Welcoming the Guest Chaplain
Floor Speech
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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, I rise to commemorate the special occasion of having our Navy chaplain, Rear Admiral Todd, appear to give the invocation, and I do so noticing a ministerial hat trick in our Presider and our Senate Chaplain and our Navy chaplain all being on the floor as we open the session on this wonderful Thursday.
The Navy Chaplain Corps was created on November 29, 1775, with an order by the Continental Congress that there would be divine services on the ships of the U.S. Navy, and that was 248 years ago.
And often in the Senate, around the anniversary of the establishment of the Navy chaplaincy, the Navy chaplain is invited to come and open a Senate session. We are a little bit after November 29, but it is a very nice occasion to welcome Admiral Todd here.
Admiral Todd is a special individual. All chiefs of Navy chaplains are special, as we know from our own Senate Chaplain Reverend Black, but--get this--here is a little bit about Admiral Todd's career: He is a native of Seattle. He joined the Navy Reserves in 1986 and then was a reservist at the same time as he was pastoring churches. He superseded to Active Duty in 1994 and has been in the Navy chaplaincy business since then--a distinguished career.
But here is a mark that he holds that I am not sure anyone has or ever will hold. He has been the chief chaplain not only of the Navy but the 10th chaplain of the U.S. Coast Guard and the 20th chaplain of the U.S. Marine Corps before becoming the 28th chaplain of the U.S. Navy-- truly a servant whose service has spread far and wide to incorporate not only those who are in our military but also our civilians--and especially their families.
So this is a special occasion and a good one that we should do annually to allow the Navy chaplain to open the Senate session in memory of this 248-year tradition. But in particular, I want to express my gratitude to Admiral Todd for the great service that he has provided to thousands and thousands of our sailors, of our marines, of our coasties, and their families.
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