WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:03.849 And I'm always grateful for the 00:03.849 --> 00:06.489 opportunity to return . This is where I 00:06.489 --> 00:09.729 cut my teeth . My primary trainers are 00:09.729 --> 00:12.649 here in the room , uh , today , and I 00:12.649 --> 00:14.927 want you to know that I appreciate you . 00:14.927 --> 00:17.899 I would not be here standing before you 00:17.899 --> 00:21.899 but for . Mike Darrell , Keith Lockwood , 00:21.950 --> 00:24.420 I mean , I think about those that , uh , 00:24.629 --> 00:27.469 I'm an idea guy and so I came into work 00:27.469 --> 00:29.580 some days with some doozies , right , 00:29.580 --> 00:32.189 and , and , and , and to be able to 00:32.189 --> 00:34.569 have those that can harness the energy . 00:36.139 --> 00:39.659 And do good , good for the nation , do 00:39.659 --> 00:42.099 good for this city , do good for this 00:42.099 --> 00:45.759 region . Here soon 00:46.250 --> 00:49.409 we will cut a ribbon . In the harbor 00:49.590 --> 00:53.389 here in Norfolk , a lot of hard work 00:53.389 --> 00:56.509 that went into that , and I am really 00:56.509 --> 00:59.389 excited as I've been watching from afar . 01:00.970 --> 01:03.459 To get to this point , to get to this 01:03.459 --> 01:06.510 moment . I wanna 01:07.529 --> 01:10.730 Recognize the team that made this first 01:10.730 --> 01:14.709 class event possible . Many of them are 01:15.129 --> 01:18.809 working quietly behind the scenes , 01:19.680 --> 01:23.220 uh . And while their names won't be 01:23.220 --> 01:26.139 called out this morning , their 01:26.139 --> 01:29.059 contributions are no less significant . 01:29.910 --> 01:32.230 This event would not have happened . 01:33.339 --> 01:36.330 Without their dedication . Their 01:36.330 --> 01:40.319 professionalism . And hard work , so to 01:40.319 --> 01:44.160 each of you , thank you . When I 01:44.160 --> 01:47.040 look around this room , I see the 01:47.040 --> 01:50.239 people responsible for keeping 01:50.239 --> 01:54.209 America's waterways open . I 01:54.209 --> 01:56.389 see dredge operators . 01:58.050 --> 02:01.500 Project managers . Engineers . 02:02.779 --> 02:04.559 Contracting professionals . 02:05.599 --> 02:09.039 Executives . Regulators 02:09.660 --> 02:12.500 And core professionals who make the 02:12.500 --> 02:15.990 system work every day . The 02:15.990 --> 02:18.250 navigation system that we maintain . 02:19.059 --> 02:22.210 That we maintain together . is one of 02:22.210 --> 02:23.821 the most important pieces of 02:23.821 --> 02:25.654 infrastructure in this country . 02:26.429 --> 02:29.679 Supports our economy . Our energy 02:29.679 --> 02:33.240 exports . Our supply chains . 02:34.039 --> 02:37.929 Our ports And national security . 02:39.520 --> 02:43.339 And yet Despite its importance , 02:44.350 --> 02:47.740 I think it's fair to say . That we are 02:47.740 --> 02:51.529 at an inflection point . The nation is 02:51.529 --> 02:55.309 talking about shipbuilding . The nation 02:55.880 --> 02:58.029 is talking about maritime dominance . 02:59.270 --> 03:02.039 The nation He's talking about supply 03:02.039 --> 03:05.919 chains . The nation It's 03:05.919 --> 03:08.300 talking about economic competitiveness . 03:09.539 --> 03:12.460 None of these conversations matter if 03:12.460 --> 03:14.460 the vessels can't reach our ports . 03:15.899 --> 03:18.199 Dredging is not a supporting activity . 03:19.050 --> 03:22.979 It's foundational It sustains our 03:22.979 --> 03:26.789 national economic infrastructure . And 03:26.789 --> 03:29.869 that's exactly why we have to start 03:29.869 --> 03:32.619 thinking differently . About how we 03:32.619 --> 03:35.809 deliver it . For decades 03:36.779 --> 03:39.220 We have largely approached dredging as 03:39.220 --> 03:41.800 a collection of individual projects . 03:43.229 --> 03:47.160 One district develops a contract . One 03:47.160 --> 03:50.589 project gets awarded . One solicitation 03:50.589 --> 03:54.020 gets advertised , one dredge gets 03:54.020 --> 03:57.009 mobilized . Let me be clear . 03:57.990 --> 04:01.029 That model helped build the system that 04:01.029 --> 04:04.710 we have today . It deserves recognition . 04:06.240 --> 04:09.899 It had an impact . But I don't believe 04:09.899 --> 04:13.160 that that model is sufficient for the 04:13.160 --> 04:16.308 challenges we face this day . The 04:16.308 --> 04:18.949 challenges that we'll face tomorrow . 04:20.600 --> 04:23.959 The American taxpayer is not paying us 04:23.959 --> 04:27.380 to award contracts . American 04:27.380 --> 04:30.179 taxpayer is paying us to maintain 04:30.179 --> 04:33.239 navigation channels . That 04:33.239 --> 04:35.440 distinction matters . 04:37.589 --> 04:39.750 Because if our mission is to maintain 04:39.750 --> 04:43.700 navigation channels , Then our focus 04:43.700 --> 04:47.690 shouldn't . Our focus can't be on how 04:47.690 --> 04:51.450 many contracts we award . Focus . 04:52.130 --> 04:54.570 Should be on how much dredging we 04:54.570 --> 04:57.750 accomplish with every taxpayer dollar 04:58.000 --> 05:01.890 entrusted to us . That's the 05:01.890 --> 05:04.500 central idea behind building 05:04.500 --> 05:07.059 infrastructure , not paperwork . Yeah 05:08.049 --> 05:11.869 It's also the central idea . Behind how 05:11.869 --> 05:15.369 we're thinking about the future . The 05:15.369 --> 05:17.702 future of our national dredging program . 05:19.130 --> 05:20.908 The United States Army Corps of 05:20.908 --> 05:22.908 Engineers has to stop thinking like 05:23.250 --> 05:26.440 dozens of independent buyers . And 05:26.440 --> 05:29.769 start thinking like an enterprise . We 05:29.769 --> 05:32.119 need to ask ourselves some hard 05:32.119 --> 05:36.040 questions . Questions like , why are we 05:36.040 --> 05:38.207 repeatedly mobilizing and demobilizing 05:38.207 --> 05:41.279 equipment between projects . When there 05:41.279 --> 05:43.335 may be opportunities to package work 05:43.335 --> 05:47.269 differently . Why are we asking 05:47.269 --> 05:49.709 industry to plan around fragmented 05:49.709 --> 05:52.619 workloads ? When we could provide 05:52.619 --> 05:56.299 greater predictability . Why are 05:56.299 --> 05:59.339 we accepting inefficiencies that reduce 05:59.339 --> 06:01.561 the amount of dredging we can deliver ? 06:03.279 --> 06:05.399 Why are we measuring success ? 06:07.269 --> 06:10.579 By process . When we should be 06:10.579 --> 06:13.519 measuring success by outcomes . 06:15.220 --> 06:17.390 I'm insisting these questions be posed 06:17.390 --> 06:21.190 and answered . This is not an exercise 06:21.190 --> 06:24.299 in fault finding . It's an opportunity 06:24.299 --> 06:27.839 to understand . Improve and move 06:27.839 --> 06:31.380 forward together . We've all got work 06:31.380 --> 06:34.750 to do . Industry has work to do . 06:35.920 --> 06:38.600 The broader regulatory environment has 06:38.600 --> 06:41.809 work to do . If we're serious 06:42.269 --> 06:44.436 about delivering more dredging for the 06:44.436 --> 06:47.970 taxpayer , Everything has to be on the 06:47.970 --> 06:51.429 table . For the core 06:52.380 --> 06:54.602 Means taking a hard look at ourselves . 06:56.480 --> 06:58.670 We know that the timing of funding . 06:59.970 --> 07:03.829 Can create uncertainty . We 07:03.829 --> 07:06.790 know that contracting approaches vary 07:06.790 --> 07:10.420 across the enterprise . We know that 07:10.420 --> 07:13.140 requirements sometimes change late in 07:13.140 --> 07:16.519 the process . We know 07:17.279 --> 07:20.890 That delays create risk . And that risk 07:21.700 --> 07:24.350 ultimately shows up in bid prices . 07:26.510 --> 07:28.732 If we want industry to perform better , 07:29.350 --> 07:31.461 we have to become a better customer . 07:33.859 --> 07:36.260 We owe industry predictability . 07:38.450 --> 07:42.070 We owe industry transparency . We 07:42.070 --> 07:45.950 owe industry consistency . And we're 07:45.950 --> 07:48.850 going to improve in all of those areas . 07:50.170 --> 07:52.839 But partnership requires accountability 07:52.839 --> 07:56.059 on both sides . It's a two-way street 07:57.730 --> 08:00.950 Over the years we've seen examples . 08:01.929 --> 08:04.209 Where equipment didn't arrive when 08:04.209 --> 08:08.149 promised . We've 08:08.149 --> 08:10.890 seen schedules disrupted . 08:12.600 --> 08:14.529 We've seen projects pause while 08:14.529 --> 08:18.429 opportunities elsewhere . Became more 08:18.429 --> 08:21.739 attractive . We've 08:21.739 --> 08:24.600 seen situations where taxpayers paid 08:24.839 --> 08:26.739 for multiple mobilizations and 08:26.739 --> 08:30.000 demobilizations . And received little 08:30.000 --> 08:33.320 additional value . Everyone in this 08:33.320 --> 08:35.609 room understands and appreciates those 08:35.609 --> 08:38.119 truths . And I'm confident you can 08:38.119 --> 08:42.090 recall a particular instance . Or 08:42.090 --> 08:46.090 experience I need not call 08:46.090 --> 08:48.890 out companies because the point is not 08:48.890 --> 08:51.650 to criticize . The point is to 08:51.650 --> 08:54.409 recognize that those practices reduce 08:54.409 --> 08:57.549 efficiency . That those practices 08:57.549 --> 08:59.605 reduce the amount of dredging we can 08:59.605 --> 09:01.909 deliver for the nation . I think the 09:01.909 --> 09:05.770 taxpayer deserves better . And 09:05.770 --> 09:07.826 under my watch we're going to pursue 09:07.826 --> 09:10.048 better . That's why we're moving toward 09:10.048 --> 09:13.289 a more national approach . To dredging 09:13.289 --> 09:16.510 delivery Not because bigger is better . 09:17.880 --> 09:20.159 But because smarter is better . 09:22.369 --> 09:24.409 Larger and more predictable work 09:24.409 --> 09:27.250 packages , I think , will improve 09:27.250 --> 09:30.390 sequencing of projects . will have 09:30.390 --> 09:32.501 greater visibility across districts . 09:33.340 --> 09:35.460 Better use of contracting tools . 09:36.340 --> 09:39.570 Reduce duplication . Reduce 09:39.580 --> 09:42.919 inefficiencies . More dredging 09:43.380 --> 09:46.090 accomplished . That's the goal . 09:47.760 --> 09:49.927 Another area that deserves attention . 09:50.460 --> 09:53.539 Is the growing complexity of 09:53.539 --> 09:55.872 environmental compliance and permitting . 09:56.609 --> 09:59.469 Again , let me be clear . The Corps 09:59.469 --> 10:01.710 remains fully committed to 10:01.710 --> 10:05.390 environmental stewardship . We have a 10:05.390 --> 10:08.429 responsibility . To protect natural 10:08.429 --> 10:11.830 resources and comply with environmental 10:11.830 --> 10:15.260 laws . That commitment is not changing . 10:16.840 --> 10:20.020 But stewardship Must also be grounded 10:20.020 --> 10:22.099 in measurable outcomes and practical 10:22.099 --> 10:25.419 realities . Across parts of the country . 10:26.690 --> 10:29.219 We continue to see increasing . 10:29.900 --> 10:31.900 Restrictive environmental windows . 10:33.580 --> 10:36.299 Permit conditions , placement 10:36.299 --> 10:40.090 requirements , testing protocols , and 10:40.090 --> 10:43.190 operational limitations . Many of these 10:43.190 --> 10:45.412 requirements were implemented with good 10:45.412 --> 10:48.239 intentions . But I think we have an 10:48.239 --> 10:51.369 obligation . To ask whether they're 10:51.369 --> 10:54.770 producing benefits that justify the 10:54.770 --> 10:58.630 cost they impose . Every 10:58.630 --> 11:01.830 restriction has a cost . Every 11:01.830 --> 11:04.270 limitation affects capacity . 11:05.609 --> 11:09.250 Every delay . Affects 11:09.250 --> 11:12.409 delivery . And every additional $1 11:12.409 --> 11:14.969 spent navigating what I'll call 11:14.969 --> 11:17.969 unnecessary constraints is a $1 that 11:17.969 --> 11:20.210 can be used to maintain another channel 11:20.609 --> 11:21.887 somewhere in America . 11:24.409 --> 11:27.789 Those are conversations . We need to 11:27.789 --> 11:31.390 have . We need to have them openly . We 11:31.390 --> 11:34.429 need to have them honestly . Because 11:34.429 --> 11:36.096 our obligation is not only to 11:36.096 --> 11:39.549 stewardship . Our obligation is also to 11:39.549 --> 11:43.330 the taxpayer . While we continue to 11:43.330 --> 11:45.989 modernize how we purchase dredging . 11:47.289 --> 11:49.580 We must also maintain the capabilities 11:49.580 --> 11:51.413 that Congress has directed us to 11:51.413 --> 11:54.809 preserve . Industry 11:55.570 --> 11:58.770 performs the overwhelming majority of 11:58.770 --> 12:02.200 our dredging mission . And 12:02.200 --> 12:05.429 I , we all depend on that partnership . 12:07.210 --> 12:09.250 But Congress has also directed . 12:10.280 --> 12:12.113 Directed the corps to maintain a 12:12.113 --> 12:14.530 minimum federal fleet . And that's to 12:14.530 --> 12:18.039 support emergency response . National 12:18.039 --> 12:20.859 security requirements . Navigation 12:20.859 --> 12:23.599 recovery . And mission assurance . 12:24.750 --> 12:27.229 We take that responsibility seriously . 12:28.760 --> 12:31.119 And that's precisely why we're 12:31.119 --> 12:34.669 recapitalizing our aging fleet . The 12:34.669 --> 12:36.989 future Dredge Donnelly remains on track 12:36.989 --> 12:39.190 to replace the McFarlane and enter 12:39.190 --> 12:42.469 service in early fiscal year 2028 . 12:44.150 --> 12:46.206 We're also planning for the eventual 12:46.206 --> 12:48.989 recapitalization of the esseons in the 12:48.989 --> 12:52.820 next decade . A capable 12:52.820 --> 12:55.580 private industry and a capable federal 12:55.580 --> 12:58.969 fleet . In my humble opinion , are not 12:58.969 --> 13:02.090 competing concepts . The complementary 13:02.090 --> 13:04.530 elements of a resilient national 13:04.530 --> 13:08.359 dredging capability . The nation needs 13:08.359 --> 13:12.000 both . As we look ahead 13:13.500 --> 13:16.869 Our vision is clear . Our purpose is 13:16.869 --> 13:20.320 steadfast . We know where we're going . 13:21.309 --> 13:24.659 And we know why it matters . We are 13:24.659 --> 13:27.219 going to establish a national dredging 13:27.219 --> 13:31.020 program . One that leverages 13:31.020 --> 13:34.969 enterprise buying power . One that 13:34.969 --> 13:37.489 provides predictability to industry . 13:39.200 --> 13:42.099 One that challenges outdated . 13:42.890 --> 13:46.510 Business practices . One that 13:46.510 --> 13:49.070 delivers more dredging for every 13:49.070 --> 13:52.710 taxpayer dollar . The measure 13:52.710 --> 13:56.460 of success is not how many contracts we 13:56.460 --> 14:00.130 award . The measure of success 14:01.030 --> 14:03.130 is how many cubic yards we move . 14:05.429 --> 14:08.309 The measure of success is whether 14:08.309 --> 14:11.270 America's navigation system is ready . 14:12.049 --> 14:15.530 When the nation needs it . That's the 14:15.530 --> 14:18.320 standard . That's what we're pursuing . 14:19.969 --> 14:23.770 I will be unwavering in my expectation . 14:24.489 --> 14:27.760 That we achieve it . We're going to 14:27.760 --> 14:30.309 challenge ourselves . We're going to 14:30.309 --> 14:32.830 challenge our processes . We're going 14:32.830 --> 14:35.900 to challenge assumptions that no longer 14:35.900 --> 14:38.530 serve the mission . And we're gonna ask 14:38.530 --> 14:41.109 our partners . We're gonna ask all of 14:41.109 --> 14:44.630 you to join us . Because I don't think 14:44.630 --> 14:47.010 the status quo is a strategy . I think 14:47.010 --> 14:49.830 it's a decision to accept tomorrow 14:50.280 --> 14:53.729 exactly as it is today . The future 14:53.729 --> 14:57.510 demands more . The taxpayer deserves 14:57.510 --> 15:01.250 more . And together We're going to 15:01.250 --> 15:01.849 deliver more .