Adm. Daryl Caudle

: NAVY CYBER DEFENSE OPERATIONS COMMAND, HALL OF HEROES SUFFOLK JOINT DOD COMPLEX, SUFFOLK

Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command

26 July 2024

Remarks as prepared for delivery. 

Good morning distinguished leaders and guests – welcome, and thank you for joining me in the Hall of Heroes for this very special event. Thank you for the kind introduction Kelly, and for inviting me to preside over today’s very special ceremony.
•    I’d like to thank CAPT Sharon Pinder and the Navy Cyber Defense Operations Center for hosting us today. I am proud to be here speaking this morning from the nerve center where our cyber-warriors shape the virtual battlefield every day for the next fight.
•    For those of you that don’t know this, the team right here at NCDOC is responsible for detecting, investigating, and responding to over five million cybersecurity threats daily. A truly staggering number that puts into perspective the magnitude of impact that this command brings to high-end modern warfare. So CAPT Pinder, Bravo Zulu to your entire team.  
•    It is my great privilege and honor to participate today in two of the Navy’s time-honored traditions, in what most would agree are the most prestigious and proudest moments for both you and your families as we formally recognize your contributions to the Navy and service to our nation.
•    First, you’ll bear witness to the “change of command” in which responsibility, authority, and accountability will pass seamlessly from one highly capable Commander to the other.
•    You will hear the greatest and perhaps most impactful moment in a Commander’s career with the words exchanged – “I relieve you” and “I stand relieved.”
•    I truly believe that one of the core strengths of our Navy comes in large measure from our adherence to the principles of command. Commanders have a unique responsibility to ensure that our naval forces are fully prepared to compete and deter, as well as fight and win decisively in defense of our nation and our vital national interests.
•    It is because of that responsibility, and the commensurate authority granted, that we hold Commanders accountable for the conduct, efficiency, effectiveness, health and welfare of all forces entrusted to them.
•    Then, finally, we’ll celebrate a lifetime of service as we ceremonially ‘ring off’ a shipmate and her family in recognition of their selfless service as their long and faithful watch is formally relieved by those she has led, trained and served alongside – returning them to the arms of a grateful nation.
•    Throughout my Navy career, I have found – and I am sure you would all agree – that alongside every successful Sailor is a dedicated Navy spouse and a committed Navy family. None of us got here without support from a hard-working team on the home front.
•    I firmly believe that the strong foundation our families provide at home enables service members to go forth and serve 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. A stronger family means a stronger Fleet.
•    Because of that, it is important to express our gratitude for what you do each and every day in support of our Sailors, the Navy, and the nation.
•    In doing so, I would like to extend a special welcome to Mike’s and Kelly’s families.
•    From the Vernazza family, we welcome today:
o    Mike’s daughter, LT Lauren Vernazza, a Surface Warfare/METOC Officer. After completing USS TRIPOLI’s maiden deployment, she transitioned to METOC and is stationed in Pearl Harbor. She travelled all the way here from Hawaii to share this special day with her father. This isn’t the first time she’s been by her father’s side for a promotion. She proudly pinned on his one-star rank in Memorial Hall at the Naval Academy when she was a Second Class Midshipman.
o    Mike’s sister, Laurel traveled from New Jersey to be here today.  Welcome Laurel.
o    Finally, we have Mike’s better half, longtime partner, and best friend, Karin. They have been by each other’s side since 1986, when they were Midshipmen in the same class at the Naval Academy. They even married the day after their graduation. After 28 years of serving her country in uniform, Karin retired as a Captain.
o    So Karin, thank you for your continued dedication and selfless commitment alongside Mike. Donna and I are excited to work with you and are looking forward to your leadership in support of NAVIFOR, our Navy spouses, and families everywhere.
•    From the Aeschbach family, we are joined by:
o    Her oldest son, Conner, who not only is a varsity rower for the Oregon State University Crew team, but he balances his time excelling in a demanding Navy ROTC program too. He must have inherited the “steely eyed killer of the deep” gene from his mother’s side, because he recently volunteered to be a Submarine Officer just like his grandfather John.
o    Her youngest son, Iain is a Volunteer of a different variety, at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he is a sophomore majoring in business administration. He is charting his own course in a new direction away the “family business” of military service, but Iain, I’ve got to tell you, if you ever get bored of starting up your own company, I got a nice spot for you right next to your brother in the Submarine Program. 
    To Mike and Kelly’s children, thank you for your understanding, courage, and commitment to a life of service. I know it has not always been easy, and not one that you chose for yourself, but you have grown up to be strong, proud, determined young adults and I know your Navy-enabled experiences will serve you well into your bright and promising futures.
o    Next, Kelly’s parents – CAPT John Almon, a Retired Submarine Commanding Officer of four different boats and his wife Roni, coming in from Colorado. John and Roni were instrumental in Kelly’s success. Knowing she was brilliant and destined for the stars, they provided a nurturing home and a “gentle nudge” (as gentle as a Submariner can nudge) towards a scholarship after looking at the price tag of the illustrious schools that Kelly wanted (perhaps better said) begged to attend. 
o    Kelly claims that it was her mother, not her father, that helped her realize how competitive she was for a Navy ROTC scholarship, helping her take the first step of achieving her remarkable Naval career, starting at George Washington University.
o    However, her father John’s impact on Kelly has also been palpable and profound. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would swear Kelly is an 1120.  It’s my understanding that Kelly’s father John was concerned that his uniform devices, including his Boomer Patrol Pin and four deterrent patrol stars were properly placed for today’s ceremony. Kelly shares this attention to detail, not allowing hope to be the basis for a plan, and the idea of forceful backup even with family members to ensure precise execution occurs every time.  So, thank you John for building Kelly with these same leadership traits. 
o    We also have Kelly’s brothers Mike traveling from Albany and Ryan coming from Houston.
o    We’re also joined by Kelly’s mother-in-law Elanna who made the trip from Florida. 
o    We have Uncle Steve, a SWO and Naval Academy Grad and Aunt MaryAnn, with cousin, Diane. 
o    We also welcome Aunt Nancy with cousins Tony (a retired SWO), Karan, and Lydia with their families
o    Last, but certainly not least, we are most grateful to welcome Kelly’s most staunch supporter and warrior in his own right, her husband Rob. He rightfully deserves a tremendous amount of credit, for after serving our Nation in the Marine Corps, he retired and commanded a brand new battlefield: raising two amazing children.
o    Kelly and Rob recently celebrated their 22nd anniversary last month, remembering their wedding on the warm beaches of Jamaica. After meeting in San Diego, they spent most of their engagement living in different cities. They decided that neither Millington, Tennessee nor Fort Sill, Oklahoma had the right backdrop for those perfect wedding photos, so they chose Jamaica instead! 
o    Keeping with their globe-trotting tendencies, their very first duty station together was in London, England, where both Conner and Iain were born. 
o    As a family, they have met the challenges of military life head-on, including nine moves back and forth across the country and overseas. 
o    Kelly’s boys took those challenges in stride, fearless and confident, even in the face of being the “new kid” at school eight different times each, including three different high schools. 
o    Rob, as an artillery officer with four deployments on Amphibious Assault ships, is tough as nails and rises to any challenge. I can only imagine the level of friendly and loving competition that exists between these two hard-chargers, especially in kitchen cooking up gourmet meals. But we all know who wins that round, don’t we Rob? Hint: it ain’t Kelly!
o    Though being a full-time dad after an arduous 32 years in the Marine Corps might be enough for most humans, not Rob. 
o    He volunteers with US Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Naval Officer Spouse Club, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. He even became a Certified Financial Planner to continue his service to the military community by providing counseling and financial mentoring to Sailors, Marines, and their families. 
o    Rob, your service is the epitome of what it means to be a Marine Corps Officer and a Navy spouse. In my experience, this is rare for many male spouses who struggle integrating deeply within spouse organizations and events.  Not Rob – he's all in!  Rob, you are the embodiment of resiliency, warrior-toughness, and selfless service. I believe I can speak for everyone when I say the Navy, the Marine Corps, and Kelly are all better because of your leadership and dedication.
•    So thank you to Mike’s and Kelly’s families and their amazing spouses, and for all of our Navy families supporting us! How about a round of applause!
•    Okay, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the sheer breadth of capabilities that Naval Information Warfare Command provides, Kelly has been responsible for providing forces that generate, develop, and integrate all of the Navy’s information-based systems and capabilities, including communications, networks, intelligence, meteorology, oceanography, cryptology, electronic warfare, cyberspace operations, and space operations into our Navy’s standard model. 
•    In our modern age where competitors seek to change the status quo below the threshold of armed conflict, Kelly has been responsible for shaping the battlefield of the next conflict in our nation’s favor. Her team is already operating forward in an unprecedented, modern battlespace, leading the charge to deter those attempting to gain the upper hand. 
•    Kelly, you’ve truly been an outstanding leader at a pivotal time for our Navy and our nation. 
•    Your career accomplishments are too robust to list them all, and while I take some time to highlight a few – through the diligence of her staff, steeped in naval tradition – we may slightly embarrass her, as we wish her luck in her future endeavors. 
•    In her incredible career, Kelly:
o    Has deployed to every major theater, from Alaska to Okinawa, from England to Afghanistan, where she spent over a year in Kabul. 
o    In fact, while serving in Afghanistan, she was worried about one thing.  And that was not about being shot at; it was not about being in the explosive arc of an IED.  It was something much more devastating and impactful – and that was the likelihood of a chocolate withdrawal.  Because chocolate isn’t a commonly found item there, Kelly had serious concerns.  Fortunately, Rob rose to the occasion when he and the family turned their home into a chocolate distribution center to send enough dark chocolate overseas to keep Kelly focused and withdrawal symptom free.
o    Her list of places she’s traveled is as long as an elephant’s trunk, which is fitting because she proudly claims she has the memory of one. However, we aren’t sure if that’s true or if she just forgot the expression of having the memory of a ‘goldfish’ and replaced it with ‘elephant’. 
o    Recognizing that she needed top talent to compete and win in this complicated information domain, she opened new lanes to expand the recruiting and accession of Information Warfare officers directly from ROTC, including the first midshipmen cruises of the Information Warfare community.
o    She was the first “I-Boss” - cementing her place in history by creating a cool callsign, which we know is crucially important in the military.  
o    She filled diverse assignments at U-S Special Operations Command, Amphibious Squadron One, Carrier Strike Group Nine, and Headquarters for Operation Resolute Guardian in Afghanistan.
•    She achieved remarkable results during her command tours, at every level, including 
o    NCTAMS – LANT, one of her proudest command tours, in which she was responsible for delivering resilient, responsive, and secure operational and tactical communications across the globe.
o    Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence
o    And finally, as NAVIFOR, which as I said, we now proudly refer to as the “I-Boss.”
•    Kelly – you have one of the hardest jobs in the Navy. From building Cyber Warfare Teams to the Space Cadre to the new Robotics Rating, you’re always solving some of our most complex personnel challenges from a zero-sum game pool for warriors.
•    From figuring out how to work with the FAA for spectrum approvals for our Strike Groups to determining how our Triton UAVs will collect, process, and disseminate intelligence to our MOCs, you have created enduring impact for our Navy.
•    And perhaps most important, your emphasis on ensuring unprecedented reliability for our Nuclear Command and Control and Communication systems to making your entire portfolio ready for high end combat operations through your C5I Campaign Plan, you have set our Information Warfare forces on the exact right trajectory to achieve the overmatch we’ll need against our most pacing adversaries to win decisively in combat.
•    Kelly, looking at the totality of your achievements across years of dedicated service and the impressive resume you built, it is easy to see why you’ve been so successful – specifically, your true pleasure in life - to mentor, lead, and develop Sailors to meet their full potential.
•    You recognized the hard truth that we may find ourselves in conflict with a peer competitor with little to no notice. You also know that it is important to “Get Real and Get Better,” but in order to ‘Be Ready’ for the fight we need a highly capable Navy that is well-equipped, trained, and resilient.
•    On a personal note, it has truly been an honor to serve with you. You are a consummate warfighter, and a deep thinker. You’re stubborn and dogmatic.  Traits I love. You’re relentless towards your goals, but so caring and genuine toward your people. It is abundantly clear that your unmatched vision, innovation, and even more impressive, your effective execution at all levels of command have made our Information Forces, our Navy and our nation stronger.
•    As you and Rob set out on your post-Navy plans to travel around the UK, coming back for the holidays with your parents in Colorado, we know you’ll find a nice quiet house on the Puget Sound and a kitchen with a whole drawer filled with dark chocolate, where you can reflect on the most rewarding times of your remarkable Naval career.
•    To our incoming Commander – Mike Vernazza - Donna and I are so excited to welcome Karin and you back to Norfolk.  You were my “by-name-request” for this position. I am confident you are the right leader at the right time to continue making substantial change to take our Information Forces to new heights. I know you will lead your team to meet and exceed the highest standards.
•    Your previous assignments as Deputy Commander, US 10th Fleet, command of Naval Information Warfighting Development Center, and most recently as Commander, Fleet Information Warfare Command Pacific tell me that you know what it takes to generate, train and employ forces capable at winning at the highest levels of combat operations. I know you are prepared for the challenges you will face as the next Commander of Naval Information Forces as I-Boss.
•    I’ll give you the same advice I give every commander I’ve been fortunate enough to lead. You’re in charge – take charge. Lead boldly with grit, tenacity, and innovation. Just like Kelly did.
•    I look forward to following NAVIFOR’s continued successes.
•    Kelly and Rob, once again, I am confident I speak for everyone here when I say we are sad to see you go… It’s hard to imagine the Navy, NAVIFOR, and our Norfolk Flag and Spouse Mess without you both.
•    You both have given so much of yourselves to NAVIFOR, our Sailors, and the nation. You should be rightfully proud of the life you’ve made for yourselves – a life of service.  We will carry on the torch you have borne these 34 years, and will strive to embody the principles of grace, humility, and excellence from the standard you both have set.
•    Have no doubt, as you are piped ashore one last time while wearing the cloth of our nation, you leave behind a remarkable legacy of operational excellence, unmatched vision, and sage counsel – all of which the Navy and NAVIFOR will fundamentally and substantially benefit for years to come.
•    Donna and I wish you both the very best of luck in your future endeavors. Thank you for all you have done for our Sailors, for our Marines, for our Navy, and for our nation – and may you always find fair winds and following seas.
•    Thank you.