EVERETT—Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro met with leaders and executives from Vigor Shipyard while at Naval Station Everett on Tuesday, February 13. He then held an All Hands’ Call for Sailors the next day on the base where he shared his priorities and listened to service personnel.

“I welcome Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and his team to the Pacific Northwest!” said Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), whose district includes Naval Station Everett and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. “As Secretary Del Toro will see and hear during his visit, Everett’s strategic location, natural deep-water port, modern infrastructure and shipyards, and supportive community make the base an ideal location for the Navy’s strategic missions.

“The Navy’s decision to homeport 12 Constellation-class frigates and crew at Everett shows that Everett is essential to the Navy’s broader mission of keeping the country safe and protecting U.S. interests worldwide. I look forward to working with Secretary Del Toro and the Pentagon to ensure Everett continues to be an ideal location for future homeporting and training.”

Vigor is currently modernizing the USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, at Naval Station Everett to be battle-ready. The meetings are part of Secretary Del Toro’s ongoing effort to visit naval bases, shipyards, depots, and training ranges to witness firsthand the progress made to improve the training, readiness, and modernization of the United States Naval fleet.   

Secretary Del Toro visited the USS John Paul Jones, which recently returned to Naval Station Everett during a 16-month docking selected restricted availability (DSRA) conducted by Vigor Shipyard. 

“Completing maintenance on all of our platforms and returning them to the fleet on time is a critical warfighting priority,” said Secretary Del Toro. “Overall, we have realized reductions in days of maintenance delay (DoMD), which is a positive trend, and we are committed to drive maintenance delays down even further.” 

As part of his Maritime Statecraft initiative, Secretary Del Toro has called for a whole-of-government effort to restore the maritime capabilities of the Nation. That effort includes reinvesting in ship maintenance and sustainment. 

“It is a critical imperative that American companies executing contracts with the Department of the Navy reinvest their capital into training their workforce, improving their infrastructure, and expanding their capacity,” said Secretary Del Toro. 

Throughout his visit, Secretary Del Toro also emphasized the importance of conducting ship maintenance and construction on time and on budget to increase throughput and increase the number of operational vessels in the Navy. 

“It is a strategic imperative for industry to join efforts to restore the Nation’s competitive shipbuilding and repair landscape,” said Secretary Del Toro. The future of the Navy hinges on modernization and readiness of our fleet today to build a modern, highly capable Navy and Marine Corps team dedicated to our mission of combat-readiness.” 

Secretary Del Toro left for San Diego where he gave the keynote address at WEST 2024 on Thursday, February 15, that emphasized accountability to product quality, operations in the Red Sea, and Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“The challenges we face are complex, demanding, and ever evolving,” said Secretary Del Toro at WEST 2024. “Among all the challenges, one thing must remain constant: the unwavering commitment of our nation to uphold the values of freedom, security, and prosperity.

“Our acquisitions and readiness are the bedrock of our national security. We’re not just building ships, we’re forging a modern, lethal fleet—agile, adaptable, and able to meet any threat on the horizon. Our logistics and shipbuilding initiatives aren’t just about jobs or creating a technological advantage, they’re about guaranteeing a maritime force that can outmaneuver any challenge.”

SOURCE: Office of the Navy with additions by the Lynnwood Times. Images courtesy of Naval Station Everett and the U.S. Navy.

ARTICLE UPDATED: 8:15 a.m., Friday, February 16, 2024, added Rep. Rick Larsen’s statement.