Someone asked me for a few thoughts on our new THOR motto, “Fleet First.” In sum, it’s just that – our priority at THOR is keeping our troops – our Sailors and Marines – our ships, submarines, boats, and craft number one — number one in readiness, num­ber one in capability, and number one capacity – we all have a part to play.

“Fleet First” means enough capacity to defeat adversaries in combat op­erations and to provide a credible forward presence, sustaining global shipping lanes. America is a maritime nation; our prosperity is tied to the seas, to the littorals of coasts, shore­lines, lakes, and rivers. More than 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade volume travels by sea. Our sea service ships, submarines, boats, and craft must pos­sess modern capabilities including weapons, sensors, and command and control systems to maintain the com­petitive edge – our platforms must be properly maintained, and our Sailors trained: ready to fight, tonight – ready to rescue, no matter the weather – ready to secure our coasts, always.

Why “Fleet First”? As a young Navy Sailor in the late 1970s, I experienced firsthand what it’s like to be part of a force without the capacity to do the job – a force with antiquated weapons and sensors that wouldn’t have done much against a threat – a force with dangerous engine rooms and poorly maintained gear far behind the times. While we did the best with what we had, we should have had better.

So, this is an easy one, “Fleet First!” – We owe it to our troops, those who go into harm’s way, every day, to keep us safe, secure, and free. We owe it to our country. Our Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard protect us from at­tack and preserve America’s strategic influence in the world. The troops we support operate from the sea floor to space, from deep water to the Great Lakes and in the information domain— deterring aggression, advancing mar­itime safety, protecting our living ma­rine resources, and enabling peaceful resolution of crises on America’s terms.

Of course, we are a business, and we need to make smart business deci­sions to be successful for our families, for ourselves, and for the communities in which we live. Keeping the main thing the main thing – “Fleet First” – is the business model that gets us there!