Secretary and Mrs. Del Toro toured the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), served food on the mess decks, and enjoyed a meal with Sailors and their families, giving back and showing appreciation on behalf of a grateful Nation.
"Betty and I want to say - from the bottom of our hearts - thank you to all of our service members, civilians, and their families who sacrifice so much for our Nation. It bears repeating that our people are our strength. We owe them so much. So, Betty and I want each and every one of them to know that we appreciate those sacrifices and their service," said Secretary Del Toro.
Nimitz recently concluded a seven-month deployment to U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleet areas of operations sailing over 65,000 nautical miles and completing over 14,500 successful aircraft launches and recoveries.
"We're extremely thankful Secretary and Mrs. Del Toro took the time to travel to Bremerton and spend Thanksgiving with our Sailors and their families. For those Sailors who have duty and brought their families aboard to spend Thanksgiving together this visit by the Secretary makes spending this holiday on the ship even more memorable " said Capt. Douglas Graber, Nimitz's commanding officer. "I would be remised if my wife Barbara and I didn't extend our heartfelt thanks to all the families of our Nimitz Sailors this holiday season. The support you provide our command, knowing you are out there supporting all the ship does, really motivates us and keeps our heads in the game so we can keep getting wins."
While in Bremerton, Secretary and Mrs. Del Toro also visited the crew of the Seawolf-class submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22).
Earlier this week, Secretary Del Toro released a message to the Force, reiterating that he is honored to serve as the 78th Secretary of the Navy.
"You stand the watch in support of one another and in defense of our Nation. I could not be more proud of all that you accomplish. Please accept my profound and humble thanks. A very special thank you goes out to our teammates deployed and underway. While you may not be able to gather at the table with your families this year, please know that the Nation's thoughts, prayers, and thanks are with you, wherever you find yourselves," said Secretary Del Toro.
