My goal in creating the (post of deputy assistant secretary) for unmanned systems was to streamline our current programs and drive a strategy for development that is deliberate and thoughtful.

Ray Mabus

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A more diverse force is a stronger force. A more diverse mindset makes you a stronger force. If you have the same outlook, if you have the same mindset, you don't get much innovation.

stronger innovation mindset

When I do all-hands calls - and I do a lot of all-hands calls - and I look out across 50 people, or 5,000 people, I see United States sailors. I do not see male sailors, or female sailors, and I do not think anybody else does, either.

hands people thinking

On 9/11, 2001, the Navy stood at 316 ships. By 2008, after one of the great military buildups in American history, we were at 278 ships and had 49,000 fewer sailors.

navy ships military

We're gonna be using American produced, American energy that will create jobs in the United States, will create a far more secure source of energy for us and will make us better environmental stewards because we will be contributing less to climate change and burning much cleaner fuel.

environmental energy jobs

Here are the choices I dont want to make: between paying additional fuel costs and flying and steaming less; between paying additional fuel costs and building fewer ships and planes.

cost flying choices

I don't think we ought to lose sight of the very central point here, none of this would have happened, not a bit of it, if the President had not inserted himself, absolutely inappropriately, in a way that undermines military justice in a way that dishonors the military that serves without committing war crimes.

The same arguments are used every time we expand who can serve, it affects unit cohesion, it is too costly, it is too disruptive. That was the argument used against integrating the armed forces in the 1940s. Those same arguments were used against recruiting large numbers of women in the'80s. The same arguments were used during the repeal of' don't ask, don't tell'.

And every single time those reasons have been bogus, every time.... by Ray Mabus

And every single time those reasons have been bogus, every time. Just like they're bogus today.

It's a bigoted policy. It has not one shred of evidence behind it, in fact, all the evidence goes the other way. It goes against the basic American notion that it should be about what you can do and not who you are. ... To do this to patriots who are willing to serve -- not only willing, but eager to serve, who have raised their hands and said send me -- weakens our democracy and seriously weakens our military.

There's no good excuse, the Marine motto is 'semper fidelis,' always faithful, and what these Marines did was to be unfaithful to their fellow Marines.

These Marines, these veterans, that have participated in this have attacked fellow Marines, and that is inexcusable in a fighting force, and particularly in the Marines, who are so special. every Marine has to know that every other Marine has their back.

Marines look after each other, Marines have each other's back. Look at what the commandant of the Marine Corps said about this, this makes us a less effective fighting force.

This needs to be looked at as part of a national debate, given th... by Ray Mabus

This needs to be looked at as part of a national debate, given the changed circumstances.

It gives us an edge tactically, it gives us an edge strategically, it keeps … fuel from being used as a weapon against us.

It gives us a war fighting edge, energy can be used as a weapon. We need an American home grown source of alternative energy. We need one that is not subject to the wild price swings of conventional fuel, which are set in the world market. We need ones that can’t be used against us.

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We absolutely cannot afford to lose in this realm. by Ray Mabus

We absolutely cannot afford to lose in this realm.

There are other places to look rather than taking tools from the warfighter. They are harder to find and get to but we can put more in the tooth and less in the tail. To the extent you can, protect the stuff that actually gets to the warfighter. Don’t protect the form, protect the function.

Last year they charged us $300 million dollars to write the check... by Ray Mabus

Last year they charged us $300 million dollars to write the checks.

We've got to pay a whole lot of attention to this, cyber is in everything now. It's not just weapons systems. It's in every system because we are so networked.

If there's a danger or potential danger with a platform, you've g... by Ray Mabus

If there's a danger or potential danger with a platform, you've got to take a look at that.