ADM. DARYL CAUDLE

HENRY DOORLY ZOO AND AQUARIUM CONFERENCE CENTER 3701 S 10TH ST, OMAHA, NE 68107

COMMANDER, U.S. FLEET FORCES COMMAND

05 April 2024

• Distinguished guests, General and Flag officers, and especially the men and women of the world’s ultimate warfighting command, good evening and Happy 124^th Birthday Submariners!! Wow – most of you don’t look a day over 75!
• Okay, seriously, thank you Tony (RADM Carullo) for the kind introduction and to Bob (RDML Wirth) for inviting me to speak tonight. It’s truly an honor to be here tonight – having been to many Submarine Birthday Balls, a zoo is the perfect location for this crowd – I’m talking about you Fleet Perryman and maybe my wife Donna…
• Bottom Line is: No matter where we are, Submariners know how to be safe and procedurally compliant, operate in treacherous waters beyond enemy lines, have a great time – and most importantly find a way to call it ‘classified’.
• That is how we earned our nickname – the Silent Service.
• But that really goes hand-in-hand when working at a place like STRATCOM. The amazing men and women serving here consistently deliver immeasurable contributions that many Americans, and even our Allies and Partners under our nuclear umbrella, may never truly realize – that is how STRATCOM sets the conditions across the globe as the ultimate guarantor of national and allied security, as well as our prosperity and way of life.
• And, it is because of this team’s unwavering dedication that my wife Donna and I are truly humbled, grateful, and proud to be here with you to rightfully pay tribute to the rich heritage of the entire submarine community and celebrate our Submarine Force’s 124th birthday, especially the critical contributions we make to the “no fail mission” of Strategic Deterrence.
• Before I get too far ahead of myself, I need to take some time to thank and welcome some very important people:
  • Senator Pete Ricketts representing the great state of Nebraska. I would like to thank you for coming to Kings Bay Georgia last June to present U-S-S RHODE ISLAND the 2022 Omaha Trophy for excellence in the Strategic Deterrence Mission. Our continued partnership and support from our elected officials are an immeasurable part of our continued success!
  • General and Marsha Cotton, my N-C-S-U wolfpack running mate and boss! What a great run this year for both the men and women’s basketball team – first time ever they both made it to the Final Four! Seriously – Thank you, Sir, for your leadership and coming tonight to celebrate the unquestionably best leg of the Nuclear Triad!
  • State Senator Rita Sanders, thank you for being here to celebrate STRATCOM – your support helps ensure the men and women remain ready to overcome the complex challenges to deter adversarial aggression and coercion!
  • Speaking of celebrations, I know how challenging it can be to organize an event of this size and stature – so a special thank you to CAPT Garis and the countless other heroes, Sailors and civilians that made this celebration possible!
  • Finally, some of the next generation of Naval Officers – where are the Midshipmen from University of Nebraska?! Welcome, if you haven’t done your service selection yet – by the end of the night I will be standing by to welcome you into the greatest fight club the world has ever known! The United States Submarine Force!
• Okay, in all seriousness, as RADM Carullo said, my name is Admiral Daryl Caudle, and for those of you who are unsure of what I do as the U-S Fleet Forces Commander, across my many hats to include the Naval Component Commander to STRATCOM and NORTHCOM – I am charged with organizing, training, and equipping a force of over 125,000 Sailors and Civilians with hundreds of ships, submarines, aircraft and support facilities across the U-S Atlantic Fleet that can ultimately prevail in a high-end conflict while meeting the objectives of our Operational Commanders. This is a tremendous responsibility but an even larger honor to lead our finest warriors at this level.
• In short, we protect America and our homeland from attack and go forward to defend our interests around the world – and if needed – ‘Whomp some ass’ and win decisively on terms favorable to the United States!
• And in my role as the Component Commander to General Cotton, the NAVSTRAT team and I work hard every day meet the STRATCOM motto – that “Peace is our Profession.”
• Because as Cold War Strategist George Kennan once said, “You have no idea how much it contributes to the politeness and pleasance of diplomacy when you have a little armed force in the background.” Ladies and Gentlemen, that combined effort – that is Deterrence at its finest!
• Perhaps even more important, as Secretary Austin said, “… the heart of American deterrence is the people who protect us and our allies.”
• That is why we are so incredibly excited to share the evening with you – protectors of democracies – and more so, to celebrate and honor those who could not be with us – those family members, friends, and shipmates who are out there right now, silently prowling the deep, stalking our adversaries – proving why we are the most lethal, feared, and respected force in the world.
• Before I get too worked up on how badass we are, allow me to express my gratitude to all of the spouses, family members, and loved ones here tonight for your steadfast support for all we do.
• I firmly believe that the strong foundation that our families provide at home enables service members to go to sea with confidence and conviction – and it is your strength, love, and determination that make us resilient – resilient enough to endure the long, difficult, and sometimes dangerous days far from home.
• And I recognize that you serve every bit as much, if not more, than our Sailors and Joint Force partners. 
• So, on behalf of all of us in uniform, thank you. We couldn’t do it without you. Everyone, please join me in giving our loved ones a big round of applause…

 

• Speaking of our shipmates and families, right now, there are around 15 submarines deployed throughout the world, experiencing firsthand why the President, the Secretary of Defense, the Combatant Commanders, and Navy leadership rely on the Submarine Force as the “first to the fight and last to leave as the steely-eyed killers of the deep.”
• Since our earliest days, we have maintained a near constant watch over this nation – one of our greatest leaders during World War II, Admiral Chester Nimitz, knew firsthand the strategic importance of what a fully armed and capable submarine crew could do.
• With that in mind, he said:
  • ‘It was to the Submarine Force that I looked to carry the load until our great industrial activity could produce the weapons we so sorely needed to carry the war to the enemy.’
• In nearly 80 years since the end of that war, I can tell you with absolute certainty, nothing has changed.
• Our leaders here in Omaha and around the world know that ‘those who desire peace must prepare for war.’
• Submariners everywhere understand the full weight of that statement – it is why we exist – it is what we live for.
• And as I look around at what is happening across this dynamic, global security environment, I can’t help to stop and think, thank God we have Submariners out there standing the watch – the sharp knife at the throat of malign forces that wish to unleash unfathomable harm to the world.
• While our nation is just beginning to come to terms with the true nature of this strategic, competitive environment – Our forces and capabilities underpin and enable all other joint forces operations. We do this in the face of challenges unlike anything America has ever encountered. We are confronting not one, but two nuclear peers, the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China.
• This reality, combined by missile developments in North Korea, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and the growing relationships amongst those nations, adds new layers of complexity to our strategic calculus – it is more evident than ever that we live in a high alert, and perhaps, the highest stake’s period in our history.
• The men and women of U-S Strategic Command do indeed have a proud history of keeping the watch and keeping us safe. It started with Strategic Air Command’s Alert Force which stood up on the 1st of October 1957 – nearly 67 years ago – the people who comprise this outstanding team have kept the watch, faithfully and persistently, without pause ever since.
• Thus, I think the Navy has always been a natural partner in this mission, because ours is indeed a culture built on keeping and standing the watch as well.
• Now, you are no doubt familiar with America’s nuclear triad – A compilation of platforms, weapons, and communication systems. The three legs of the U-S nuclear triad serve as the backbone of America’s national security and are the initial planning assumption for every war plan we have. The triad, along with assigned forces, provide 24/7 deterrence to prevent catastrophic actions from our adversaries and they stand ready, if necessary, to deliver a decisive response, anywhere, anytime.
• Now, the most survivable leg of the nuclear triad – our Boomers – have stood the watch, without pause, since U-S-S GEORGE WASHINGTON sailed from New London, Connecticut on November 15^th, 1960 for the world’s first strategic deterrent patrol. Today, those Boomers carry 70 percent of our nation’s deployed warheads. For months at a time, the Sailors of our Submarine Force keep the watch, only limited by the amount of food we can physically store onboard. 
• In fact, U-S Sailors have stood the watch around the world – in peace; in war; at sea; in port; above, on, and under the sea or ice – since the days of John Paul Jones.
• And, of course, this is absolutely still true today – U-S Sailors are standing watch across the globe. As the nation’s varsity away team, we have over one hundred ships right now deployed in every corner of the world – defending far forward supporting the men and women of U-S Strategic Command by defending America and our Allies from those who might wish to do us harm.
• This shared culture of keeping the watch, of standing the watch, is why I believe our Joint Force teams are so successful, so interoperable, so culturally similar!
• I was thrilled that my Boss, General Cotton, allowed me the opportunity to host the STRATCOM Component Commander’s Conference this year in Norfolk, Virginia. I think the residents of Hampton Roads are familiar with the grey-hulls and fast attack submarines in the Navy, but what made the conference truly special and likely brought a ‘W-T-F moment’ was the massing of talent and lethality, probably for the first time, where we provided tours of U-S-S WYOMING (S-S-B-N 742) and our TACAMO aircraft, as well as two flyovers by a B-2 and B-52... the only thing I couldn’t do was convince Global Strike to get a Minuteman I-C-B-M transferred to the base… “budget cuts” they said.
• But seriously, as General Cotton clearly states the United States is facing two nuclear near-peers in a complex Strategic Competitive environment that could turn to crisis and conflict with little notice – and that is true. But, fortunately sir, the Submarine Force is ready, the Submarine Force is alert, the Submarine Force is lethal, but most of all the Submarine Force is peerless due to our most extraordinary weapon system – our people!
• In fact, our previous Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GEN Mark Milley nailed it, he said – “… our Submarine Force is in a class by itself. The Russians and Chinese are not even in the same class. [Our team] can bring other Navies to their knees.” That doesn’t even encapsulate the awesome responsibility each of our Boomers take while on constant patrol with enough firepower to be considered one of the most powerful nuclear states in the world.
• For more than six decades, the United States has emphasized the need for a nuclear force that credibly deters adversaries, assures allies and partners, achieves U-S objectives should deterrence fail and hedges against uncertain threats.
• That is precisely why the following two words come out of the Pentagon when talking about the future of the Navy and our nation – and that’s “COLUMBIA” and “VIRGINIA.”
• I can proudly state without hesitation that the COLUMBIA Class is the Navy’s top acquisition priority, and we in the Fleet along with the Defense Industrial Base are all in to delivery it on time.
• Planned to be on patrol in the early 2030s, it will maintain a safe, credible, survivable, and modern sea-based strategic deterrent well into the 2080s.
• Undetectable when submerged, it will provide adequate range to allow operations far from adversaries in broad ocean areas. Designed with state-of-the-art stealth technology to remain concealed until we choose to be seen, it will continue providing the Nation’s most survivable leg of nuclear deterrent force for years to come.
• Everyone here clearly knows the truth of what I am saying – we are operating squarely in a maritime environment where strategic deterrence, global integration, interoperability meet action – where our Sailors stand in the face of our competitors.
• And although on the surface you may only hear calls for the nearest carrier strike group when crises arise – whether it be in the news, on social media, or in the public view – you can damn well be sure that our submarines are already there – operating with impunity deep in hostile waters.
• Now, we celebrate this evening not just for force’s history’s sake, but because our nation’s strategic forces have played a pivotal role in the writing of our nation’s history and our strategy; and this continues today.
• And, I firmly believe that strategic deterrence that you provide has helped prevent major power war for over 75 years. Let me tell you that those in this room, to those wearing these Dolphins as you head back to work tomorrow or back to your boats in the future, you will help define the new multi-peer strategy in this new, complex multi-peer paradigm.

 

• I know I am preaching to the choir a bit – you already know all of this because you are the ones out there, selecting the targets, providing the options for our President to consider. The bulk of the effort, of course, is under the purview of STRATCOM and its highly effective J-Codes and Directorates.
• Today’s Strategic Command is the product of an evolution from a nuclear command to a strategic command in the broadest sense – from an organization prepared to employ thermonuclear weapons in a general war, to a command that creates a variety of global strategic effects day to day in support of national endeavors in collaboration with all other Combatant Commanders.
• As I said before, our people are our greatest competitive advantage – just like everyone here in this room, we have hundreds, if not thousands, of extraordinary leaders across the Force.
• They are out there demonstrating our warrior’s ethos – balancing the demands of our profession with countless other tangential forces we face, exuding competency and confidence while leading with passion, energy, and flair – each with the exact right set of traits that underpin what it takes to build a winning combat team.
• These traits are not innate in us – they are forged – forged through years of training and experiences, triumphs and tribulations.  And for those of us who carry a little extra salt – we keep a critical eye on what we train, and how we train – honing our lethal edge and refining it for the future.
• This is reflected directly in our readiness – our ability to deter and defend around the world daily, and when necessary, fight and win decisively.
• Right now, our S-S-B-N forces are pushed out farther than we have before conducting joint operations globally, and demonstrating that we can operate with impunity anywhere, anyplace, any time.
  • Our ‘Triple Crown’ event is a prime example – we conducted U-S and U-K ballistic missile submarine operations across the Atlantic enhancing our strategic partnership and demonstrating our combined strength at-sea.
  • U-S-S RHODE ISLAND conducted two rare, surfaced transits through the Strait of Gibraltar.
  • And U-S-S WEST VIRGINIA conducted operations in the Indian Ocean, an open-ocean embark of the CENTCOM Commander, and a port visit to Diego Garcia.
  • USS KENTUCKY’s port visit to Busan, South Korea was the first S-S-B-N visit in 42 years and provided key leader engagements with ROK leadership.
• Likewise, our S-S-G-N forces are constantly engaged in experimentation and combined theater operations with SOF and Naval Special Warfare teams demonstrating their unique delivery capabilities while maintaining their near-constant forward presence as the most capable large volume strike asset across the Department of Defense.
• And not to be undersold, our fast attack crews are going back to their roots and operating as ‘wolfpacks’ while conducting theater undersea warfare missions.
  • Those wolfpacks have become synonymous with our ‘One Atlantic’ concept for maritime homeland defense tracking adversary submariners seamlessly across Unified Command Plan’s boundaries.
• Within and across all warfare domains, from the seabed to space, we are executing these missions and all of these operations right alongside our partners and allies. The C-N-O is right when she says, we need “a broader warfighting ecosystem that can fight and win as a Joint Force alongside our Allies and partners.”
• That is precisely why we constantly work to strengthen these existing strategic partnerships.
• And, that is also why we are enhancing and strengthening existing partnerships, like the recently announced AUKUS agreement, in which we are committed to sharing our craftsmanship, technology, training, and expertise with our United Kingdom and Australian shipmates, who are already world class submariners.
  • And we are already hosting the first cohorts of Aussies at Nuclear Power School in Charleston.  This training is so vital to the AUKUS effort – in that it provides the perspective, standards, and competency necessary to understand fully how to operate and maintain a world class nuclear Submarine Force.
• Your Submarine Force is defining its legacy through international, strategic, nuclear and integrated deterrence.

 

• A legacy of unmatched teamwork is something I want anchor on – this team, this force, and our future.
• We are the best, and we will continue to be because of those that have gone before us, who paved the way and set the standard for unmatched operational excellence and relentless mission execution.
• Those whose innovation, ingenuity, and cunning heroism, often through sheer acts of bold and fearless courage against indescribable danger, provided lessons to learn that forged our Force into what it is today.
• Many of those lessons came with a price – a price learned and paid for in blood. We just Tolled the Boats; a time honored Submarine Birthday Ball tradition. Of the 65 boats lost on eternal patrol, 52 of those submarines were lost during WWII. Of the 16,000 submariners that served during that war, over 3,500 never returned to their families, the highest casualty percentage of the American armed forces. Those Sailors made the ultimate sacrifice facing a brutal and relentless adversary in both the Pacific and Atlantic. Their sacrifice is what allows us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.
• However, for every casualty we suffered, we inflicted tenfold. Through countless daring actions – of which many were unwritten, unaccounted for, or heavily redacted – our Submarine Force emerged as the most formidable, lethal, and feared to ever sail the oceans.
  • Like U-S-S BARB under Eugene Fluckey, who sent an 8-man crew ashore in the sole landing on the Japanese mainland during World War II, blowing up a 16-car train – essentially a proof of concept for what Special Forces and a well-trained crew do today.
• And another venture attacking a Japanese Convoy off the Chinese coast, he told his crew:
  • “Shipmates…we’re going to find them and knock the socks off them. We’ll overwhelm, topple them, and keep them off balance until we’ve skidded out of the harbor. This surprise will be BARB’s greatest night, a night [for all] to remember.”
• Before the night concluded, BARB was then pursued by Japanese Frigates while that team set the land-speed record escaping attack at 23.5 knots and 150% overload.
• Guts – courage – mastery…call it whatever you want – I’ll just call it like it is. The apex predator mindset is engrained deep in the character and instincts of every single submariner to ever wear dolphins.
• Those submariners charted the course we sail today – and since that time – generations of submariners have lived and breathed this life. We are calculated, we are patient, and we are relentless. We face the same threats today – and the stakes are just as high.  We are the silent service – we own the deep – the undersea is where enemy submarines go to die!

 

• I truly can’t say it enough – as it was then, it is now – our Submarine Force remains the most lethal, capable, and feared combat force in the world – and for good reason. What we bring to bear cannot be replicated by anyone, anywhere.
• We must always strive to embody the same toughness, grit and tenacity our predecessors showed and prepare ourselves for effect – all focused on mission accomplishment through persistent presence, leveraging our overmatch, and delivering unbridled lethality.
• I know for a fact, and it is indisputable, that the future of U-S STRATCOM and the Submarine Force is on the right course – and that is because of what you and your families do every day. GEN Cotton and I can rest easy, knowing that this team, our team, has the watch.
• Donna and I are proud of each and every one of you – we can’t thank you enough for inviting us to share in this wonderful occasion – and we sincerely hope that you all have an amazing time tonight. Thank you again – and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 
NOTE: After Dinner, at approximately 2100: Now let us stand and continue the toasts to our leadership and the services.”
 General Cotton      “I propose a toast to the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States”
ADM Caudle         “To the true American heroes, our Veterans!”
Mr. Taylor           “To the United States Army!”
ETC ETC ETC…
 
 
NOTE: After Toasts, at approximately 2130: you will help with the Cake Cutting with the Oldest and Youngest Dolphin Wearers.
General Cotton, Admiral Caudle, would you to come forward to cut the cake with our senior and junior qualified submariners.”