admiral philip davidson, united states navy, commander, united states fleet forces command. admiral john richardson, united states navy, chief of naval operations. the honorable sean stackley, secretary of the navy, acting. the honorable donald rumsfeld, former secretary of defense. [applause] the honorable scott taylor, united states representative, second district, commonwealth of virginia. the honorable robert scott, united states representative, third district, commonwealth of virginia. the honorable richard cheney, former vice president of the united states. [applause] [cheers] the honorable rick snyder, governor, state of michigan. [applause] the honorable gary peters, united states senator, state of michigan. [applause] the honorable roger wicker, united states senator, state of mississippi. [applause] the honorable james mattis, secretary of defense. [applause] the honorable terry mcauliffe, governor, commonwealth of virginia. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, our ship's sponsor, mrs. susan ford bales. [applause] she is escorted today by master chief laura nunley, unit

[applause] ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states, escorted today by captain richard mccormack, united states navy, perspective commanding officer, uss gerald r. ford. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. platform and a salute. ♪ [cannons] >> ready? ladies and gentlemen, the national anthem will be performed by gerald r. ford's own chief petty officer. advance the colors. ♪ >> platform. hand salute. ♪ >> present arms. >> ♪ oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming? whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming and the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night, that our flag was still there oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave ♪ [applause] >> retire the colors. ♪ >> forward march. [drum roll] >> platform. ready. two. ladies and gentlemen, chaplain barstow will offer the invocation. >> please pray with me. we gather together here t

admiral phillip davidson, united states navy, commander, united states fleet forces command. admiral john richardson, united states navy, chief of naval operations. the honorable, secretary of the navy, acting. the honorable donald rumsfeld, former secretary of defense. [applause] the honorable scott taylor, united states representative, second district, commonwealth of virginia. the honorable robert scott, united states representative, third district, commonwealth of virginia. the honorable richard cheney, former vice president of the united states. [applause] the honorable rick schneider, governor, state of michigan. [applause] the honorable gary peters, united states senator, state of michigan. [applause] the honorable roger wicker, united states senator, state of mississippi. [applause] the honorable james mattis, secretary of defense. [cheers and applause] the honorable terry mcauliffe, governor, commonwealth of virginia. ladies and gentlemen, our ship's sponsor, mrs. susan ford bales. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause] -- she is escorted today by command master

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 doin

unique cultures and they have ways of celebrating what their capabilities are and certainly, the united states navyque, what our audience was able to see. i was stationed at this navy base and by the way, this is the largest navy base in the world. >> and whenever my relatives and family were coming to visit us, if there was a commissioning ceremony going on or troops coming back, a ship coming back from deployment, i always put an in there to bear witness to it. i was so delighted that you let the audience see the whole thing start to finish. >> absolutely. >> it's a unique ceremony, it's thrilling and i thought the president really delivered something special there today in the way he recognized our troops. you know, he has a way about him, his sincerity and his passion comes through how much he cares about them. the tribute to gerald ford was so appropriate. and then, he made a little news today and this is the news he made. he talked about our readiness, he didn't want cost overruns and we've got to fix the military and then he said we've got to end sequestration. i can tell you for a fact that

back on this magnificent ship for this historic moment with the amazing men and women of the united states navy. [applause] i was with you four months ago, and i knew that i had to be here today. and i told you i would be back to congratulate you and the crew and everybody involved on commissioning the newest, largest, and most 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. plankowner of the uss gerald r. ford. [applause] for the rest of your lives, you will be able to tell your friends and family that you served on the greatest ship in the united states navy and, in my opinion, the greatest ship anywhere in the world. everyone should take a moment to celebrate this incredible achievement. i want to thank the many public servants who have joined us here today. treasury secretary mnuchin. governor snyder. governor mcauliffe. senator wicker. and members of congress. secretary stackley. admiral richardson. senior military leaders. and, of course, the great captain mccormack. [applause] capta

thrilled to be back on this magnificent ship for this the amazingent with men and women of the united states navy. [cheers and applause] i was with you four knew that iand i had to be here today and i told you i would be back to congratulate you and the crew and everybody involved on commissioning the newest, largest, and most advanced aircraft carrier in the history of this world. is a big achievement. after today, where ever this ship sales, you will all carry a proud title, plank owner of the uss gerald r ford. [applause] for the rest of your lives, you will be able to tell friends and family that you served on the greatest ship in the united states navy, and in my opinion, on the greatest ship anywhere in the world. a moment tould take celebrate this incredible achievement. i want to thank the many public servants who have joined us here today. treasury secretary mnuchin, governor snyder, governor mcauliffe, senator worker, and members of congress, secretary ,tokley, admiral richardson senior military leaders, and of course, the great captain mccormick. [applause] captain, i know you will exe

its namesake, the 38th president of the united states. also a navy seaman what an incredible honor for this family. the aircraft carriers tend to be named about presidents, it's sort of the custom. not always done that way. of course gerald ford was a navy veteran. i know the navy was always special to him. we're proud as a retired sailor verks proud we have a carrier named after president ford. and this ship, fred is a leap ahead. it's a brand new ship and a brand new class. while she's about the same length and width as the old nimitz class carriers, there's lots of differences and changes, additional technology, things that will make the ship more powerful and more efficient going forward. as the president noted, this ship is going to have a service life of about 50 years. those young sailors who were talking to, he's exactly right, they're going to be in their 60s or 70s by the time the ship is decommissioned. they'll be able to watch her defend the country for the entirety of their lifetimes. at the helm, richard mccormick. >> this is a big day.

i rise today to congratulate an exceptional member of the united states navy on the event of his retirement. commander doug hugin. on friday, july 14, commander huggin completed his tour as the commanding officer of naval support activity, florida. this caps a long and distinguished career. his service to the navy started as an e-6 airborne command pilot and has taken him around the world from the european command to japan and finally to panama city. while at n.s.a. panama city commander huggin led over 3,000 activity duty personnel in performing critical missions. salvage and experimental diving among others. his leadership over the last two years in the second district is a testament to the values upon all those who serve in the navy. mr. dunn: mr. speaker, please join me in saying thank you to commander huggin and his family for his years of service and va sacrifice and wish them luck as they move on to enjoy the new chapter in their life. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous c

united states, congressman ralph regula. he was a teache a patriot and a veteran. he served during world war ii in the united states navy. he'd been a school teacher and a school principal. and he devoted his life to public service. his career in government began with service in the ohio house of representatives. and the ohio senate. before he came to congress in 1972. for nely four decades in congress, congressman regula became known as the leader who s willing to reach across the aisle to get things done. to comprome. both on capitol hill and with the white house. he worked to pass legislation that helped his district and the american people. his spirit of bipartisanship carried toughout his career when he remained an outspoken advocate, even in his retirement. for bipartisanshi he was truly an example of how to get things done. through his role on the house appropriations committee, he served as important advoca for ohio, including funding for the cleveland clinic and support for th great lakes. he was the qutessential example of what it means to be a public servant. anmy thoughts go out to his wife, mary, and the res

schoolteachers who became a three star admiral and highest ranking hispanic officer in the united states navy at the time. throughout his distinguished 35 years, he served as a commander to various forces earning the silver star, distinguished flying cross, and purple heart. he exemplified valor and commitment that his brothers in arms from puerto rico have demonstrated since the great war. on july 14, 1998, admiral hernandez testified before the senate and highlighted the puerto rican participation in our nation's wars. he reality of from democracy they fought to defend and uphold. he urged congress to respond to the people of puerto rico so ey can acheeve legal determination. it is an honor. i echo the same today and ask the house to join me in xpressing our profound gratitude to admiral hernandez to the united states of america. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives. sir, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk re

somebody's getting something compliments of the united states navy. e grandma, actually. this grandma, she doesn't yell and dance, she just hugs. >> oh. >> and i believe tears are involved. >>> and then one more for the navy. grandma and grandpa are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. no, they're not about to play a fun game of hide and seek. what a striking figure he is, walking toward them, but apparently they're not looking. somebody has to say hey, might want to take a look. >> mom and dad, look up. >> they're playing angry birds on their phones is what they're doing. >> oh! >> they were clueless the whole time. meanwhile he's got like this walk and he's want -- >> the whole way. ♪ do, do, do, do, do >> i'm like dad, look up. >> people know how to say welcome home to the navy. >>> they're about to attempt tossing a beer over that bridge, and catching it on the other side. >> can i just point out this is nothing more than a science pir experiment. they're showing momentum. >> whatever you ok, let's try this. it says you apply the blue one to

she is the oldest sailing vessel in the world that can still sail under her own united states navy. >> called old iron sides because a british sailor reportedly shouted her sides are made of iron after cannon balls bounced off the ship during the war of 1812. >>> michael phelps took on a shark. well kind of. >> not really. >> reaction from people who are upset with his highly anticipated shark week race. >> plus 20 years after princess diana died, william and harry open up about their mom and share their biggest regret. top? >> severe thunderstorm warning for the district heavy rain in bethesda and west moreland hills. we'll come back and track that and stay with the main threats and look ahead for the rest of >>> trending today a lot of talk about fake news but none of us need to be weary of fake sharks. >> for moves we've been hearing how olympic swimmer michael phelps was going great white shark. we didn't know exactly how it was going to go but we didn't think it was going to go like this. the whole thing was never against a great white shark. it was against a computer generated s

. >> i openly served as a transgender female in the united states navy. i can't think of a single thing they've done to push the agenda and all i can see is examples of them taking it away. >>> one thing this debate is definitely doing is drawing attention away from the gop healthcare fight going on in the senate. here's a look at the score board. as of tonight, senators have voted down a plan to repeal obamacare. and tonight they voted down a plan to repeal and replace obamacare. >> what's next? we're not sure senators. they're locked on in fight, but at least for tonight there's no clear option that could get enough votes to pass. there is an idea gaining city. it's called the skinny repeal. it gets rid of the requirement you have health insurance. there's no need to pay attention to every twist and turn. we'll bring you just what you need to know here. >>> you have questions? my verify team has answers. tonight we're tackling urban legends about getting out of a speeding tickets. >>> look at the projections for the rainfall in the next 48 hours in dc.

of the uss h w bush begins in the early days of world war ii, when our dad enlisted in the united states navy. like many servicemen deployed overseas, he was sustained by a girl he loved back home. from her dorm room, she knitted socks for him. in remote pacific atolls, he collected seashells for her. when he returned home the first thing he did was to make her his bride. for 64 years ago this week, the love of my father's life has been barbara bush. [applause] president bush: over the years our parents have built a family bound forever by closeness, warmth, and unconditional love. we will always feel blessed to have had the best father anyone could ever ask for. we will always be inspired by the faith, humor, patriotism, and compassion he talked to us through his own example. as long as we live, we will carry with us dad's lessons that integrity and honor are worth more than any title or treasure, and that the truest strength can come from the gentlest soul. george h.w. bush has the deep love of his family, the admiration of his friends, and the thanks of a grateful nation. [applause] presid

and the start of a new life for aldridge, a veteran of the united states navy. >> i thought how couldow this? >> reporter: she's a single mother of five children and now has five grandchildren. in 2014 she fell on hard times. >> i couldn't get caught up. i found myself homeless. >> reporter: but soon-to-be homeless no more. dozens of local organizations and the community members have come together to repay aldridge for her service. volunteers spent hours stripping and gutting this vacant house that will soon be her home. >> i love it. i love helping our society to fill their obligation to the veterans. >> this will be the first time there has been a permanent place for a female veteran in the state of kentucky as far as we can determine. >> the hope you give for not only me, but other veterans that there is help out there. >> reporter: aldridge is a member of athena sisters a support group made up of all female veterans. through that group and empowered with her own story she's paying it forward and helping other female vets. >> there is a woman that was struggling, thinking about com

traveled to norfolk, virginia, to commission an american aircraft carrier into the fleet of the united states navy. it's the newest, largest and most advanced aircraft carrier anywhere in the world and it's named for an eagle scout, the "u.s.s. gerald r. ford." everywhere it sails that great scout's name will be feared and revered because that ship will be a symbol of american power, prestige and strength. our nation honors president gerald r. ford today because he lived his life the scouting way. boy scouts celebrate american patriots, especially the brave members of our armed forces. thank you very much. thank you. thank you. american hearts are warmed every year when we read about boy scouts placing thousands and thousands of flags next to veterans' grave sites all across the country. by honoring our heroes you help to ensure that their memory never ever dies. you should take great pride in the example you set for every citizen of our country to follow. generations of american boy scouts have sworn the same oath and lived according to the same law. you inherit a noble american tradition and as

>> joining us in the studio today is joe delaurentis from daly city, and joe served in the united states navy from 2006 to 2010. now he's a student at the university of san francisco, and he also interns here at abc7, and joe helped produce this show today. and we're so proud of you. >> thank you for having me. >> thank you for your service. >> of course. >> all right, i know transitioning is hard. my dad was in the military. it was really tough for him as a lifer in the army. for you, as a young man, let me start with the work you did. we'll see how that translates to the work you want to do. so, what did you do in the navy? >> sure. the first job that i had was a traditional navy job. i was ship steering and maneuvering and then a little bit of anchor handling, which is a lot more dangerous than it sounds. >> it sounds dangerous. >> [ chuckles ] it does. after some time, i was able to be a part of the search-and-seizure team for my ship -- drug enforcement, if you will -- while being deployed. >> and then you served overseas, as well, right, went to iraq a couple of times? >> yes. >> all ri

united states we were going to grab it and britain had a choice to confront the united states or o they could -- let united states take control of the caribbean with with desperate threats, germany navy, empire and such seems to me looking at the south china sea china has a reason to believe this is their sea. do they really pose such a threat to us that we cannot give them more room to maneuver in south china sea and avoid the confrontation? and seem there that control of that area like most of the world exceeds our control in caribbean. >> first of all i would say that mexico, cuba, jamaica, trinidad, et cetera in no way control the caribbean. what china is attempting to do to follow your analogy would be to actually take territorial control to make that a territorial sea. so i think the analogy breaks down a bit because of the expansioniveness of the chinese desire here. i think it's fair to say and i would agree with you that it is reasonable for us to e believe that china ought to have significant influence in asia. that makes sense. but we should not exceed to simply territorial control over an enormous body of water that would be an enormously bad precedent. i think that histo

shepard, lieutenant commander united states navy enters the mercury space capsule that he hopes to ride into space with the hopes of america riding with him." "they close the door and they go -clam, you know and they lock her up and from then on the tension starts rising and rising. it's just palatable. you could cut it with a knife." "the countdown was so long we wondered if it was ever going to get going ... he was up on the spacecraft for something like five hours." "i don't think anybody could breathe. there was no talking. there was nothing." "we had a guy that couldn't sit down at his console there. he just couldn't get it so they had to hold him and take him off and somebody else took his place in the last 30 minutes. the tension just got to him." "roger, ready to resume the count - s-t-e, i'm going to turn it over to stoney - ok stoney take it over." "five, four, three, two, one, zero." "five, four, three, two, one, zero." "roger, lift off and the clock has started." "fuel is go, four-g, five point five cabin, oxygen go, all systems are go." "on the periscope, what a beautiful v

that ship together and who are now serving on board are great people and our salute to the united states navy and all the military. appreciate you being here. cost of freedom will be on next week. >> america has a brand new aircraft carrier, the u.s.s. gerald ford named after our 38th president who served proudly in world war ii. >> president trump presiding over the commissioning of the largest and most expensive aircraft carrier in norfolk, virginia. a look at the hangar bay of the u. is s gerald ford. it will be home to 4500 sailors. the most technological ship put to sea we're cross from the ship, we'll give you a tour, take you around it, what it can do. a special edition of america's news headquarters. elizabeth. nice to be with you as well. >> i'm elizabeth prann in washington. there are other headlines. a shake-up at the white house, we'll look at the incoming white house communications director, anthony scaramucci. >> plus, as congress stalls on repealing and replacing obamacare, can they find a way to pass any major legislation before facing constituents back home during the august

retired united states navy seal kristin beck says the ban may backfire."i think all the lawsuits and the contracts he's gonna break and eveything else may wind up being more expensive for someone like me who has cost the taxpayer zero dollars.it's still unclear whether transgender members of the military serving in afghanistan and elsewhere will be removed from their posts. that's something the white house and the pentagon will have to work together as implementation takes place ... this is a military decision about military readiness.lbgt activists are gearing up for a battle ... in court.we deserve the rights to fight for what we love. as a trans service member, i have fought very long and hard to be my authentic self. no one is going to take that passion, or my love for my from me." (steve) hundreds of demonstrators packed san francisco's castro district tonight... protesting against president trump's morning announcement that he would no longer allow transgender people to serve in the u-s military. a group called the resistance sent out the facebook an

student veterans of america, am vets, the air force sergeants association, the association of the united states navy and the national military association. this month the v.a. committee chairman roe -- v.a. committee chairman roe and ranking member walz included my bill in the bipartisan g.i. bill. the harry w. colmery veteran education assistance act of 2017. this bill passed the house last night and i was proud to join my colleagues in voting for it. i am grateful to chairman roe and ranking member walz for including my bill in their legislation. i'm also thankful to senator crapo who has sclud legislation in the senate. -- included legislation in the senate. it's my hope that the senate will act, too, and from there our bill can be signed into law. this legislation will mean a great deal to the hills. it will be a great comfort to them and all those who have experienced such a terrible loss. as a grateful nation, it's the least that we can do. and america must always be a grateful nation. the harry colmery education veterans assistance act of 2017 keeps our promises to our veterans and their fami

the chairman and founder of c-span was in the united states navy at the time and gave the information in response to what was happening into trite. the ground. i want to make sure we're clear on that and transparent and accurate. what dever member 50 years ago? caller: -- what do you remember 50 years ago? eight years old hoping to visit my grandparents and my mother said we cannot go and i said why and she said riots and we had the tv on most of the day. it was not my grandparents into but still, people were not sure what is going on. her 80's doubtful me a story five years ago that there was an african-american coworker of hers and i think he 94, up to southfield you would come into work every day during the rise and people thought, why are you doing that and he said though they were shooting at people on the highway, he felt it was safer to go into work than to stay in his neighborhood. i thought that was interesting. i live in vermont and i have been here 22 years. it is a good city. manufacturing has gone down. there has been an opiate crisis and efforts to address that. over the

program, at this place, an institution committed to protecting and sharing the rich legacy of the united states navy. it's a particular pleasure for me to be with you today. i am delighted to see veterans and friends and those of you who are curious to learn more about the vietnam war. i'm honored to contribute to try to contribute to that process of learning. i do want to talk about my book. that's why i am here today and i hope that's why you are here to. maybe the best way to do that is to try to describe why it is i wrote it what i was trying to do and why i tried to do that. last year my wife susan and i attended a performance of hamilton in new york. many lines from that play struck me and stayed with me but one of them kept running through my head. eliza hamilton, the widow of alexander hamilton, saying with a chorus of founding fathers who lives, who dies, tells your story. this is relevant to my remarks, it's relevant to my book because in any war, any war, and any armed confrontation the first questions are the determinate ones. lives -- dies. stripped of all other explanations about the p

here is the timing for tonight's event, the united states navy band performance got underway at the theater in dc. at 8:00, a capitol fourth concert begins on the west lawn and at 9:09 the main event begins, the fireworks over the mall, that show will last almost 30 minutes some road closures will be lifted starting at 10:00. others won't reopen until midnight. >> well, it's not busy right now. hundreds are going to to take in the sights along the patomic river. the coast guard and dc police have been out all day and they'll be doing the same tonight. as they make their way in over the next several hours or so. >> if you're planning to head to the mall for the fireworks tonight. metro trains will run until midnight to get you home after the show. know that the smithsonian station will not open until 9:00 tonight. it will be crowded. we've posted a list of alternative options in our nbc washington app. >> and folks, there were also free and safe rides available for driver's who have had a little too much to drink. too much celebration out there. it goes into effect at 7:00 tonight. it will l

the ship will perform mission as part of larger team, the united states navy. >> when i watch this ithe hero involved but think where you were last weekend. >> the commission of the uss gerald ford. we talked to a number of sailors about the motto of that ship, integrity from the helm become to gerald ford and his integrity and there are actually lessons on the ship, history courses for sailers and marines who end up on what the name sake is and what it means specially in the case who is after, somebody who served so selflessly and marines will take you that the name sake of their ship means an awful lot and that's who they are fighting for and whose legacy they will carry on who set sail. >> big news about testing that took place. >> we have some video of it for you. this was the new catapult on the uss gerald ford. there was questions whether or not it would work. >> perfect weather. >> yeah, and i will say, i don't think it was an accident that it was perfect weather. they wanted to give themselves every opportunity but now comes what they call the shakedown. >> there was obviousl

united states air force is. we rolled up a fleet of 400 naval vessels, that's almost twice as big as the united states navy is today for one island, and they bombed that island with shells for 96 consecutive hours. there is no eight square miles of the earth that has ever received as much ordinance as the island of iwo jima. almost all the japanese survived. life wasn't good, they were drinking their own urine, they never saw the sunlight, they were deep underground and they weren't happy campers, but they survived. they survived and were ideological committed. they survived to the point where they could kill 7,000 marines when they hit the beach. look at what isis has done for almost six months in mosul. they're losing, but it took the infantry and armor and special operations commanders to go into that city house by house, block by block, room by room to clear that city. and it's taken quite a while to do it and at high cost. what i'm telling you is there is a myth out there that you can win from afar. to impose your political will on the enemy typically requires you at the end of the day to close with and destro

part of an integral team and the ship will perform its mission as part of a larger team, the united states navyporter: he was an immigrant from mexico. ten service members from nine countries became u.s. citizens aboard the ship. the austin police are pulling hundreds of ford explorer suvs from patrol fleets. city officials say 20 officers were found to have measurable carbon monoxide in their system. as federal regulators investigate complaints of exhaust problems potentially affecting more than a million vehicles. brian joins us live spirit look, it's not just police cars. the highway traffic safety administration expanded the investigation to include ford explorer suv models from 2011 through 2017 after the agency received complaints that exhaust fumes are leaking into the vehicles, making some people sick. they are pulling all 400 of the ford explorer suv police interceptors off the streets in texas after complaints about exhaust fumes entering the car. since february more than 60 austin officers have reported health problems. twenty had measurable carbon monoxide in the system. on march 18

joining me now is a transgender lieutenant commander in the united states navy.eally it should just be a lieutenant commander who happens to be transgender. i thank you for your time because i know that this is not an easy topic especially when the president has taken such actionable measures against those that would voluntarily serve in our military. what was your reaction to hearing this? >> he wilwell, i mean, it was af a shock, but you have to take a moment, gather yourself and go back to comings job that you are already doing. >> so when you think with the j about the job that you are already doing, joints chiefs caught off guard, this is a troo tweet, so how could be fusing is this for the military to a cue from the president via twitter? >> we don't take kroous vkrooua twitter. when it happen, we will figure out our options. >> you are the president of sparta, correct? >> that's correct. >> so this is an lgbt advocacy organization. what is your message to those that you represent? >> to those out there that are elected by what may our ar may come, continue

and theet to the goal your army, navy, air force and marines. it is the united states that has been the leader with that system. the status of the army as part of military force that works to maintain the stability of the military are a global and a global army. we have hundred 80,000 soldiers in the united states army, active duty, national guard, they are employed to 140 countries around the world to help stabilize the system or it that is a significant amount of --around the world to help stabilize that system. that is a significant amount of u.s. forces. the active army is less than 500,000. based on the tasks required, i believe we need a larger army. jointsthers on the chief of staff, they also believe that of the navy and marines. we need to be bigger and stronger and more capable which brings me to the future. there are a couple of drivers, --you never knowe know what the future brings, we are changing in the character of war, war is a political act, when you impose your political will on your opponents through the use of violence. war is dealing in the round o

united states air force bases. four days prior to execution of hitting the beach, we rolled up a fleet of 400 naval vessels. that's almost twice as big as the united states navy, for one island and they bombed it was shells for 96 hours. there is no eight square miles of the earth that has ever received as much as the island of iwo jima. almost all the japanese survived. life wasn't good. they were drinking their own urine. they were buried deep underground and they want happy. i got it, but they survived and they were committed to their cause and they survived to the point that they could kill 7000 marines when they hit the beach. look what isis has done to mosul. their losing. they got pounded but it took the special commanders to go into the city, house pipe house, block by block, room by room to clear the city and it's taken a while to do it at a high cost. one telling you is there's a myth out there that you can win from afar. to impose your political will on the enemy requires you, at the end of the day to destroy the enemy up close with ground forces, and i'm very wary of the win from afar myth. third myth, special forces can do it all with the green b

their mission to showcase the pride and professionalism of the united states navy and marine corps byre of excellence and service. they started with -- and now fly fa-18 horn effort -- hornets that have been retired but maintained. they keep a gruelling schedule, fly in more than 70 shows at 34 locations throughout the united states. my pilot wanted to show me just what these gorgeous blue multimillion dollars birds can do and trust me, they are flexible. >> ready? hit it. pretty cool, huh? >> and fast. capable of speeds well over the speed of sound. >> check this out. here it comes. there's the sound barrier right there. hit 1.0. >> we weren't allowed to break the sound barrier because the lieutenant didn't want to break the windows on the houses below us in up state new york but we did some tricks that about fried my brain like a backwards roller coaster loop. >> i can see the shadow on the ground. >> flying completely vertical headed straight into space. >> we're going right into the sun! >> right there is straight up. >> couple little rolls. >> this is bonkers! oh my gosh! i don't

we have heard from the chief of personnel for the united states navy, admiral burke.ut out a memo to his troops saying a couple very key things. one, no personnel actions will be taken against anybody until they have clear guidance on all of this. nobody is getting booted out at this point. medical care will be maintained for transgender persons, getting medical care. while it's unclear what happens to those currently serving, the navy saying all sailors will be treated with dig nitty and respect. we know other services are working on similar guidance, even as the pentagon, now is asking the white house to please put it on paper. what does the president actually want to have happen here? john? poppy? >> barbara starr at the pentagon, thank you for that reporting. significant indeed. the next, the president's ban on americans serving in the military is harmful. doing everything to fight it. democratic senator kirsten gillibrand is joining us. it is nice to have you on. your words, appalling, at the president's decision and you are working on legislation to try to preve

i was in the united states navy for four years and i feel that i do like that he's a businessman andlitician. >> what has he done for the military? >> i am part of the va. i can go in and just get whatever i need and walk right back out. >> how has president trump affected the wait time? >> he has just cared about our military and our veterans and he has went right in and said he was going to make a change and it already shows to me, as a veteran. >> colleen, when you hear the die-hard trump supporters who still believe in him, what do you mean? >> i don't mean to be offensive or disrespect anyone. i just think they're wearing rose colored glasses. >> what was it that flipped the switch for you? >> a travel ban on the chris he finds to be unsavory. >> what didn't you like about his travel ban? >> i saw it in person. i saw it on the tv, all the immigrants trying to get into the u.s. just standing there. and the look in their eyes was just like, what's going on? where is my family? am i going to get in? i just thought that's really cruel. >> and you came to regret your vote? >> yes, i