By MC1 Lewis Hunsaker

NPS student and guest speaker Army Maj. Dennis "DJ" Skelton addresses university students, faculty, staff and guests during the 240th U.S. Navy Birthday Ball in the Barbara McNitt Ballroom, Oct. 17. The theme for this year's celebration was "Ready Then, Ready Now, Ready Always."

"I have had many highs and lows in my career, but I would have never guessed that I would stand before you at this prestigious event. The honor is truly mine," said Skelton. "When I was asked to speak at this event, I thought a lot about the theme 'Ready Then, Ready Now, Ready Always.'"

Skelton was severely wounded in November 2004 while leading a rifle platoon in close combat in Fallujah, Iraq. Since his recovery, he has dedicated himself to advancing the causes of wounded veterans. He is the author of "Our Hero Handbook," a comprehensive guide to assisting wounded service members and their families.

"We have come a long way. I was very proud to witness that our military has figured it out … We weren't ready at a time that we needed to be, but we did what we needed to do to acquire the resources, to write the policies, and to give the military commands the resources they needed to take care of our wounded warriors," said Skelton.

But for Skelton, taking care of wounded warriors was not enough. He advocates for full inclusion of wounded service members wherever appropriate.

In 1972, then Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt authorized recognition of Oct. 13 as the Navy's birthday. Since then, each CNO has encouraged a Navy-wide celebration of the occasion to enhance a greater appreciation of our Navy heritage, and to provide a positive influence toward pride and professionalism in the naval service.