WEBVTT

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(audience applause)

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- Thank you very much Secretary Nielsen.

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Great job you're doing.

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That was a wonderful introduction and

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your leadership as the Coast Guard's

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service secretary has been very much

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appreciated and respected.

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Thank you very much great job.

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Thank you as well to
our great Vice President

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Mike Pence.

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Please stand up Mike.

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(Audience Applause)
For joining us today.

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I'm thrilled to be here with the brave

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men and women of the
United States Coast Guard.

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You are America's first line of defense.

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The best of the best,

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these are exciting times for America.

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We are being respected again,

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we're being respected abroad,

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and we are restoring our wealth at home.

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It's about time.

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(audience applause)

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We have reached yet one
more historic milestone,

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with 3.8% unemployment just announced

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and another all time record low.

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African American unemployment,

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Hispanic unemployment at an all time low

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in history.

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We're very honored by that and by the way

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for the women out there,

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the lowest unemployment in 19 years.

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(audience applause)

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And I'll be soon saying
that will be in history

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also very soon.

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That won't take much longer.

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We're honored to be joined
for today's ceremony

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by Director Coats, Dan Coats.

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Where's Dan?

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Thank you.

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Thank you Dan.

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Director Alles, Commissioner McAleenan,

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Administrator Long and
acting Director Homan

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he's done a fantastic job,

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along with many of our
senior military leaders:

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General Dunford, General Selva,

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Admiral Richardson, General Goldfein,

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and General Lengyel where
is everybody stand up.

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These are serious, powerful
(audience applause)

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incredible people.
(audience applause)

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Please stand up.
(audience applause)

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Great people, thank you.
(audience applause)

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Incredible people.

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We're gathered together today for a

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truly special occasion.

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We are here to mark a change in command

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of the United States Coast Guard,

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and celebrate the incredible career

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of it's 25th Commandant
Admiral Paul Zukunft.

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(audience applause)

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Great job.
(audience applause)

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We've got his family
here they're very proud,

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they should be.

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And Paul I have to tell you on behalf

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of the American people,

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I thank you for a
lifetime of noble service.

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Congratulations on
everything you have achieved.

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For nearly half a century 45 years,

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Paul has proudly worn
the Coast Guard uniform.

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That's a long time you
don't look that old.

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Really, 45 years?
(audience applause)

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45 years.

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How good does he look?
(audience applause)

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45 years.

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Must be something awfully good

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happening in the Coast Guard.

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(audience laughter)

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In that time he has lead
every kind of mission

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and he has never backed
down ever, ever, ever,

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he's never lost a challenge.

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For the past four years,

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Admiral Zukunft has lead
his brand and this brand

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of the United States Armed Forces

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as Commandant and he has lead

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with extraordinary skill, and devotion

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and pride.

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Today we also thank Paul's wife Fran

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for her own service over the years

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including as a devoted mentor

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and representative for military families.

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Fran,

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please stand up.

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Thank you Fran.
(audience applause) (cheering)

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I hate to tell you this Paul but she got

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a bigger hand than all of us including me.

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(audience laughter)

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I don't know if I'm happy about this Paul.

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(audience laughter)

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Thank you Fran.

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And Fran we're grateful for everything

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you've done to advance
the Coast Guard Mission

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it's been a lot.

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We're also joined by the
Admiral's mother Marge,

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his brother Eric, sister Karen,

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son Brett, daughter
Heidi and granddaughters

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Stella and Adelynn.

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Stand up family.

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(audience applause) (cheering)

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Paul is very proud of you.

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Thank you for supporting
him in his mission

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and bringing so much joy into his life.

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Throughout the Admiral's tenure

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he poured his heart and soul into

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the service of our nation,

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and he brought remarkable vision

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to the task of ensuring the Coast Guard's

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rightful place at the forefront

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of American security and prosperity.

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Everyone here today understands

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a crucial fact,

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America is safe because our Coast Guard

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is strong.

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(audience applause)

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And last season during the hurricanes

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I was in Texas, I was in Florida,

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I was in Puerto Rico.

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I saw the work that you did under the most

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adverse conditions.

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And I've said this to a lot of people,

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I don't think any brand has gained

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more momentum or has
gained more of anything

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than the brand of the
United States Coast Guard.

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People have tremendous respect for

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the United States Coast Guard.

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True. Right?
(audience applause)

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I've told you that before.
(audience applause)

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You are the elite force
that defends our borders,

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patrols our waters, protects our cities

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and keeps our enemies at bay.

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Paul sharpened the Coast Guard's focus

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on the Western Hemisphere,

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a crucial legacy that will long outlive

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Paul's tenure.

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This includes greater emphasis on

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drug interdiction,

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and the formation of historic partnerships

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to stop this deadly poison,

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and that's what it is it's poison,

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from reaching our shores and destroying

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our youth and others.

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Paul also worked tirelessly to protect

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America's interest in the Arctic.

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His leadership helped launch the

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Arctic Coast Guard forum,

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and he made a top priority to ensure

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that the United States
Military can project

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American might all the way to the poles.

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One of the first times I met the Admiral

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last year I asked him: "What do you need?"

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He replied: "Sir, we need icebreakers

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"and we need em badly."

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Well now you're getting em.

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(audience applause)

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And to be specific I'm pleased to report

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that the Coast Guard is now on course

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to receive it's first new heavy icebreaker

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in more than 40 years
and plenty other ships,

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and boats, and equipment
and everything you need.

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Our new budget 700,

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just passed,

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700 billion dollars this year.

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716 billion dollars next year.

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You're gonna be very well taken care of.

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You're gonna have to split that with

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a few others but that's...

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(audience applause)

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We're splitting it up a little bit

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but that's a lot.

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Never been anything like it.
(audience applause)

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You have the greatest
equipment in the world

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and we make the greatest
equipment in the world

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right here in the United States.

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We're committed to a
military and security budget

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that funds and recognizes
the Coast Guard's

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vital role.

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There is no better
investment than giving you

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the tools you need to keep drugs,

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criminals and terrorists
out of our country.

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(audience applause)

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Commandant Admiral
Zukunft also spearheaded

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a new Coast Guard cyber
strategy so important,

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and he was at the forefront.

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He recognizes that we must harden our

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industry ports and waterways against

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cyber intrusion.

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Paul's stellar record of achievement is a

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testament to his talent
and to his leadership,

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but it's also a testament
to the amazing talent

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of our Coast Guard men and women

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who carry out their
missions with excellence

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every single day.

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You chase down our enemies,

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track down our adversaries and face down

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our greatest threats.

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Nobody like you.

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You secure our borders
against traffickers,

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smugglers, criminals some of the worst

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people anywhere on earth.

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And we feel secure.

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And through driving
winds and pounding rain

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and thundering seas,

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the Coast Guard is always there

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doing what it does best saving lives.

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In last year's historic hurricane season,

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our Coast Guard heroes they are,

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saved almost 12,000 America lives

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in that short period.

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It's an unbelievable number
when you think of it.

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It's an unbelievable number.
(audience applause)

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12,000.
(audience applause)

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And I got a little education
I asked the Admiral.

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When that big monster's coming in

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in this case to Texas,

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and it was coming in.

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They've never seen a water dump like that

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I think in history,

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in terms of water coming down.

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And it would come in
go out, come in go out

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three times, four times,

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it's never been anything like it.

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And his guys and gals they just

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followed that thing back and forth

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and you were all over it.

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I said, "How dangerous is it?"

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He said, "Sir, you don't wanna know."

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(audience laughter)

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I said, "Can the boats
ever go down? You know

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"we have great equipment. Can the boats

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"ever go down?"

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And he said, "Yes sir."

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And that was when I decided I won't

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be joining the Coast Guard.

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(audience laughter)

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He said, "They go down. No matter how good

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"you build them they
can go down with those

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"big powerful waves."

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Can't they?

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So great job.

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That was an incredible
job you did thank you.

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(audience applause)

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Many service members left their own homes

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and families to plunge out of helicopters,

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wade through perilous waters,

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care for the wounded
and rescue the stranded

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of which there were many.

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Your selfless courage has earned

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the gratitude of our nation.

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With this ceremony we
proudly pass the helm

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of the United States Coast Guard

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to the man who oversaw
those emergency operations

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Admiral Karl Schultz.

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(audience applause) (cheering)

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Stand up Admiral, stand up
(audience cheering)

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As commander of the
Coast Guard Atlantic area

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Admiral Schultz took
responsibility for the

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Coast Guard response
across the Gulf Coast,

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the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

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I have complete confidence that Karl

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will carry out his new
mission with the same

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talent, strength and devotion that have

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characterized his entire career.

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He has had an incredible and very brave,

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but an incredible career.

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Karl we congratulate you,

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and we thank you for answering this call

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to service.

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(audience applause)

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We also thank your entire family for

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undertaking this journey with you.

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We are glad to be joined today

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by the Admiral's wife Dawn,

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his mother Elisabeth,

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daughters Kelsey, Linsey and Analeise.

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And sons Eric and Zachary.

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Thank you very much.

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Stand up, stand up.
(audience applause)

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As we observe this change in command,

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it is a great moment not just for

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the Coast Guard,

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but for our entire nation.

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The Coast Guard record is unsurpassed

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anywhere in the world.

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From the courage of your heroes who manned

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the landing craft in the South Pacific,

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to the legendary prowess of your pilots,

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to the astonishing feats
of your rescue swimmers

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your service makes all of America Proud.

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We are very proud of the Coast Guard

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more so today,

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I will tell you,

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more so today than ever before.

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(audience applause)

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And for that reason America knows

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that we can always count
on the Coast Guard,

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because the Coast Guard is always ready.

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(audience applause)