Happy Birthday, Marines. Thank you all for taking a moment out of your busy schedules to join us in celebration of the 249th Marine Corps birthday. A lot of work goes into putting this together, please join me in a round of applause for the color guard, the ceremonial detail, and the band!

Before I begin, I would like to specifically extend my gratitude to the members of our sister services and our civilian colleagues here at the Pentagon. 

This ceremony might be focused on the Marine Corps, but everyone here answered the call to serve. Thank you for your continued dedication to our common cause and for your support of Marines everywhere.

I am truly honored to stand in front of you here this morning as we celebrate the founding of our Corps. And with it, a warfighting ethos now 249 years old, one year older than our country’s declared independence from Great Britain.

We also celebrate the generations of Marines that came before us, those who lived up to our values of honor, courage, and commitment, those who fought and won our nations battles, such as in Fallujah 20 years ago this week, and those who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country.  

Everyone here today stands on the shoulders of giants. We must honor the Marines who gave us this legacy, and we must learn from them, and apply the lessons of the past to our future conflicts. Their discipline, toughness, courage, warfighting ethos… I see those same traits here in this courtyard.

Those same attributes are what brought the United States victory on Guadalcanal, on Iwo Jima, at the Chosin Reservoir, and in the streets of Fallujah. And like every one of these battles, our future conflicts will require every Marine to be a Rifleman and for Everyone to Fight.

Our Marine leaders of the past like General Al Gray and General George Crist gave us these lessons and embodied these traits. And while they have passed on, their culture and ethos live on with us.

Many things will change about the Corps, even during a single career – things must constantly change so we can stay ahead of our adversaries. But what is most important will never change – who we are as Marines. Marines are and will remain warfighters bound by our core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.  

We are our Nation’s shock troops, we come from the sea and return to it. We are a force in readiness. “First to fight” isn’t just a slogan, it is who we are. It is impossible to predict when the next war will come, but as Marines, we must be ready to fight tonight when our nation needs us.  

So, Marines, be ready.  The call may come at any time. The international scene grows increasingly chaotic, and even now we see malign actors colluding to destabilize the international order that has preserved global peace for 80 years.  

It is critical that we remain prepared because the task may come at a time when the Nation least expects it. We have some big challenges ahead of us and the road will not be easy. But we have one critical advantage in the future fight.  The only one that matters in the end.  

The Individual Marine, shaped by our warrior ethos, and our rich heritage, a heritage that is on display here today at the 249th Anniversary of the founding of our Corps.  

To my fellow Pentagon and Henderson Hall Marines: You are absolutely vital in this fight. You are the brain-housing-group of the Marine Corps.  From vision, to concept, to plan, to implementation, you are wrestling with some of the biggest challenges we face. And you are creating the Marine Corps that our next generation will join.

Thank you for all the behind the scenes work you do in shaping our Corps and providing our Marine Expeditionary Forces with the capabilities they need.

Semper Fidelis!