Midrats - Live from the Navy Memorial

So, what are you doing Saturday for lunch? Well, you are spending it with EagleOne and me from 11-1200, of course!

A special Midrats this week - early-lunchtime tomorrow, Saturday from 11-1200, live from the Navy Memorial in Washington DC.

We are there to help kick off the Blessing of the Fleets. From the Navy Memorial Website;

Passed down through generations of sailors, fishermen, merchant mariners and navies around the world, the centuries-old "Blessing of the Fleets" ceremony is intended to safeguard fishing crews and ships from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given by a clergyman at the water's edge.

As a tribute to our nation’s rich maritime heritage and the men and women who have contributed to its growth and success, the United States Navy Memorial hosts its annual Blessing of the Fleets ceremony each spring. The event is free and open to the public and is an official event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

At the United States Navy Memorial, the ceremony's highlight occurs when Sailors from the U.S. Navy's Ceremonial Guard proceed across the Memorial Plaza's "Granite Sea" to pour water from the Seven Seas and the Great Lakes into the surrounding fountains "charging" them to life and ushering in the spring season.

We have three great guests lined up;
- Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker, Jr., USN (Ret.), President and Chief Executive Officer, United States Navy Memorial Foundation
- Rear Admiral Michael J. Lyden, USN, Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command and Chief of Supply Corps.
- Documentarian Brian J. Kelly, executive producer of the Discovery Channel's "At Sea."

Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker, Jr. graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1954 and was commissioned Ensign in the Supply Corps. Sea duty tours in the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62) and the destroyer USS WREN (DD 568) followed. From 1957 until 1964, he served at Naval Stations in Norfolk, VA; Rodman, Panama, Canal Zone, and at the Naval Supply Depot, Newport, RI. In his next tour he commissioned the second Polaris submarine squadron, SUBRON SIXTEEN, and deployed with it to Rota Spain to establish the first U.S. strategic missile presence on the European continent and in the Mediterranean. Upon leaving Spain, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College and subsequently was assigned as a Joint Strategic Operations Plans Officer in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. His next tour was in the submarine tender USS HOWARD W. GILMORE (AS 16) with Submarine Squadrons FOUR and TWELVE. Following this sea tour, he returned to Washington where he was the Attack Submarine Programs and Budget Officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Submarine Warfare. From April 1975 until June 1978, he served as Force Supply Officer on the Staff of the Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. He then served two years as Executive Officer, Navy Ships Parts Control Center, Mechanicsburg, PA. In June 1980, he was ordered to the West Coast and assumed Command of the Naval Supply Center, Puget Sound, WA. He was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in July 1981 and reported to Norfolk where he served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics Readiness and Fleet Supply Officer for the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. In June 1983, he assumed duties as Assistant Comptroller of the Navy for Financial Management Systems and Commander, Navy Accounting and Financial Center. On 28 March 1984, he became Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command, and 35th Chief of Supply Corps.

Retiring from active duty in September 1988, RADM Walker became the Vice President for Administration and Director of Corporate Strategy for Resource Consultants, Inc. (RCI), a worldwide government services contractor. He retired from that position in September 2000. RADM Walker remains active and serves in a wide variety of endeavors including: Chairman, Vinson Hall Corporation; Member and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation; Trustee, U.S. Naval Academy Foundation; Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Herley Industries of Lancaster, PA and member of the Board of Visitors of Elon University. He is a life member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association, Submarine League, Military Officers Association, and Surface Warfare Association.

Rear Admiral Michael J. Lyden became commander, Naval Supply Systems Command and the 45th chief of Supply Corps, in October 2008. He commands a worldwide workforce of more than 25,500 military and civilian personnel in providing a broad array of logistics support and retail services to U.S. and allied naval forces. As chief of Supply Corps, he is responsible for community management of more than 3,500 active and Reserve Supply Corps officers and more then 27,000 active and reserve enlisted personnel.

Prior to assuming his current position, Lyden was the director of Supply, Ordnance and Logistics Operations in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N41). He came to OPNAV from Headquarters United States European Command, Stuttgart, Germany, where he served as the director, Logistics and Security Assistance (ECJ4).

Previously he held two other Joint positions, commander, Defense Supply Center Richmond, Va., a field activity of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Fort Belvoir, Va., and as executive officer to the Director, DLA.

Afloat, he served as supply officer aboard the frigate USS Valdez (FF-1096), and later as stock control officer in the initial crew of the combat stores ship USNS Sirius (T-AFS-8). Lyden completed his sea assignments as supply officer of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70).

His shore and staff assignments include duties as supply management instructor, Navy Supply Corps School; Supply and integrated logistics support analyst, Program Appraisal Division, Office of Chief of Naval Operations (N81); executive assistant to the Assistant Commander for Inventory and Systems Integrity, Naval Supply Systems Command; director, Operations Policy and Integrated Logistics Support Divisions, Naval Aviation Supply Office; supply officer, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.; head, Spares Programs and Policy Branch, Office of Chief of Naval Operations (N41) and as deputy commander for Financial Management/ Comptroller, Naval Supply Systems Command.

Brian J. Kelly is a veteran of over twenty years of original television development and production. He is a seasoned commercial director as well as producer and director of hundreds of long format films and television shows. He has held several senior Network television production positions and now currently heads Single Malt Media — a production company he founded with partner Mark Goodin in 2008. Single Malt Media is located just outside the epicenter of non-fiction television — Washington DC. An industry leader in the production and development of compelling non-fiction film and television, Brian has created such highly-rated programs as “Sixteen Days Columbia’s Final Mission,” “Defcon-2 Cuban Missile Crisis,” “Gold,” “In the Grip of Evil,” “U.S.S. Forrestal: Situation Critical,” and “Seized At Sea.” Brian has been honored with numerous industry accolades including his film “Pole Position “voted “Best of DC” at the Washington Film and Video Council’s annual Peer Awards. Brian’s work has been recognized by the Washington film community multiple times — receiving awards for Best Director and Best Documentary three times. Brian has been among the industry leaders in HDTV production for nearly a decade.

Make sure and join us live - all you need to do is click the Midrats widget on the right side of the blog to go to the showpage - or click here. At that same link during the show, at the bottom of the page, we will have a chat room going for you to join in with your comments among the usual suspects, and input your questions host and guests in real time.

If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes. If you're feeling real lazy - well, the widget below has the archive for you as well.

Finally, if you are going to be in DC, you really should come by the Navy Memorial. There is a full day of events.

The following is the schedule of events for the day's activities:

• 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Live broadcast of the Blog Talk Radio program "Midrats," featuring military bloggers Cdr. Salamander and Eagle One
• 12:30 p.m. Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new exhibit Supporting the Force: Navy Supply in Action—Ready for Sea, Ready Ashore
• 1:00 p.m. Blessing of the Fleets Ceremony on the Plaza with the Navy Band, the Navy's Ceremonial Guard and the Chief of the Supply Corps
• 2:00 p.m. Serving of Navy bean soup served by the White House Mess
• 2:20 p.m. Screening of the new film "A Day in the Life of a Suppo"
• 3:00 p.m. Screening of Episode 1 of HBO's new series "The Pacific"
• 4:00 p.m. Screening of the Discovery Channel's film about Navy operations today "At Sea"