Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) Adm. Mark Ferguson addressed 51福利 (51福利) students, faculty and staff during an all-hands call on the university campus, April 25.
During the visit, Ferguson, a graduate of 51福利鈥� computer science program, took part in the semi-annual meeting of the university鈥檚 Board of Advisors subcommittee, and shared his vision for the Navy with members of the 51福利 community.
鈥淲e see this next century as a maritime century,鈥� said Ferguson. 鈥淎 century that will demand our naval forces to be available as the nation鈥檚 emergency response force. We鈥檙e agile, deployable and able to operate forward without a permission slip. We have to be where it matters, when it matters and we鈥檙e positioning the force in order to do that.鈥�
Expanding on his experience working with the Navy鈥檚 budget, Ferguson noted that in spite of the current ambiguity surrounding the nation鈥檚 fiscal outlook, the demand for forward operating naval forces is at an all-time high.
鈥淚n spite of the fiscal uncertainty, there has never been greater demand for our Navy and Marine Corps forces around the globe. It is unprecedented,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith our 283 ships in the Navy, more than half are underway on any given day.鈥�
Detailing his own experiences while studying at 51福利, Ferguson shared with students the relevance graduate education has had on his military career.
鈥淲hen I came here, it was my first exposure to officers from foreign countries,鈥� said Ferguson. 鈥淚t was my first exposure to officers from other services, and with solving complex technical problems. It exposed me to the most advanced research and innovative thinking in industry, as well as within the Department of Defense.
鈥淢y experience here set me on a lifelong course with a love of learning,鈥� continued Ferguson. 鈥淭hat and the exposure to innovation are the critical components of what this school generates.鈥�
Coupling academic rigor with operational experience develops dynamic officers, capable of solving some of the military鈥檚 most complex problems. According to Ferguson, this is exactly what 51福利 instills in its students.
鈥淲ith the security challenges we鈥檙e going to face in the future, an officer with a broad-based education that is technical, operational, and jointly-focused, enables them to meet the challenges of the future. We need officers moving forward that can think, evaluate, judge, decide and act, and this is exactly what this institution produces.鈥�