09/04/2026
Leadership makes a huge impact. A call from the squad leader or PL goes a long way. We know this very well.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a gathering of officers and senior enlisted Marines in North Carolina that they need to do more as front-line leaders to address the rate of su***des. The comments came during Cao’s first public appearance after being formally nominated as Navy secretary Tuesday, a role he has held in an acting role since April.
Cao traveled to Camp Lejeune Wednesday with Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith and other senior leaders. The group spent close to two hours in two town halls focused on su***de prevention and mental health.
“It’s a leadership issue, and I’m not blaming you for anything. I’m saying you need to know your Marines really well,” Cao said to a crowd of several hundred Marines stationed at the base. “I need for you guys to know your Marines so well that you know how they smell, when they breathe, and when they walk up, you can hear them behind you. But also when they’re hurting, to be able to pull aside and say, ‘Come here, Marine. Let’s walk for a second here.’”
At Camp Lejeune, Cao and Smith were joined by Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz, Pentagon special assistant and Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer, and Cao’s senior advisor for mental health. Cao said he is planning other town halls with senior leaders at major Navy and Marine Corps bases in the coming months.
