.S. soil."
True.
(applause)
And it was under Admiral Nimitz's command 75 years
ago this June that the Navy did just that.
At the Battle of Midway -- you've all known about the
Battle of Midway -- where the sailors of the U.S.
Navy fought with a bravery that will be remembered
throughout the ages.
Storied bravery.
Throughout the ages.
The backbone of the American fleet at Midway
was three beautiful aircraft carriers: the
Yorktown, the Enterprise, and the Hornet.
Al three were built with American hands right here
at the Newport News Shipyard.
(applause)
At Midway, America was greatly outnumbered by, I
mean, a lot.
(laughter)
And its fleet badly damaged, but the heroic
deeds changed the course of history.
Many brave Americans died that day, and through
their sacrifice they turned the tide of the
Pacific War.
It was a tough tide, it was a big tide, it was a
vicious tide, and they turned it.
Countless other Americans in that war, some of them
parents and grandparents to people in this room
today, came home thanks to their very heroic deeds.
The sailors at Midway are part of a long line of
American heroes, an unbroken chain of patriots
from each generation to the next, who rose to
defend our flag and our freedom.
That legacy continues today as American warriors
protect our people from the threat of terrorism.
On Tuesday, in my address to a joint session of
Congress, I asked Congress to eliminate the Defense
Sequester and to support my request for a great
rebuilding of the United States military and the
United States Navy.
(applause)
After years of endless budget cuts that have
impaired our defenses, I am calling for the largest
defense spending increases in history.
And by eliminating the Sequester and the
uncertainty it creates, we will make it easier for
the Navy to plan for the future, and thus to
control costs and get the best deals for the
taxpayer, which, of course, is very important,
right?
Got to get a good deal.
(cheers)
We don't make a good deal, we're not doing our job.
The same boat for less money, the same ship for
less money, the same airplanes for less money.
That's what we're doing.
It means we're going to get more of them,
and we can use them.
Our military requires sustained, stable funding
to meet the growing needs placed in our defense.
Right now, our aging frontline strike and
strike fighters -- our whole aircraft; many, many
aircraft -- are often more likely to be down for
maintenance than they are to be up in the sky.
Our navy is now the smallest it's been since,
believe it or not, World War I.
Don't worry.
Going to soon be the largest it's been.
Don't worry.
(applause)
Think of that.
In these troubled times, our navy is the smallest
it's been since World War I.
That's a long time ago.
In fact, I just spoke with navy and industry leaders
and have discussed my plans to undertake a major
expansion of our entire navy fleet, including
having the 12-carrier navy we need.
(applause)
We also need more aircraft to modernize capabilities
and greater force levels.
Additionally, we must vastly improve our cyber
capabilities.
This great rebuilding effort will great many
jobs in Virginia and all across America, and it
will also spur new technology and new
innovation.
America has always been the country that boldly
leads the world into the future, and my budget will
ensure we do so and continue to do exactly that.
American ships will sail the seas.
American planes will soar the skies.
American workers will build our fleets.
(applause)
And America's military will ensure that even
through the darkest nights and throughout, a bright
and glowing sun will always shine on our nation
and on our people.
Our navy is great.
Our people are great.
Great.
(applause)
Our republic will meet any challenge, defeat any
danger, face any threat, and always will seek true
and lasting peace.
May God bless our military, may God bless
our navy, may God bless the wonderful Gerald Ford
family, and may God continue to bless the
United States of America.
Thank you very much.
(applause)