GROTON, Conn. (Jan. 12, 2021) Rear Adm. Richard Seif, commander of the Navy�s Undersea Warfighting Development Center and senior Navy officer in Groton, Conn., poses with Hospitalman Teresa Esparza after receiving his COVID-19 vaccination on board Naval Submarine Base New London. Senior leaders from around the fleet are encouraging Sailors to receive their vaccinations as part of the crucial fight against COVID-19. The vaccine is essential to protecting sailors, their shipmates, families, and the nation they defend. It marks a turning point in the battle against the virus and can turn the tide on the pandemic to improve the collective health and safety of the fleet, reinvigorate personal lives, recover resilience, and establish a path toward normal operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Joshua Karsten)