JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — Eric J. Geressy, senior advisor to the Secretary of War (Strategy), visited Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, April 24, 2026.
During the visit, Geressy held discussions with the crew on strategic objectives and the Navy’s critical role in maintaining regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The engagement offered Sailors a direct perspective on how their operational readiness translates into broader national security goals.
Geressy emphasized that the Indo-Pacific remains the department’s primary focus.
Geressy talked about the importance of leadership at every level, frequent training, and looking after each other. When asked about fleet wide shortages of repair parts during a question-and-answer session with the crew, he said the department is actively penalizing underperforming contractors and pushing the defense industrial base to prioritize productivity.
Geressy’s visit underscores the Navy’s commitment to bridging the gap between operational forces and senior leadership, enhancing readiness, warfighting lethality, and strategic alignment. It also reinforces the U.S. commitment to promote regional stability and security and support a free and open Indo-Pacific.
William P. Lawrence returned from a successful seven-month deployment to the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations, July 9, 2025. While in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, William P. Lawrence took part in several multinational exercises, including Exercise Pacific Steller 2025, Exercise Pacific Griffin 2025, and maritime counter-special operations exercises. The ship also supported dissimilar air combat training alongside allies and partners from France, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Commissioned June 4, 2011, William P. Lawrence is the 60th Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer and is homeported at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The ship is named in honor of Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence, a distinguished naval aviator and leader. During the Vietnam War, Lawrence was held as a POW from 1967 to 1973. A recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal for his leadership of fellow POWs, Lawrence was among the 591 Americans released during Operation Homecoming in 1973.
Born in Staten Island, New York, Geressy enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman. He spent 11 of his 26 years of military service overseas, including three combat deployments totaling 38 months of combat in Iraq. After retiring from the U.S. Army, Geressy held various roles as a Department of Defense contractor and Department of the Army civilian before being appointed by President Donald Trump as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second highest military decoration for extraordinary heroism in combat, for his actions in Iraq.