but unlike her sister ships, this ship has a secret weapon, her name is susan. susan ford bales has redefined what being a sponsor means. her love for the ship, her father's legacy, and our nation has been inspiring. she has provided to us a living connection to the great man, husband, president, and dad for whom this ship is named. we will always consider her our fellowship builder and friend. to susan and the entire ford family, to captain mccormick and his crew, and to the ship builders and all of our supplier businesses, across the united states that made this incredible ship possible, congratulations on the commissioning of uss gerald r. ford. thank you. [applause] >> thank you.

admiral john richardson, united states navy, chief of naval operations. [applause] >> thank you. good morning, everybody. and welcome aboard 100,000 tons of made in the usa. all right? [applause] and embodied perhaps best in our fair sponsor suzanne ford bails, thank you for bringing your spirit to the ship. so, a day of celebration for the ford family.

as matt so clearly and concisely said, a day of celebration for our ship builders, here in newport news and throughout the nation who work so hard to bring this ship together. it's definitely a day of celebration for the captain and grew of the gerald r. ford who from this day forward will now no longer be a ship building project, but will be a war ship and a crew. and finally, a great day of celebration for the navy and the nation. for when gerald r. ford moves forward, starts cutting into the waves, she'll be protecting our interests and defending our nation for years to come. to give you a sense of what we're talking about here, the last person to command the gerald r. ford has not even been born yet. that's how long this ship will

be around. so, it's a great day of celebration for so many, but it is not a celebration for everybody. those in the world who wish to terrorize us here in the united states and abroad, those who wish to challenge our shores, planning for attack. those who may challenge our prosperity and our trade, those who challenge our values, this is not a day of celebration for them, this is their worst nightmare and they will lie awake at night fearing that they may one day come and appear on the target list of the u.s.s. gerald r. ford. and so, god bless the gerald r. ford of the united states navy. [applause] god bless the ford and the navy, a comfort to our nation and her allies, and a

nightmare to our enemies. thank you very much. [applaus [applause] >> thank you, admiral richa richardson. ladies and gentlemen, secretary of the navy, acting. [applaus [applause] >> susan, you have built well and your team of ship builders, their tremendous workmanship is only exceeded by their tremendous patriotism. your your father would be very proud. mr. president, one of your predecessors famously remarked, speak softly and carry a big stick. we offer you, sir, a big stick. [applaus

[applause]. for many distinguished guests officer and crew who proudly call yourself the gerald r. ford, history will remember him as the man who when the great constitutional crisis of the last century gripped our nation, would be chosen by congress to lead our nation and today, we remember him as the man who, when the seas were at their most tempest-tossed, gave orders to the helm, steady she goes. and in doing so, returned our ship of states safely to harbor and restored trust in our government. and as we consider this ship, his ship, which will serve our country throughout much of this next century, in our navy, we take pride knowing that long before he became our commander-in-chief, before he rose through the ranks of our congress, he served in our navy

and his years at sea, at war in the pacific, taught him that most fundamental truth, a truth that would serve him throughout his time at the helm of our congress, and of our country, that we are a maritime nation, that the freedoms we cherish so deeply here in america, that the blessings of these freedoms and the strengths of our navy, they're one. in his time, president ford commissioned what was then the navy's newest aircraft carrier, the u.s.s. nimitz. his remarks that day ring true this day, as each of us looks upon this great ship, he said, a single thought must seize our mind, that only the united states of america can make a machine like this. there is nothing like it in the world. wherever she shows her flag, she will be seen as we see her now, a solid symbol of the united

states strength, the united states resolve, made in america, manned by americans, and so, it is today the u.s.s. nimitz is underway in the arabian sea and the sister ship george h.w. bush, is turning into the wind and ronald reagan stands watch over the western pacific and yes, she is ships stand as a symbol of the united states strength and united states resolve. they are our nation's great instrument of security and, too, of goodwill. so, skipper, as we marvel at the technology and daunting numbers that measure this ship, never lose sight that in time of crisis, you will be the first to respond and when called upon, you will deliver the final word in the bidding of our nation. whenever you sale-sale-- whenever you sail, wherever you

sail, you will be a symbol of united states resolve and you will be a symbol of the man whose name you bear. so, steady she goes. there is truly nothing like it in the world today. g godspeed, gerald r. ford. good bless your sponsor who gives you strength and god bless these united states who you will defend. thank you. [applaus [applause] >> thank you, secretary stackly. ladies and gentlemen, the honorable james mattis, secretary of defense. [applaus [applause] >> president trump, ladies and gentlemen, today, a magnificent

war ship joins the best navy in the world and it's named after a tried and true member of the greatest generation and that spirit will permeate this ship so long as it sails on the seas, as well as the u.s. navy spirit we have just begun to fight and mr. president, you'll send this ship in harm's way and they'll happily sail in harm's way for you for our nation and for what we stand for. enough words have been spoken, let me say what you've been waiting to hear. ladies and gentlemen, our commander-in-chief, president donald trump. thank you. [applause]

[applause] >> thank you very much, secretary mattis, for that wonderful introduction and your devoted service to our nation. nobody's done it like you. i'm thrilled to be back on this magnificent ship for this historic moment, with the amazing men and women of the united states navy. [applaus [applause]. i was with you four months ago and i knew that i had to be here today and i told you i'd be back to congratulate you and the crew and everybody involved on commissioning the newest, largest and advanced aircraft carrier in the history of this world. that's a big achievement. after today wherever this ship

sails, you will all carry a proud title, plank owner of the u.s.s. gerald r. ford. [applaus [applause]. for the rest of your lives you'll be able to tell your friends and family you've served on the greatest ship in the united states navy and in my opinion on the greatest ship anywhere in the world. everyone should take a moment to celebrate in incredible achievement. i want to thank the many public servants who have joined us here today. treasury secretary mnuchin, governor snyder, governor mccauliffe, senator wicker and members of congress, secretary stackley, admiral richardson, senior military leaders and of

course, the great captain mccormick. [applaus [applause]. captain, i know you will ex exemplify the hit many. proud of you captain. thank you. thank you to the entire ford family, susan, jack, steve, mike, for all you've done to support this ship on its voyage. thank you, susan. [applause] i also want to recognize two other people who were very special to president ford. thank you vice-president cheney and former secretary of defense, rumsfeld. [applause]. thank you.

they look great. they look great. as we put this stunning ship into the service of our nation, we must also pay tribute to thousands of citizens, military and civilian, who helped design and build her. their love of country has been put into every rivet and bulkhead on this vessel. you hammered, chiseled, and sculpted this mighty hull. you were there when the first steel was cut, when the turbines first roared to life and when those beautiful bronze propellers first began to spin, and spin they did. and now you are here to witness the moment when your incredible work of heart becomes the prize of the united states navy and a symbol of american power and prestige, no matter where in the world you go.

american steel and american hands have constructed a 100,000 ton message to the world, america might is second to none, and we're getting bigger and better and stronger every day of my administration, that i can tell you. [applaus [applause]. wherever this vessel cuts through the horizon, our allies will rest easy and our enemies shake with fear because everyone will know that america is coming and america is coming strong. [applaus [applause] >> to every worker from newport news ship building, and every

craftsman and engineer who helped build this incredible fortress on the sea, today we salute you. thank you. [applaus [applause] >> your skill and your grit, build the instruments of war that preserve peace. this ship is the deterrent that keeps us from having to fight in the first place, but this ship also assures that if a fight does come, it will always end the same way, we will win, win, win. we will never lose. we will win. [applaus [applause]. when it comes to battle we don't want a fair fight, we want just the opposite. we demand victory and we will have total victory, believe me.

[applaus [applause]. having the best technology and equipment is only one part of the american military dominance. our true strength is our people. our greatest weapon is all of you. our nation endures because we have citizens who love america and who are willing to fight for america. america. [applaus [applause] >> we are so very blessed with warriors who are willing to serve america in the greatest fighting force in history, the united states military. today this ship officially begins its role in the noble military history of our great nation. in a few moments, i will commission this wonderful,

beautiful, but very, very powerful war ship. captain mccormick will assume command. he will set the first watch and then the crew of the gerald r. ford will man the ship and bring her to life. [applaus [applause] >> a ship is only as good as the people who serve on it and the american sailor is the best anywhere in the world. among you are great welders, radar technicians, machine operators, and pilots. you take pride in your work and america takes pride in you. we love you. we are proud of you. thank you. [applaus

[applause] >> but that is why it's so fitting that this ship is named after a sailor of tremendous character, integrity, and wisdom. you know that, susan. gerald ford was raised in american heartland. he grew up in grand rapids and became an eagle scout. he played football at the university of michigan on a team that won two national championships and listen to this, on that great team, he was named mvp. not bad. he then went to yale law school and after pearl harbor, he volunteered to serve. president ford joined the navy and asked to be sent to sea. he wanted to do that very badly. he never really knew why he felt

it was a calling. he was assigned to a new carrier, the monteray, becoming a plank owner himself on his commissioning in 1943. from there, he sailed to the pacific and saw action and a lot of action in the pacific war. like so many others of his generation, gerald ford returned home and started a family. he ran for congress, where he served the people of michigan with honor for many years. from there, he became vice-president and then president of the united states of america. with this ship, we honor him for his lifetime of selfless and distinguished service. we also remember his wife, betty. i remember her well. and we honor the bravery she showed in living her life so that her experiences could help

others. susan, she was a great woman, a great woman. [applaus [applause] >> gerald ford said that his time in the navy convinced him that our lack of military preparation before world war ii had only encouraged our enemies to fight harder and harder and harder. he learned a lot. in the future, ford said, i felt the united states had to be strong, never again could we allow our military to be anything, but the absolute best. if he could see this ship today, president gerald ford would see his vision brought to life and he would see his legacy of service being carried on by each and every one of you.

[applaus [applause] >> gerald ford embodied american values like few others. love of family, love of freedom and most of all, love of country. he knew that patriotism is the heartbeat of a nation. he knew that we must love our country in order to protect it and he knew that we must have pride in our history, if we are going to have confidence in our future. the men and women of america's armed services are part of a living history. you uphold timeless customs and traditions and you protect our nation and our freedom for the next generation to come. you are fulfilling your duty to this nation and now, it is the

job of our government to fulfill its duty to you. [applaus [applause] >> for years, our government has subjected the military to unpredictable funding and a devastating defense sequester, you remember that sequester? not good. this has led to deferred maintenance, a lack of investment in new equipment and technology, and a shortfall in military readiness. in other words, it's been a very, very bad period of time for our military. that is why we reached a deal to secure an additional $20 billion for defense this year and it's going up, and why i asked congress for another $54 billion

for next year. now we need congress to do its job and pass the budget that provides for higher, stable, and predictable funding levels for our military needs, that our fighting men and women deserve. and you will get, believe me. president trump, i will tell you, you will get it. don't worry about it. but i don't mind getting a little hand, so call that congressman and call that senator and make sure you get it. [applaus [applause] >> and by the way, you can also call those senators to make sure that you get health care. [applaus [applause] >> we must end the defense

sequester once and for all. we must also reform defense acquisitions to ensure that we're getting the best equipment at the best prices so that our dollars are used only for the best interests of our country and those who serve. we do not want cost overruns. we want the best equipment, but we want it built ahead of schedule and we want it built under budget. [applaus [applause] >> this is the very least we can do for the patriots who have volunteered to give their sweat, their blood and if they must, their very lives for our great nation. the commissioning of this new american carrier marks the renewal of our commitment to a future of american greatness. greater than ever before.

remember that, greater than ever before. just moments from now, the captain will set the first watch on the u.s.s. gerald r. ford, and with god's grace, a watch will stand until the day she is decommissioned, 50 years or more from now. most of you who will man this ship today are just about 20 years old. together, you are embarking on a truly great adventure. the journey will require all of your talents, all of your efforts and all of your heart. as you know, the sea holds many challenges and threats, but starting today, you will face together, as a team, aboard this ship, which is your responsibility and your home. three generations of americans

will eventually man these decks. perhaps even some of your own children and grandchildren some day. you will inspire many more american patriots to follow your lead and to serve and one day, when you are old, and have lived a long and hopefully happy and successful life, you may find yourselves back aboard this ship surrounded by your family to mark its decommission, and on that day, our entire nation will honor not just this carrier, it will honor you and the role you will have played in keeping america safe, strong, and free. to every patriot who will serve on this ship today and throughout history, i say this, keep the watch, protect her,

defend her, and love her. good luck and godspeed. thank you to the ford family and thank you to every sailor in the greatest navy on earth. god bless you, god bless the gerald r. ford, and god bless the united states of america. thank you very much. god bless you all. [applause] [applause] >> thank you, mr. president. i'd be honored if you would place gerald r. ford in commission. will the guests please rise?

ship's company, attention. i hereby place united states ship gerald r. ford in commission. may god bless and guide this war ship and all who shall sail in her. god bless you. thank you. [applaus [applause] >> thank you, mr. president. executive officer hoist the colors and the commissioning pennant. >> aye, captain. >> ladies and gentlemen, i direct your attention to the ship's mast as we hoist the colors and commission pennant.

quartermaster, hoist the colors and the commission pennant. >> aye, aye, sir. [drum roll] >> will the guests please be seated? captain, the colors and the commission pennant are flying over united states ship gerald r. ford. >> very well. >> i will now read my orders from commander naval military personnel captain to captain richard mccormick united states navy. subject order 1990, 06-january,

2016. when directed by reporting senior detached in january 2015 from present duty and commission gerald r. ford, cvn 78 as commission officer. upon commission of u.s.s. gerald r. ford report for duty as commander officer. admiral richardson, gerald r. ford is in commission and i am in command. [applause] [applause]. executive officer, set the first watch. >> aye, captain.