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Thanksgiving is a special holiday for Americans, a time to gather with our families, friends, and loved ones, and to take a step back and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. As for me, I'm profoundly grateful for our Navy Marine Corps team of sailors, Marines, civilian employees, and their families. As a nation, we are thankful for the quiet daily sacrifices you make so that your fellow Americans can sit down to a Thanksgiving meal in safety with the people they love. We are also mindful that part of service means not being home today. Whether you're currently deployed, underway, on watch, or standing the line overseas, many of you will be missing your place at the table
for Thanksgiving. And I want you to know that your devotion to duty and your unwavering resolve do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Not by your leaders and not by the American people. My heart is also with our Navy and Marine Corps families whose loved ones aren't with them this Thanksgiving due to their service to our country. Family is important and while many of our sailors and marines are away from their families this Thanksgiving Day, we should all remember that we are part of a larger family across the Department of the Navy. I hope you find the time to gather with your brothers and sisters in your units, your crew, your watch floor,
and find that time to reflect and give thanks. Freedom is not free. It is secured and sustained by men and women like you who are willing to stand the watch so others don't have to. From my family to yours, thank you for everything you do. Happy Thanksgiving, sailors and marines.
