Celebrating the Navy's 245th Birthday

Story by MCS1 Kegan E. Kay, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs, Photos by MC2 Jacques Jean-Gilles and Navy History and Heritage Command

Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella celebrated the Navy's 245th birthday with a virtual birthday celebration and cake-cutting at the Ney-award winning Ristorante Bella Etna galley, October 13, 2020. The event was run by the Navy Ball Committee and hosted by U.S. Naval Medical Readiness Training Command (NMRTC) Sigonella.

The theme for the year’s birthday was “Victory at Sea” to honor the closing of the 75th anniversary commemoration of World War II, recognizing 245 years of warfighting excellence and relating it to modern Sailors who carry that heritage forward today. Specifically, the celebration focused on the naval battles that took place in the Pacific during World War II.

For ten weeks leading up to the Navy’s birthday, the navy ball committee provided history on the various naval battles won in the Pacific such as Midway, Coral Sea, and Leyte Gulf. American Forces Network (AFN) Sigonella highlighted each battle and invited special guests to discuss them and their correlation to today’s current naval force.

Usually, commands hold an annual Navy Ball to celebrate the history and heritage of the U.S. Navy by commemorating the day Congress established the Navy on Oct. 13, 1775. However, due to current COVID-19 restrictions, Sigonella went virtual this year.

To kick off the birthday celebration, the committee started with the “Ringing of the Bell” ceremony conducted through AFN Sigonella radio. The ceremony consists of ringing eight bells, signifying the end of the watch and end of current year. A single bell strike, a ceremonial ninth, was then struck to mark the start of a new watch and a new year.

NAS Sigonella Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin “Kepper” Pickard provided the opening remarks for the virtual celebration and remarked on the challenging year.

“I want to thank everyone for being here for this, shall we say, ‘non-standard’ Navy Birthday Celebration,” said Pickard. “It has been a challenging year for all of us throughout the Navy and right here at NAS Sigonella. You have all done amazing work, and Sigonella’s reputation as the ‘Hub of the Med’ remains strong. Your strenuous efforts and flexibility to adjust to the changing conditions have allowed us to continue to deliver critical supplies, launch combat and critical national tasking sorties, and support our ships at sea, all of which directly supports our combatant commanders and our NATO Allies.”

The guest speaker for the event was the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force Commander, Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell.

“This 245 years of Naval History is characterized by service, by sacrifice, but most importantly by accomplishment because it has been foundational to the national security of the United States of America,” said Cantwell. “You have ensured that we have remained rock solid around the world and provided a power projection capability unmatched by anyone else in the world, and that is truly remarkable.”

Capt. Denise Gechas, commanding officer, NMRTC Sigonella, provided the closing remarks before leading into the last event of the celebration.

“This event is a perfect example of our ability to adapt and overcome regardless of what life throws our way,” concluded Gechas. “We are so grateful to all the coordinators for making today’s events not only possible but obviously very successful, so thank you.”

As the oldest and youngest Sailors, Capt. Ronald Fahie and Hospitalman Recruit Sarai Chavez, both with NMRTC Sigonella, concluded the celebration with the traditional cake-cutting. The cakecutting ceremony symbolizes the renewal of each Sailor’s commitment to the Navy and the Navy’s commitment to our nation’s quest for peace and freedom worldwide.

The birthday cake is traditionally cut with a sword (cutlass) with the first piece going to the guest of honor. Representing the honor and respect accorded to experience and seniority, the second piece goes to the oldest Sailor at the command, who then passes the piece to the youngest Sailor present, representing the passing of experience and knowledge from the old to the young of our Navy.