WEBVTT 00:00.610 --> 00:02.940 - Good morning, Marines and civilian teammates. 00:02.940 --> 00:04.636 Lieutenant General Adams and I want to thank 00:04.636 --> 00:06.284 each of you again for the part 00:06.284 --> 00:08.576 you played in the Corps' clean audit opinion 00:08.576 --> 00:10.198 for FY23. 00:10.198 --> 00:12.884 We're the first of any service to receive such an opinion. 00:12.884 --> 00:14.624 As many of you already know, 00:14.624 --> 00:17.209 the FY24 audit is already well underway, 00:17.209 --> 00:20.470 and past success does not guarantee future success. 00:20.470 --> 00:23.324 But we've established a baseline for a clean audit opinion 00:23.324 --> 00:25.552 and we just need to maintain it. 00:25.552 --> 00:27.831 We won't do that by resting on our backsides, 00:27.831 --> 00:29.525 but I don't need to tell you that. 00:29.525 --> 00:32.995 We're here because of your relentless grit and determination, 00:32.995 --> 00:34.848 and I know you'll do it again. 00:34.848 --> 00:38.079 - Having jumped into my seat in P&R in November of last year, 00:38.079 --> 00:40.733 I was able to witness firsthand the effort and teamwork 00:40.733 --> 00:42.872 that went into achieving our audit opinion. 00:42.872 --> 00:45.566 I remain in awe of the professionalism, 00:45.566 --> 00:47.991 commitment and daily focus across the enterprise. 00:47.991 --> 00:50.634 Your success during FY23 00:50.634 --> 00:54.353 moves the auditor's focus away from evaluating our historical balances 00:54.353 --> 00:56.858 and focuses them on current-year activities. 00:56.858 --> 01:00.576 Going forward, we need to continue to work smarter, not harder, 01:00.576 --> 01:03.014 by placing focus on lessons learned. 01:03.014 --> 01:05.219 I'd like to focus on three lessons. 01:05.219 --> 01:07.769 First, we learned that if we document 01:07.769 --> 01:10.479 some of our current internal controls a bit differently, 01:10.479 --> 01:13.834 then we won't have to count things again when the auditors visit. 01:13.834 --> 01:15.787 I need you to be diligent 01:15.787 --> 01:18.193 as we are building new institution-wide habits. 01:19.075 --> 01:20.960 Second lesson is that we learned 01:20.960 --> 01:23.118 we still have too many manual processes, 01:23.118 --> 01:26.238 often when passing information between systems and accreditations. 01:26.238 --> 01:28.976 This creates more work for you 01:28.976 --> 01:31.192 and increases our potential for errors. 01:31.192 --> 01:33.598 Continue to be relentless in the details. 01:33.598 --> 01:36.434 But what we owe you, and what we're working on, 01:36.434 --> 01:39.724 are the right technological solutions to automate these processes. 01:39.724 --> 01:43.372 At the same time, if you have any ideas for process improvement, 01:43.372 --> 01:45.191 please share them. 01:45.191 --> 01:47.762 The last lesson is that we learned it was critical 01:47.762 --> 01:49.890 to lean into planning for and supporting 01:49.890 --> 01:51.704 the auditors during their site visits. 01:51.704 --> 01:54.106 Please reach out to them before they come 01:54.106 --> 01:57.280 so you can align your internal processes with their visits. 01:57.280 --> 01:59.613 A well-planned site visit 01:59.613 --> 02:03.417 ensures that auditors' requests are met on time and on target, 02:03.417 --> 02:06.655 which can help prevent us from all having to do extra work. 02:06.655 --> 02:08.658 Before I turn it back over to the Commandant, 02:08.658 --> 02:11.052 I'll remind you that success 02:11.052 --> 02:13.141 comes from brilliance in the basics. 02:13.141 --> 02:15.653 Working through an audit is dynamic 02:15.653 --> 02:19.443 and circumstances will change that we will have to address in stride. 02:19.443 --> 02:22.341 We will work through this together, as a team. 02:22.341 --> 02:24.186 Raise your hand if you need help, 02:24.186 --> 02:26.372 and I thank you for all your hard work. 02:26.372 --> 02:29.113 We will work hard to support you from the headquarters, 02:29.113 --> 02:32.159 and in return, I ask for your support and feedback as well. 02:32.159 --> 02:35.363 - Marines and civilian teammates, let me close with this. 02:35.363 --> 02:37.633 You make our Corps proud every day. 02:37.633 --> 02:39.653 What you do is incredibly hard work 02:39.653 --> 02:41.618 and it's vitally important to getting the 02:41.618 --> 02:44.828 warfighter what they need, where they need it, when they need it. 02:44.828 --> 02:47.178 Keep it up, and I look forward to sustaining our 02:47.178 --> 02:49.121 success in Fiscal Year '24. 02:49.121 --> 02:50.879 Semper fidelis.