Good afternoon, and thank you so much for joining us here on this beautiful day to celebrate the Army’s 249th birthday. We are so glad you are all here! Birthdays – whether for a person or an institution like the Army – are an opportunity to celebrate past accomplishments and challenges overcome – and a moment to anticipate what lies ahead, and set a vision for the future.
This year is not only the Army’s 249th birthday, it is also the 80th anniversary of D-Day, one of the most striking examples of bravery and courage in our Army history. The D-Day landing is clearly a past accomplishment to contemplate and celebrate. The Army was at the core of Operation Overlord, with tens of thousands of soldiers assaulting the beaches and dropping behind enemy lines. These soldiers went on to fight across France, Belgium, and into Germany, breaking the back of the Nazi regime, liberating concentration camps, and saving the world from fascism. And many of these veterans of World War II went on to fight in Korea, and some even went on to fight in Vietnam, giving decades of incredible service to the nation.
With the Chief, the SMA, and many other Army senior leaders, I had the opportunity to attend the D-Day commemoration ceremonies in Normandy last week. When I had the chance to talk with some of the veterans who made the journey back to France, I was reminded not only of the remarkable nature of what they accomplished and what we owe veterans from that greatest generation but also of the multiple combat deployments for so many of today’s soldiers in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere. Over the two decades of fighting Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS, hundreds of thousands of our soldiers deployed in support of combat operations. Their courage, their selfless acts of service, and that shared experience of combat connect them to the generations of soldiers who have gone before them, and those who were there 80 years ago on the beaches and fields of Normandy. And today, our soldiers continue to stand sentry around the globe. Army soldiers serve in 143 countries worldwide, strengthening our networks of allies and partners and deterring and countering aggression in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific.
The D-Day anniversary last week is a powerful reminder that there is a reason our soldiers train so hard for the rigors of combat, there is a reason our soldiers must be warrior athletes, and there is a reason we must ensure our soldiers are ready and equipped with the world’s best technology - because we live in a dangerous and unpredictable world.
Russian aggression in Europe and the PRC’s coercive behavior in the Indo-Pacific threaten stability and security overseas and our own economic prosperity. Our competitors have military capabilities and advanced technologies that could make a future conflict difficult and drawn out and pose serious risks to our transportation, power, and communication networks right here at home. This is a more dangerous world than what we knew twenty years ago, so as we mark the Army’s 249th birthday, we must look ahead. We must anticipate what the future may bring and ensure that the Army is prepared and becoming more lethal each day.
Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is teaching us many lessons about the rapidly changing character of warfare. American forces must now prepare to face drone swarms, loitering munitions, and long-range fires directed against both our front-line forces and our logistics hubs – and do it all on a virtually transparent battlefield. The volume of shelling and missile strikes Russia has aimed at Ukraine reminds us that munitions and missiles matter. As General Cavoli, our Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, said recently, "The side that can't shoot back loses."
This is why the Army is investing so heavily in modernizing our organic industrial base and replenishing our munitions stockpiles. This is why the Army is experimenting with new technologies and investing in unmanned systems and electronic warfare capabilities. This is why we are developing a long-range hypersonic weapon, improving our networks, and working to integrate robotic vehicles and unmanned platforms into our combat units. This is why we are investing heavily in counter-drone and integrated air and missile defenses, including the Sergeant Stout that the Chief just unveiled today.
But at the end of the day, the Army is not just about the equipment, the technology, the tactics, or even the training. At the end of the day, the Army is about our people – the individual soldiers and their families serving in the Active Army, Reserve, and National Guard.
Everywhere I go, anytime I meet soldiers and families, I am reminded of how much they give of themselves to serve - the frequent moves, the challenges of childcare, and the lengthy separations that can mean missed birthdays and anniversaries. But I also see the satisfaction of knowing that you are part of something bigger than yourself, the privilege of leading and developing others, the admiration in a child’s eyes looking at mom or dad in uniform, and the deliberate choice that so many sons and daughters make to follow in their Army parent’s footsteps. The people who make up our Army are truly remarkable, and they are the reason that we are the world’s greatest land fighting force.
And our Army would not be as strong as it is today without our industry partners who are developing cutting-edge new technologies, without so many nonprofits and volunteer groups that support our soldiers, families, and veterans, and without the strong support we receive from lawmakers in Congress and communities all around the country. Thanks to all of you who are part of the extended Army family and for all that you do to keep the Army rolling along.
At the Twilight Tattoo at Summerall Field earlier this week, in front of hundreds of cheering Americans from all around the country, we enlisted dozens of new recruits into our Army. At this enlistment ceremony, as we do in ceremonies around the country and around the world, each soldier swore an oath to the Constitution and made a solemn vow to defend our country. Soldiers do this because they know that our country and our values - liberty, equality, and justice for all - are worth fighting for. The U.S. Army has been fighting for these ideals and values for almost 250 years, even before the framework of our nation was fully in place. But freedom isn’t free, and we should never take for granted that there are young Americans who are willing to step forward and volunteer to defend these values and defend our country.
Thank you for celebrating these shared values with us, and thank you for celebrating the Army’s 249th birthday. We are delighted to have you all here. Thank you for supporting the soldiers, Army civilians, and families of our United States Army. I hope you have a wonderful time at the festival!
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