Secretary of War Pete Hegseth paid a surprise Thanksgiving holiday visit today to a pair of Navy warships operating in the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility as part of the military's anti-narco-terror mission, Operation Southern Spear.
Accompanied by his wife, Jennifer, Hegseth's delegation visited both the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill.
Shortly after arriving on the Ford's flight deck, Hegseth addressed members of the crew in the ship's hangar bay.
"I can guarantee it that I have the most beautiful view of America right now, looking at all of you; so, thank you so much for sharing Thanksgiving with us," Hegseth said, before joking that the captive audience probably didn't have a choice in the matter.
During his remarks in the hangar bay, Hegseth emphasized how important Navy assets like the USS Ford and its sailors are to combating narco-terror activity in the region while contributing to the success of Operation Southern Spear.
"Anywhere the world requires, you are prepared and ready to go. And here in our hemisphere, under [the] leadership of President [Donald J.] Trump, you are on mission, protecting the American homeland, protecting the American people, stopping the flow of drugs and narcotics [coming] into our country," Hegseth told the sailors.
"What you do here, what you enable here, directly affects the American people, which is what President Trump has charged me with," he continued.
Hegseth also encouraged the sailors to always make tough calls and do the right thing.
"And we will have your back, because you're defending the American homeland and you're defending the American people," Hegseth said.
Following his remarks, Hegseth went on to administer reenlistments for a trio of sailors, followed by the secretary giving special recognition to five of the ship's culinary specialists.
Hegseth then went to the ship's mess decks, donned an apron along with other senior leaders, and began serving Thanksgiving dinner to hundreds of sailors.
Many of the service members expressed appreciation for the secretary and other leaders choosing to take time out of their schedules, on a holiday, to show appreciation for the sacrifices deployed service members make.
"This is my sixth deployment, and having our leadership come out and show that support … you know, you could say that it's expected — because they make a point to do it — but that doesn't mean that it's not appreciated," said Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Nathaniel Payne, USS Ford's aviation and armament division.
"They're really taking the time to recognize that we can't be home with our families, and that sends a strong message of support," he added.
"I think it was a great opportunity for [Hegseth] to come visit the ship … and have a chance to come talk with the troops. I think it boosted everyone's morale," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Luke Stanley, the ship's assistant navigator, adding that he and his fellow sailors were proud to show off the ship to Hegseth and his delegation.
Stanley added that he appreciated how Hegseth made it a point to emphasize that working for sailors, like those that compose the Ford's crew, is one of his most important job responsibilities.
"And I think that's a true statement," Stanley said.