." >> i learned in the military, i was assigned with u.s. navyt distracted. >> reporter: as a former navy jag officer, ron desantis is the only military veteran running in 2024. and as the florida governor looks to make in roads in the gop primary, he's leaning into his report of service. if you're going to put the armed forces into danger, you need to understand what you're doing, you need to understand what you're asking them to do. >> reporter: retired captain dan bean was desantis' commander during his time in the navy reserve. like some other allies, bean has encouraged desantis who supporters say prefers to talk about policy and accomplishments rather than his personal story, to talk more about his time in the u.s. navy. >> he never talked about his service in fallujah. >> biden's late son beau served in afghanistan. ambassador nikki haley's husband has deployed with the national guard. former vice president mike pence's son is a marine. but desantis is the only candidate who's worn a uniform. that's something his team believes will resonat

probably could have had your pick of going to wall street and had a lucrative -- instead you joined the u.s. navycame a jack officer and went to falluja, seal team one. i would ask why did you do that. what did you learn over there? that was the sunni triangle, really tough fight. how did that experience shape you as a man and as a leader. >> great question. i was a blue collar kid, my parents were working-class, i put myself through school, a baseball player doing that. september 11th caused me to want to join the military. our nation was in crisis. we were in conflict and as an american i felt i should do my part however small. i made a lot less money, but it was something meaningful to me. my wife and i got invited monday to attend the 9/11 remembrance at ground 0. that was very special and moving but also something i was thousands of miles landed impacted my life. and in special operations environments, there is people from all walks of life, everybody has different opinions, their own personal agenda, and check that at the door when you put that uniform on. it is all about accomplishing a mi

but instead, you joined the u.s. navy, you became a j.a.g. officer, and you went to fallujah and were attached to seal team 1. i would ask, why did you do that? what did you learn over there? because that was the sunni try angle, it was a tough -- triangle, it was a tough fight, and how duz did that experience shape you as a man and a leader? mr. desantis: great question. i was a blue collar kid growing up. i was working minimum wage jobs to put myself through school, i was a baseball player doing all that. september 11 caused me to want to join the military. our nation was in crisis. we can't have a draft but i felt that as an american i should do my part, however small. and get school paid for, anything like that, obviously made a lot less money. but it was something that was meaningful to me. incidentally my wife and i just got invited on monday to attend the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 remembrance at ground zero along with the 9/11 families. that was very special, very moving. it was also something that i was thousands of miles away and

these are u.s. navys is not some kook out in the woods saying i saw something weird. these are u.s. navy pilots would say that is not explainable by anything we've ever seen in the skies anywhere. >> i'm scriptable on most things and i'm skeptical here. as a possible we've been visited lots and lots of times by aliens? sure. these sites go back 40 to 50 years. are you telling me they never reached out to us in any way? that we know of out of all that time?i don't know. i don't buy it. >> they reached out to me. >> but have they said? >> on a less serious note. i love the idea of this website. how many people are going to be filling in stories and how many tales of whoever's looking at the website are going to have to be chasing. >> as a skeptic i'm glad you have the website. first of all if it doesn't hurt national security it's always better to have more information. get this information out to the public. hopefully it will dispel conspiracy theories although, probably not. starting in the fall people w

i have personally watched three different surface-to-air missile launches during my time in the u.s. navy, and two of those weapons failed pretty spectacularly after launch. only one, which was a much newer system, function properly. i have witnessed surface-to-air missiles malfunctioning. i know this happens. guided missiles are not perfect things. we have no idea how old this weapon was, what the potential cause for the malfunction would be. what we can say is that multiple overlapping lines of evidence pointed -- point to this being a tragic mistake, not an intentional act. >> you obviously stand by your reporting. you have heaps and heaps of proof. how do you respond to that? how do you feel about that? >> it does not bother me. we stand by our reporting 100%. we have excellent people on the team that did this. if the government wants to say that we feed russian propaganda, that's on them. that is their choice to characterize it that way. we prefer to have an opportunity to discuss this. we have reached out to the ukrainian government from the very beginning of our work, and they were

in manila bay, japanese and u.s. navy warships sit side-by-side, ready for joint drills.d support has emboldened the philippines to speak out. >> is david versus goliath. but like david, we will double down on the need to protect the resources, which are important for the fishing communities. reporter: this depute -- dispute could have a profound impact. once the future was determined by ocean currents. now it might depend on the resolve of world leaders. >> one note before we go. euro might remember the empty time capsule unveiled at west point last week. now the box supposedly held a metal and narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ geoff:

weapon from the new u.s. navy. when 24 months are up. all right.up on the kron 4 morning news, an astronaut from the north bay honored in her hometown for accomplishment. we're going to hear how she is feeling. and today is another hazy one. unfortunately, poor air quality, especially for the quality, especially for the south ba you know i got two home runs. you got two jacks. and then my grand slam. i signed a ball for you. okay. and it says papa i love you. why did you do that? because you've taught me everything about baseball. oh hunny bunny, that's so sweet. (♪♪) (♪♪) >> ill and nasa astronaut born in petaluma was honored in her hometown. the mayor and city council klain this tuesday. nicole mandate. well, nasa commander nicole mann was greeted by thousands of students, 5 different schools in the city of petaluma. mann spent 5 months aboard the space station becoming nasa's first native american woman in space. the commander addressed the crowd. words of inspiration. take a listen. >> that's a barrier in way right down there. asked for help, g

in the event of a nuclear attack, the u.s. navy has a fleet of the world's largest submarines they are the first line of defense, and our courtney kube got rare access inside one, as the crew performed a critical missile test >> reporter: hidden deep in the ocean, one of the navy's most lethal floating weapons performing a final test to get cleared for its next mission. the "uss louisiana," known as a boomer, carries up to 20 nuclear missiles, concealed hundreds of feet below the surface. it keeps enemies guessing about where and when it could strike >> the sole mission is to go to sea, is to survive, and is to deter major power conflict through nuclear deterrence >> reporter: i'm standing in the middle of dozens of missile launch tubes inside them, the triton long-range nuclear missile. it's meant to deter america's enemies from striking. but if that doesn't work, the crew of this submarine have to be ready to launch one of these at a moment's notice they practice launches dozens of times. it starts with a dive. >> last man down,

. >>> happening now, u.s. navyfrom monterey county is being brought home today 79 years after his plane went down in the pacific during world war ii. the plane carrying the remains of wilber metz, and from there he'll be taken to seaside where he'll be laid to rest next monday. san jose naval reserve officers will provide full military honors. >>> nfl season kicks off tonight right here on nbc bay area just in time, the niners are reeling in their star holdout with the in their star holdout with the record breing akde i know what it's like to perform through pain. if you're like me, one of the millions suffering from pain caused by migraine nurtec odt may help. it's the only medication that can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks. treat and prevent, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. we're in this together. talk to a doctor about nurtec odt. ya know, if you w

. >> reporter: mitts, a u.s. navydioman , died while flying over the pacific during the world war ii mission against japanese forces . his plane was last seen spinning violently, before crashing into the water near the island of palau. mitts and his crew members were declared killed in action, and awarded the purple heart. his niece, diana, is his oldest surviving relative, and even though she has never met him, she says uncle wilbur's memory always loomed large. >> we grow up around all of wilbur's pictures, his belongings. >> reporter: his family had given up on ever recovering his body . but, earlier this year, after submitting dna tests, his relatives got a call from an organization called project cover , telling them they had finally identified his remains. michelle abby is an official and says on a day like this, it's bittersweet. >> it feels good. there is a sense of closure, a sense of comfort. and, the sense that everything is as it should be. >> reporter: on thursday, highway 101 was lined with first respond

it's not likely to ever go back out to sea the navy awarded $500 million to modernize the "vicksburg," and it's still not done. then, there's the 31-year-old u.se, the "uss boise," under repair for eight years. earlier this month, lawmakers grilling navy officials >> there's really no excuse i think it's time for a hair on fire task force on this issue. >> reporter: the navy is cutting down repair times, but the backlog still costs taxpayers billions, according to diana mauer with the watchdog government accountability office. >> it just does not make a lot of sense to have a ship sit in maintenance for six years, performing no missions, where they're spending tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars on a modernization that may never actually be put out to sea again. >> reporter: the navy has said each year, they ask congress to retire old ships, but lawmakers object, because the repair work guarantees jobs in their districts and others think they need as many ships as possible, no matter their conditions, to deter china. the "vicksburg" is docked near congressman rob whitman's virginia district. he tells us he's opposed to retiring the shi

he went down the road 15 miles away and signed up to join the u.s. navy.college degree from north dakota state and in those days if you had a college degree they had a program called 90 day wonders. go to the naval station. they could build destroyers, putting young men on those boats. he had never seen the ocean before. i don't think he knew how to swim. he joined the navy and went off and they were apart for close to 2.5 years during that time. they fought their way as you know all the way to japan in one of those final battles. there were 151 destroyers there and 129 were hit by, because these. my dad was on one that did not take a hit. it's only by the grace of god i'm standing here with all of you. where i grew up with a father who understands what service and sacrifice is all about. all of those folks that sacrifice. one half of the mias in our entire history going back to the revolutionary war missing in action. one half of those or world war ii u.s. navy sailors. i think about that and it matters today. but my mom, she was amazing. my dad passed aw

the terror attacks inspired him to join the u.s. navy. today he believes china is our top national security threat. >> we don't want a war with china. we want to prevent a war with china. i think the way you prevent the war is through strength and having a strong military. >> if china invades taiwan, would you commit u.s. military forces to defend taiwan? >> taiwan is an ally. i've been very clear on that. we have very long-standing u.s. policy about how we project our actions and intentions with guarding taiwan. you will see a continuity of that with me as president. >> reporter: one place where desantis wants to use u.s. troops is on the border. >> would you commit u.s. troops to taking out these mexican cartels? >> we are going to lean in, and we are going to defend our country. so i was at the border in arizona. there was one part where there was a stretch of wall. these guys are working on the base of the wall. i'm like, what are you doing? they're like, we're repairing it. i said, what happened? they said the cartels can cut through

the terror attacks inspired him to join the u.s. navy. national security threat. >> we don't want a war with china. we want to prevent a war with china. i think the way you prevent the war is through strength and having a strong military. >> norah: if china invades taiwan, would you commit u.s. military forces to defend ta taiwan? >> taiwan is an ally. i have been very clear on that. we have very long-standing u.s. policy about how we project our actions and intentions regarding taiwan, you will see a continuity of that with me as president. >> norah: one place where desantis wants to use u.s. troops is on the border. would you commit u.s. troops to taking out these mexican cartels? >> we are going to lean in and we are going to defend our country. and so i was at the border in arizona, there was one part where there was a stretch of all, these guys are working on the base of the wall, i'm like, what are you doing? they're like, we are preparing it. what happened? the cartels can cut through. these are big steel beams and they are cutting

for the u.s. navy and for our industrial base here in the u.s., call for a much greater capacity for submarine construction than exists today. madam speaker, i represent gratten, connecticut, which is the home of general dynamic's electric boat which is the general contractor for the virginia class submarine program, for also the columbia class program, which today are both working hard to address our own navy's needs. with aukus, this is going to add another level of production targets that again will strain and call for more capacity. the biden administration last year saw this coming, they have laid out a $2.4 billion plan over the next five years to increase work force, to increase supply chain and to increase facility to achieve this goal. and we are seeing it happening in real-time during my break in august. if you go back to three years ago, the shipyards' work force was at about 17,000 people. as of last friday, it is 21,700 strong. the investments in supply chain that is going all over the cou

he also greatly expanded the u.s. navy, paving the way for the u.s. to have a true two ocean navy. because of this and other things, he presided over what became known as the billion- dollar congress, the first time congress spent that much money in peacetime. although he claimed to support civil service reform, there were too many political debts he had to pay for such a narrow victory. right after he got into office, they ended up firing 35,000 democrats from the civil service jobs, replacing them with republicans. that was exactly the opposite of what the way civil-service is supposed to work. nevertheless, he does preside over the passage of some really important legislation. the mckinley tariff of 1890 raises protective tariffs to the highest point at that time. the sherman antitrust act, which is still the law the land today, was passed under him. the sherman civil purchase at, which was expanded -- and attempt to expand the currency. both of those laws were drafted by john sherman of ohio. one of the biggest, most lasting impacts of the presidency was the admission of a whol

ads from the social media platform appeared several times from the broadcast with one featuring a u.s. navynown as patriotic kenny. let's bring in our technology editor that pretty much leads coverage of social media. what are the arguments for and against in this debate? >> i think there is a real problem that politicians have. they want to show they are strong on china, they have this ability to maintain our national security as a foremost priority but at the same time they want to make sure they get elected. if you want to reach young voters, you have to be on tiktok. ed: much like halftime at the super bowl, ads during these political debates get seen by a lot of people. has anyone had anything to say about the irony of that? sarah: it goes to show how critical tiktok is as part of our cultural infrastructure. this is an app that was featured during the pandemic but is not going anywhere. they are expanding ambition, going head-to-head with amazon. you have had this pressure from the u.s. government on, should we ban this app? figure out how to put restrictions on them? they had a partn

and canada are sailing through the taiwan straits today according to the u.s. navy. ownership of the straits, and as previous -- has previously said any attempt to cross is stirring up trouble. both navies calling it a demonstration of free and open indo pacific. >>> president biden and other world leaders signing on to a new declaration at the g20 summit, biden also revealing plans to build a rail and shipping corridor linking india to the middle east and europe. >> we're going to invest in a new rail line that will extend from the western port of angola to the drc, to zambia and, ultimately, the indian ocean. this is a game-changing regional investment, and both of these are huge, huge steps forward. but they're far from the only ones. finish. rachel: i have no idea what he said, that's the galling that andrew sullivan was talking about earlier in the quote when we were talking about him. the g20 the leaders are also agreeing that they should spend $4 trillion, get this, to over the next 7 years to hit net zero emissions by 2050. when you hear net zero, just think

he's a 25 u.s. navy veteran, served as a combat pilot and now serves on the come back committee.e joins me now. what are the conversations happening on the u.s. senate and on the armed services committee about the blockade and what it means. >> i mean, among my democrat and republican colleagues, it's like, how do we get through this? let me first point out, chris, that this is unprecedented. senator tuberville has done something that has not been done in u.s. history. hold up nominations promotions for admirals and generals for over six months now. this has a serious negative effect on our national security. i was talking to one of my republican colleagues today about the consequences of this, and they get it. it really comes down to at some point here, senator tuberville it's good to have to release these holds, because we can't continue month after month. this is doing serious damage, and it's not just short term. this is not a light switch, you turn it back on and everything is fine. this is going to do damage to our military, possible for years to come. >> michael mccaul cri

whatever we find we are going to tell you that promise welcome by ryan grace, one of the former u.s. navyestified at congressional hearing this summer on his experience of unexplained anomalous phenomena. >> of course, we don't know where they are actually from. what the origin of these objects are. their nature. but that's really why nasa is getting involved so they can employ their scientific tools and their expertise to better understand if there is life. >> now, nasa officials say they want to move the uap debate from quote conjecture and conspiracy towards science and sanity. but science and sanity tend to take time. so we will all be waiting a while longer to find the truth that is out there. bret? >> bret: all right. jonathan, thank you. the coronavirus pandemic's legacy of working from home has some lawmakers issued. -- ukraineed.we are going to bn this bizarre realm called washington, d.c. look at the doors. there is nobody there. it's not working. age is just a number, and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health versus 16 grams in ensu

navy there. in other words, musk effectively sabotaged a military operation by ukraine, a u.s.ainst russia, an aggressor country, that invaded a u.s. ally. should there be repercussions for that? >> jake, i can't speak to a specific episode. here's what i can tell you. starlink has been a vital tool for the ukrainians to be able to communicate with each other, and particularly for the military to communicate in their effort to defend all of ukraine's territory. it remains so and i would expect it to be critical to their efforts. what we would hope and expect is that that technology will remain fully available to the ukrainians. it is vital to what they're doing. >> i don't know that you can't speak to it. you won't speak to it. musk said that he was reportedly pa afraid that russia would rally with nuclear weapons. musk says that's based on his private discussions he had with senior russian officials. are you concerned that musk is apparently conducting his own diplomatic outreach to the russian government? really, none of this concerns you? >> jake, i can't speak to conversati

of more than 200 times that of the united states is set to reach 400 ships in two years while the u.s. navy is aiming for 350 ships -- listen to this -- by 2045. this is precisely why senate republicans led by senator shelby and senator wicker pushed for an amendment to the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure framework to create a defense infrastructure fund and expand our capacity for testing, training, and production. unfortunately, the democratic leader did not allow this amendment to receive a vote. for what it's worth, i appreciate the pentagon's recent efforts to catch up. for example, the deputy secretary of defense recently announced an initiative to dramatically accelerate production of autonomous systems to help level the playing field with the pla. her remarks were titled the urgency to innovate. but closing the gap with china and outcompeting our biggest strategic adversary will require more than innovation, theater, or speeches about revolutions and military affairs. real progress will require real investments in long-range strike capabilities, real expansion of our defense producti

. >> reporter: a u.s. navydio man died while flying over the pacific during a world war ii mission against japanese forces. his plane was last seen spinning violently before crashing into the water near the island of pulao. he and his crew members were declared killed in action. and awarded the purple heart. his niece diana ward is his oldest surviving relative. and even though she's never met him, she says uncle wilbur's memory always loomed large. >> we grew up around all of wilbur's pictures and his belongings. >> reporter: his family had given up on ever recovering his body. but earlier this year, after submitting dna tests, his relatives got a call from an organization called project recover. telling them they'd finally identified his remains. michelle abbey is an official for project recover and she says that a day like this is bittersweet. >> it feels good. there's a sense of closure. and a sense of comfort. and that sense that everything is as it should be. >> reporter: on thursday, highway 101 was line

if everything goes as planned, that the city will seek the approval of the u.s. navyths are out. meantime, the contra costa county board of supervisors passed an ordinance requiring gun owners in unincorporated areas to lock up their guns. this ordinance requires gun owners to use trigger locks, oregon safe but does not prevent somebody from carrying their weapons at all times in their homes. so they have immediate access to it. contra costa county supervisor candace andersen says that she not only wants to limit access to children, but also prevent adults who are violent and possibly suffering from mental health issues. the ordinance will come back for a second reading and implementation. then on october 3rd. well, so is a supervisor, connie chan and the owners of the alexander theater announced plans to convert the theater into housing project. the plan will allow for 76 units of affordable housing on site. the family preserve the history of the theater. there was a plan a few years ago to transform the theater into a multi-use building with a community pool. the du

. >> reporter: mitts, a u.s. navydio man, died while flying over the pacific during a world war ii mission against japanese forces. his plane was last seen spinning violently before crashing into the water near the island of palau. mitts and his crew members were declared killed in action. and awarded the purple heart. his niece diana ward is his oldest surviving relative. and even though she's never met him, she says uncle wilbur's memory always loomed large. >> we grew up around all of wilbur's pictures and his belongings. >> reporter: his family had given up on ever recovering his body. but earlier this year, after submitting dna tests, his relatives got a call from an organization called project recover. telling them they'd finally identified his remains. michelle abbey is an official for project recover and she says that a day like this is bittersweet. >> it feels good. there's a sense of closure. and a sense of comfort. and that sense that everything is as it should be. >> reporter: on thursday, highway 101 was

can we all give a big hand to i would like say that it is truly an this evening welcome captain u.s. navyetired.

. >> reporter: former u.s. navyhese remains of alleged non-human beings may be part of the truth that is not just out there but is, in fact, already known by governments, including our own. >> there's a whole fleet of them. >> reporter: the mummified bodies with elongated heads and only three fingers on each hand were discovered in peru in 2017 and presented at a mexican congressional hearing tuesday to discuss a law that, if passed, would make mexico the first country to formally acknowledge that alien life forms have visited earth. >> do you solemnly swear. >> reporter: graves also testified at a us congressional hearing in july investigating what are now termed unexplained anomalous phenomenon or uaps. >> since 2021 all uap are classified top secret or above. this level of secrecy impedes or level of understanding and 'em peed truth. >> reporter: american researcher told the mexican congressional hearing that scientists have proven that the dna of the mummified beings is not human, and made similar claims about a

. >> former u.s. navyf alleged nonhuman beings may be part of the truth that is not just out there but is, in fact, already known by governments, including our own. >> there is whole fleet of them. the mummified bodies with elongated heads and only three fingers on each hand were discovered in peru in 2017 and presented at mexican congressional hearing tuesday to discuss a law that if passed would make mexico the first country to formally acknowledge that alien life forms have visited earth. >> do you solemnly swear. >> graves also testified at a u.s. congressional hearing in july investigating what are now termed unexplained ano, ma'am his phenomena or uaps since 2021 all afp. not only impedes understanding but fuels speculation and mistrust. >> mexican journalist and researcher told the mexican congressional hearing that scientists have proven that the d.n.a. of the mummified beings is not human. he is made similar claims about a different mummy discovered in 2015. that turned out to be a human child. bu

and if everything goes as planned, then the city will seek the approval of the u.s. navyn the 24 months are up. still ahead of the kron, morning news, a new sports stadium could soon be coming to the city oakland. >> a few years. and coming up, an astronaut from the north bay was honored in her hometown for accomplishments. we're going hear how she's feeling. >> and today another, he's the one you're likely noticing it as you're stepping outside, especially in the south bay, then up into the east bay, some of our worst areas as far some of our worst areas as far as air thursday night football on prime. it's on. welcome to thursday night football. thursday night football is on! it's daniel jones, holy mackerel. up against christian mccaffery. for a touchdown! as the new york giants take on the san francisco 49ers. stream thursday night football. only on prime. >> the of the north bay, a nasa astronaut born in petaluma was honored in her hometown. the mayor and city council proclaimed september 19th nicole mandate kron four's philippe djegal has her story. >> a fitting entr

. >> [laughter] >> [bleep] >> it was recorded by a u.s. navy plane in 2015.a. one of the pilots has been on this program. she told us in her experience, whether people believe in extraterrestrials or not, they all want answers. for that, nasa today says it is appointing its first director of uap research to help collect more data. we shall see. that's it for us. the news continues. i will see you tomorrow night. "the source" with kaitlan collins starts now. >> tonight, straight from the source, the biden justice department indites a biden. the president son hunter, and the first charges ever against the sitting presidents child. and we are are also counting down tonight when the clock strikes midnight, union workers could strike at the big three automakers. it could happen not just the car industry, but the entire u.s. economy. plus, a load of f bombs dropping on capitol hill today, as house speaker kevin mccarthy swears and there's his right flank to oust him. they just might take him up on it. i am kaitlan collins. and this is "the source". ♪ ♪ ♪ another hi

but i've had a chance to speak to the u.s. navy veteran rich osthoff.o you to try to get help to save his sick dog, that you had a charity to help animals. he said that you did raise $3,000 for life-saving surgery for his dog. he says that you then disappeared with the money, and his dog died. and he came on this show, he talked about it. and here's what rich told me his dog meant to him. >> that dog saved my life at least two times, when i first got out of the service, i was depressed, i was having nightmares, bad, bad memories about some things that happened, not war-related but other things that the military does to you. i started drinking too much. i was doing reckless stuff. my father even told me he thought i had a death wish at that point. and i probably did. i was very suicidal. i would start crying for no reason. and if i didn't have that little princess with me, i probably would've not been here to speak to you right now, at least two times. >> congressman, i want to give you a chance to respond to him. >> look, it's a very moving story. it's

. >> this was recorded by a u.s. navy plane in 2015. the encounter took place off the east coast.lots told us in her experience, whether people believe in extraterrestrials or not, they want answers. for that, nasa said it is directing its first director of uap research to collect more data. that's it for us. the news continues. i'll see you tomorrow night. "the source" with kaitlan "the source" with kaitlan collins starts now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> tonight, straight from "the source," the biden justice department indicts a biden, in the first charges ever against a sitting president's child. we are also counting down tonight. when the clock strikes midnight, union workers could strike against the big three auto makers. it could upend not just the car industry, but the entire u.s. economy. >>> plus a load of f bombs dropping on capitol hill as kevin mccarthy swears and dares the right flank to oust him. they just might take him up on it. i'm kaitlan collins and this is "the source." >>> another historic indictment. not only is the biden justice department prose

i would like say that it is truly an this evening welcome captain u.s. navy retired. and also congratulations on the publication of your first book. we also want to welcome the friends and family. his wife, mary, is here. his son ian is here. and all of his supporters. so thank you so much. with, captain crosier, this evening, matt janella and he will be talking with brett in just a little bit. brett crozier you grew up in santa rosa, california, graduated in 1992 from the united states naval academy and embarked full speed ahead on an extraordinary 30 year career in the navy, flying dozens of combat missions over iraq and leading at the highest levels of operational command. he served as commanding officer of a combat. that and i hope i'm saying this correctly, f-18 strike fighter squadron. the world's largest and most advanced communication ship. and ultimately, as captain of the uss roosevelt. he retired from the navy. 2022 and now lives in san diego. but it was amid one of the the the darkest times in american history that captain crosier captured the attention of

george w gardiner, a u.s. navyveteran from the civil war, addicted hypodermic morphine lost a full third of his body weight and he appeared in september of 1891 at a hospital in weighing just £100 as gardner's skin, like that of many veterans, was covered with needle puncture marks from his head on down to his toes. and his doctors were horrified. this again, because they believed that not only was gardner a sickly looking, but these needle puncture marks indicated a lack of manly self-control. eventually, the effects, the physical effects of addiction got so bad that men ultimately became unable to work fatigue, weight loss, being unable to focus without morphine, and also the financial cost of drugs added up. and when this veterans wives typically stepped to take over the accentuating the dependency of addiction not only did veterans become dependent on the drug, but also other people to take care of them. for example union veteran john paterson, who was a physician by trade, described how opiate addiction ruined

. >> instead, you join the u.s. navy and became a jag officer, and you went to fallujah and were attached to seal team one. i would ask, why did you do that , what did you learn over there, because that was the sunni triangle, really tough fight, and how did that experience shape you as a man and leader? gov. desantis: well, great question. i had a lot of ambitions. i was a blue-collar kid and my parents were working class and i was working minimum wage jobs is within september 11 caused me to join a military and our nation was in crisis and we were in conflict and we did not have a draft but i felt that as an american i should do my part however small, did not get school paid for, anything like that, obviously made a lot less money but it was something that was meaningful to me. incidentally my wife and i got invited on monday to attend the 22nd virtually of the 9/11 remembrance a ground zero, special, moving but something i 1000 miles away and it impacted my life. when you are in iraq, particularly in the special opera