Dr. John Sherwood of Naval History and Heritage Command interviews former Acting Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Modly. A 1983 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Modly is the author of the new book, Vectors: Heroes, Villains, and Heartbreak on the Bridge of the U.S. Navy (2023). In Part I of the podcast, Modly discusses his attempt to reform naval higher education, his naming of a new Gerald Ford class aircraft carrier Doris Miller, and his thoughts on super carrier procurement. Part 2 will focus on Modly’s management of the COVID-19 outbreak on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in early 2020.