As America approaches its 250th anniversary, I’ve been reflecting on the defining moments that shaped who we are and the calls to action that moved ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
Throughout our history, America has never stood still. At every critical juncture, our country has asked its citizens to step forward, push boundaries and build something stronger than what came before.
One of the first great calls to action was the push for independence. I often think of Benjamin Franklin as a statesman and a visionary who knew declaring independence was more than a political act. It was an act of courage, imagination and belief in a better future. Franklin helped forge the spirit of a nation that aimed higher than the challenges in front of it.
Another figure I deeply admire is Marie Curie, perhaps the greatest exploratory scientist of all time. She didn’t wait for someone else to define the future; she discovered it herself and reshaped the world. Her work reminds me that science is possibility.
And then there is Admiral Hyman Rickover, father of the Nuclear Navy. In the years following World War II, as the world tried to define a new era of peace, Rickover answered the call to action that shaped our company’s destiny. He saw that lasting peace would depend on a new kind of capability: a strategic deterrent strong enough to keep our enemies at bay without ever firing a shot. He took the science of his time and transformed it into a force that has protected American freedom for more than 70 years.
Rickover’s call to action became ours. And ever since, BWXT has been a foundational part of sustaining that peace.
But today, we face a moment that is just as defining.
Across the country, and across the world, the pace of change is accelerating. The threats we face evolve every day. And once again, America needs an industrial base and a nuclear capability that is strong, resilient and ready for what comes next.
Our nation is asking us to move faster, innovate deeper, and build with even more precision and determination. And the truth is: we are built for this. Our technology, our grit, our craftsmanship and our proven technical mastery that have defined us for decades is exactly what the moment demands.
We’re expanding capabilities, modernizing how we work and pushing forward with the energy this mission requires. This is what it means to carry forward the legacy of Franklin, Curie, Rickover and everyone who shaped the world by stepping up when it counted.
Now it’s our turn. And it is happening as our nation marks its 250th year. Every weld, every inspection, every idea, every improvement all contributes to a safer country and a stronger Navy — not just today, but for generations ahead.
The next 250 years will demand new ideas, new energy, new levels of excellence, and that is exactly what BWXT has been preparing for. Together, we are building the future industrial base of this nation, ensuring the Navy’s strategic deterrent remains unmatched, continuing the work of protecting American freedom and building future products for the prosperity of humankind!
Let’s build the future worthy of America’s next 250 years.
