Rear Admiral Joseph A. Horn Jr. assured seniors at the Young At Heart meeting in Kresgeville that no other Navy can compare to the United States Navy.

"We have many competitors, but none that can compare to us," he said.Horn, originally from Philadelphia, was invited to speak to the Young At Heart club by his father and mother, Joe and Dolores Horn of Kresgeville, members of the club."I have always wanted to serve in the Navy from as long as I can remember. As a young boy I used to visit Philadelphia Navy yard and see the ships and dreamed of going to sea," Horn said about his Naval career.He is a 1980 United States Naval Academy graduate, with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Horn's first duty assignment was in USS Sampson (DDG 10).His sea duty assignments include: USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49); USS Ticonderoga (CG 47) and USS Anzio (CG 68). He commanded USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Lake Erie (CG 70) and has been in service for 34 years, the last six years, as Program Executive Officer of Integrated Warfare Systems. PEO IWS's number one responsibility is to develop, deliver and sustain operationally dominant combat systems to sailors and Marines."We build and procure weapons and radar for our ships," said Horn, who leads about 400 civilian and military engineers and procurement specialists.Twelve Navy captains manage 120 programs at $6 billion dollars."We have the smartest individuals working for us," he said.He said 350,000 men and women currently serve in the Navy. Of the 289 ships. 104 are currently deployed around the world.He gave an example of the difference in ships from the 1950s and 60s to today's cruiser with the Aegis Combat System."A Baltimore cruiser had a steam turbine engine with a crew of 1,200. It had 9-inch guns and could shoot a bullet 12 to 15 miles away. It couldn't find a submarine. Today, an Aegis crusier has a gas turbine engine, a crew of 325 men and women, and standard missiles can reach up to 120 miles.According to Horn, "We have highly trained specialists who are continually learning and challenged to keep up with technology.""One of the advantages our Navy had over the rest of the world is in our young men and women, our crown jewels. Our weapons couldn't impress as much as our men and women."While he was in command of Lake Erie, the ship conducted multiple successful ballistic missile engagements and won the Spokane Trophy, two Edward F. Ney Awards and two Battle "Es."Horn has deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Eastern and Western Pacific, and conducted extensive operations in the Caribbean and Baltic Seas and the Atlantic Ocean.Horn has served on the Joint Staff (J8) and the staffs of Joint Forces Command (J6), United States Fleet Forces (N8) and OPNAV (N86).He has also been assigned as deputy director of the Missile Defense Agency. His previous assignment was program executive, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense and commander, Navy Air and Missile Defense Command.Personal awards include three Defense Superior Service Medals, two Legion of Merits, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, four Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.Horn and his family have moved 22 times in his 34-year career service.His favorite assignment was Pearl Harbor, Hawaii because members of his family came to visit, it was a beautiful place, and he was assigned to a ship.His least favorite place was the duty station in Washington, D.C. because there was no ship, no sea duty and not a lot of sailors.His "best" moment was as an Ensign marrying his wife, Marge, 34 years ago. They have two daughters, Monica Horn and Stephanie Barton, married to Patrick.He and his first mate plan to retire this year. When they do, they plan to drop the anchor in the West End, near his parents."It's truly beautiful here," he says.