Shipmate Nov/Dec 2015 – CNO Change of Command

Posted: 10/7/2015

Good Morning, ’82!

Our new Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson, USNA Class of 1982

Friday, September 18, 2015 was a day in which ’82 was looking very good. Mighty good indeed, as our very own Adm. John Richardson (26) became the Navy’s most senior naval officer as he was sworn in as the 31^st Chief of Naval Operations, relieving Adm. Jonathan Greenert ’75, and joining the ranks of Leahy, King, Nimitz and Burke.

Two hundred classmates and spouses filled our section of Alumni Hall to support John and his family, and we cheered loudly when (mostly) appropriate, showing the same class spirit born in the summer of ’78 and honed during our four years at the Boat School.

The crowd of 1200 in Alumni Hall included the Joint Chiefs Chairman, former CNOs, numerous foreign ambassadors and admirals. The speakers included Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. Secretary Carter said he had to wrestle John away from the Energy Secretary, and described John as “the clear choice.” “Exceptional. Strong. Buoyant.” “A bold and innovative thinker.” “A tremendous leader.” “The Navy’s “go to” officer on many topics.” “The best troubleshooter on issues of integrity and ethics.” “Leading the Navy on advanced capabilities efforts.” Secretary Mabus said that he had given John some of the hardest jobs in the Navy, including the investigation into the Washington Navy Yard shooting, but that no matter how hard the task, John was “always up to it with calm professionalism. I couldn’t find a task to discourage, let alone defeat, John Richardson. I’m confident that John is ready for whatever awaits him and our country.”

A portion of the ’82 section in Alumni Hall.

Not too many open seats in the “end zone” of Alumni Hall for the CNO change of command.

“I relieve you, sir.” Outgoing CNO ADM Jonathan Greenert with his relief, ADM John Richardson.

ADM Greenert gave his farewell address, thanking those who served with him during his forty years of service, as well as his family and friends. “Challenges remain, but we have the right team. ADM Richardson has all that it takes, but he also has what it takes, and that is Dana [his wife] and they are ready to meet those challenges.”

John and the outgoing CNO exchanged salutes with the traditional “You had it, I got it.”

Then John took to the podium and thanked the “Great Class of 1982”, which elicited a spirited, boisterous response from a fine group of youthful fifty-somethings. He acknowledged that in family matters, quantity is quality (his wife, five kids and six siblings, as well as other family members, were in attendance), then gave three reasons why he thought most in the audience were present at the ceremony:

To pay tribute to ADM Greenert, whom John had followed into various billets throughout their careers, culminating at the highest level of naval service;
To honor the meaning of the ceremony, to witness the formal passing of authority, accountability and responsibility; and
To recognize that America, since inception, is a maritime nation who relies on oceans for our prosperity. “It’s in our DNA.” But that “deep in our gut, we sense a shift in the world. We sense that once again it will be vitally important to protect our interests on the seas.” He asserted that global information systems “connect us as fluidly as the world seas” and are also vital to our interests, but at the speed of light.

John spoke of the logistics of this event, and asked that none of us change our email address in the next four years so that we don’t miss the invitation to his next change of command.

ADM John Richardson giving his first address as the 31st CNO.

Then John spoke of his confidence. “These are challenging times, for sure.” But “as an American and as your CNO, I am very optimistic, because this is exactly the environment in which Americans thrive. Americans are uniquely creative and innovative. We find a way to succeed under any circumstances. We are at our best when the chips are down and the stakes are high, and they are very high, indeed, right now.”

John spoke of our being a part of a strong and growing network of allies, partners and friends, “We will not be on our own”, and that among our sister services, the Marine Corps is our closest relative.

Then John spoke of those he leads. “I’m very optimistic because there is no one more creative, nobody more resilient, nobody who learns faster, nobody who adapts quicker, who shows more initiative, and there is not better partner, and there is no more dangerous competitor than the United State Sailor. They are magnificent! Under any circumstances, in any situation, in any crisis, and certainly in any fight, they will find a way to win. It is a privilege to be part of and to serve and lead this magnificent team who will give everything we have, our last molecule of energy.”

In closing, John asked “just one favor. As you put your head down tonight before you go off to sleep, take a moment to say a quick prayer for our Nation, our Navy, and our Sailors at sear around the world. And say a prayer for the Greenerts as they move into the next phase of their life.” Amen.

We all sang “The Navy Blue and Gold” (stirring as always), then the dignitaries, past

CNO and John were piped ashore to conclude the ceremony, followed by the Naval Academy Band playing inspirational patriotic background music as the crowd dispersed.

Following the ceremony was a reception, during which a class photo was taken. Herding cats is tough to do; herding classmates is several orders of magnitude more difficult. Bravo Zulu to Andy Shelter (8) for gathering everyone together and for taking most of the photos used in this issue.

The Class of 1982 at the CNO Change of Command reception

Andy also gathered together many of the ’82 Flag Officers. From the left, they are: ADM Phil Davidson (6), RADM Ken Carodine (ret) (13), VADM Rick Breckenridge (1), RADM Kate Gregory (32), RADM Bob Greene (9), VADM Terry Benedict (1), ADM Michelle Howard (23), ADM John Richardson (26), RADM Dave Johnson (17), VADM Dave Dunaway (32), VADM Tommy Rowden (24), RADM Ken Perry (ret) (2), RADM Matt Klunder (ret) (5), and RADM Chris Paul (30).

Class of 1982 Flag Officers at the CNO Change of Command reception.

Following the Change of Command was a Formal P-rade, reviewed by Secretary of the Navy Mabus.

Beautiful view of the Chapel from Worden Field during the Formal P-rade.

We then gathered at the Alumni Association’s Ogle Hall outside the wall for a wonderful reception in the outside patio honoring John. Unfortunately, John was already on the job as CNO and could not attend.

The next day, Saturday, was the football game against East Carolina (45-21 Navy) and the tailgater. More about this in a future issue.

The weekend definitely had the feel of a mini-reunion, probably the largest gathering of classmates we’ve ever had since graduation outside of a reunion. Speaking of reunions, we are inside of two years to our 35^th. The planning is in the early stages with a small group of classmates who live in the Annapolis area. If you have any recommendations, please send them to me at Rett@Rasmussen.biz and I’ll pass them along to the committee. Most importantly, resolve to attend. As you know, you belong to an exceptional Class consisting of quality individuals. Resolve to spend three days with them every five years. Everyone benefits when we renew our bonds, and our Class grows stronger.

[Apologies to those who submitted input and expected to read it in this issue. I’ll get to you next issue. This one belongs to John and the Class as a whole.]

Time to turn the page on another year of Shipmate. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and BEAT ARMY. See you in the New Year, Classmates.

Looking good, ’82! – Razz

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Shipmate Nov/Dec 2015 – CNO Change of Command

Posted: 10/7/2015

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