12/10/22 - Weekend Listening from Intercontinental Exchange

As a Cuban immigrant to America, Carlos Del Torro's family had very little money.

He was raised in Hell’s Kitchen in the 60’s and 70’s, where his parents prioritized education. He graduated from Thomas A. Edison H.S. in Queens, aspiring to become an engineer.

He realized that vision by earning an appointment to the United States Naval Academy , graduating with a B.S. in aerospace engineering in 1983. He then served in the Navy for 22 years, including as the first commander of the USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), which was commissioned in New York City, blocks from where he grew up, about 90 days after 9/11.

To honor that moment, Commander Carlos Del Toro rang the Opening Bell of the New York Stock Exchange on December 4, 2001.

Now the 78th Secretary of the U.S. Navy, Del Toro oversees 900,000 sailors, marines, reservists, and civilians and an annual budget of more than $200 billion. This afternoon, Sec. Del Toro will lead the brigade of fans of the Navy Midshipmen who battle the Army Black Knights this afternoon in the 123rd Army-Navy Game.

It is a tradition where, no matter who prevails at the final whistle, the ultimate victors are the American people who see a new corps of officers-to-be near the conclusion of their superior education and training.

Kickoff is 3:00 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The game will be broadcast on CBS.

NYSE-listed firms, and ICE, have a long history with the US Navy . The USS Bulkeley, like many naval vessels, was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, a Division of HII (NYSE: HII) Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. A large number of the ships' systems of our warships are supplied by Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC). Many of the Navy’s submarines are constructed by General Dynamics Electric Boat Division (NYSE: GD. The Navy’s newest strike fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, is manufactured by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT). The V-22 Osprey that has helped to transform the warfighting capability of the United States Marine Corps flies from the assembly lines of Boeing .

Beyond all of that, the 76th Navy Secretary, Richard V. Spencer, served as ICE’s CFO, and former ICE executive (and former U.S. Senator) Kelly L. Loeffler is sponsor of USNS Apalachicola, one of the Navy’s newest warships. So it was altogether fitting that the 68th President of the NYSE , Lynn Martin , welcomed the 78th Navy Secretary back to the Exchange, 22 years after his first bell ringing, to ring our Closing Bell on the eve of Veterans' Day.

As you get ready for the Army-Navy Game later today, Secretary Del Toro is our guest on this week’s episode of “Inside the ICE House.”

The view from the Pentagon: ?

• Anchors Aweigh: Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro Navigates Our Modern U.S. Fleet Carlos De Toro, 78th Secretary of the U.S. Navy, expects the Midshipmen of his alma mater to “Beat Army” in the 123rd rendition of the classic rivalry, but he knows the triple option tactics of years past won’t be enough. Winning on today’s gridiron needs new skills and strategies. The same is true for his force of 900,000 sailors, marines, reservists and civilians and their $210 Billion annual budget. Sec. Del Toro returned to New York, where he once christened his ship as an officer, to recall the leadership opportunities his country gave him and those awaiting a new generation sailing under America’s flag.

If you’re on a smart phone, all of our Inside the ICE House podcast episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts, including the Apple Podcast App, Spotify, and Stitcher, and other audio platforms. Feel free to reach out to me with any feedback about our show, or suggest any guests for future episodes.