1 00:00:00,310 --> 00:00:04,310 I'm talking about , thank 2 00:00:04,310 --> 00:00:06,366 you . Thank you Daryl , I appreciate 3 00:00:06,366 --> 00:00:08,643 that . And how's everybody doing today ? 4 00:00:08,643 --> 00:00:12,010 What a great day . And I know or at 5 00:00:12,010 --> 00:00:15,180 least I heard that Admiral Mike mullen 6 00:00:15,180 --> 00:00:16,820 is in the crowd , one of my 7 00:00:17,080 --> 00:00:19,830 predecessors who was chairman , but he 8 00:00:19,830 --> 00:00:22,108 was also the Chief of Naval Operations . 9 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:24,950 So when I say go army , you say , 10 00:00:27,540 --> 00:00:29,707 Man , I tell you what I did , I didn't 11 00:00:29,707 --> 00:00:31,873 graduate , I'm just an honorary grad . 12 00:00:31,873 --> 00:00:34,040 That was pretty weak . Come on , class 13 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,207 of 22 . You can do a little bit better 14 00:00:36,207 --> 00:00:39,830 when I say go army , you say very good . 15 00:00:39,830 --> 00:00:41,774 That's much , much better . Well , 16 00:00:41,774 --> 00:00:43,830 thank you all for being here . And I 17 00:00:43,830 --> 00:00:45,886 want to thank also Senator ernst and 18 00:00:45,886 --> 00:00:48,052 Congressman Womack up here on the diet 19 00:00:48,052 --> 00:00:50,274 and I particularly want to give a shout 20 00:00:50,274 --> 00:00:52,330 out to Secretary of War Meth and our 21 00:00:52,330 --> 00:00:54,330 great current Chief of Staff of the 22 00:00:54,330 --> 00:00:56,386 Army , General , Jim McConville . So 23 00:00:56,386 --> 00:00:58,608 thank you all for your leadership . And 24 00:00:58,608 --> 00:01:00,774 I want to thank Darryl Williams as you 25 00:01:00,774 --> 00:01:02,997 know , he's going to be moving on . But 26 00:01:02,997 --> 00:01:05,052 he's done a tremendous job . Here is 27 00:01:05,052 --> 00:01:07,274 the soup and Daryl , thank you for your 28 00:01:07,274 --> 00:01:07,130 leadership of the United States 29 00:01:07,130 --> 00:01:10,860 Military Academy . Yeah , 30 00:01:16,940 --> 00:01:19,730 So I want to give a not only a round of 31 00:01:19,730 --> 00:01:21,990 applause for the class of 22 , but I 32 00:01:21,990 --> 00:01:23,934 want the class of 22 , I didn't do 33 00:01:23,934 --> 00:01:26,046 really well in drilling ceremonies in 34 00:01:26,046 --> 00:01:28,268 my honorary class , I'd like you all to 35 00:01:28,268 --> 00:01:30,434 stand up and do an about face and give 36 00:01:30,434 --> 00:01:32,212 a big round of applause to your 37 00:01:32,212 --> 00:01:34,212 families because they're the reason 38 00:01:34,212 --> 00:01:33,350 you're here right now . 39 00:01:40,940 --> 00:01:42,680 Mm hmm , mm hmm . 40 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,462 All right now the SAR major just walked 41 00:01:57,462 --> 00:01:59,684 up behind me . He said , I have to give 42 00:01:59,684 --> 00:02:01,907 the command of about face and then take 43 00:02:01,907 --> 00:02:04,073 your seats so about face and take your 44 00:02:04,073 --> 00:02:07,970 seats very good . They did teach us 45 00:02:07,970 --> 00:02:10,137 something about drilling ceremonies at 46 00:02:10,137 --> 00:02:12,248 Princeton , but not much . Hey , look 47 00:02:12,248 --> 00:02:14,940 at your class , earn your motto . The 48 00:02:14,940 --> 00:02:17,760 first West point class ever to , I have 49 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,270 a motto in latin pro multi is patchy 50 00:02:21,270 --> 00:02:24,490 president And I know that every single 51 00:02:24,490 --> 00:02:27,490 one of you , especially the 56 of you 52 00:02:27,500 --> 00:02:30,210 who are on the five year program . I 53 00:02:30,210 --> 00:02:34,130 know that you know what that means for 54 00:02:34,130 --> 00:02:38,030 many stand the few . So keep 55 00:02:38,030 --> 00:02:40,560 this phrase in your mind and close to 56 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:42,980 your heart and here you have become a 57 00:02:42,980 --> 00:02:45,260 team and you're gonna be drawing upon 58 00:02:45,260 --> 00:02:47,460 each other for the rest of your lives 59 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,700 and your commitment . It's not just to 60 00:02:51,700 --> 00:02:55,250 a job is to a calling a way of 61 00:02:55,250 --> 00:02:58,270 life . Your parents today , up in the 62 00:02:58,270 --> 00:03:00,950 stadium . They see their sons and 63 00:03:00,950 --> 00:03:03,720 daughters on the field before you , but 64 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,450 your nation see soldiers , leaders 65 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,262 who are going into the infantry and the 66 00:03:10,262 --> 00:03:12,429 cavalry and engineers , intelligence , 67 00:03:12,429 --> 00:03:14,762 logisticians and all the other branches . 68 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,000 You will be critical to the joint 69 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,520 force . I should have said you're going 70 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,409 in the infantry and all the other 71 00:03:23,409 --> 00:03:23,260 branches , 72 00:03:27,140 --> 00:03:30,150 Was it 136 infantry . It should be 73 00:03:30,150 --> 00:03:33,300 236 . We'll fix that afterwards . 74 00:03:36,740 --> 00:03:38,907 In all seriousness . You represent the 75 00:03:38,907 --> 00:03:41,018 quality that gives America are unique 76 00:03:41,018 --> 00:03:43,600 strength . You are what makes the 77 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,370 United States undaunted by the 78 00:03:45,370 --> 00:03:47,560 difficult and motivated by the 79 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,550 impossible and the strength of our 80 00:03:49,550 --> 00:03:52,380 nation . This experiment in liberty is 81 00:03:52,380 --> 00:03:54,760 captured in another simple latin phrase 82 00:03:55,340 --> 00:03:57,600 that's familiar to all of us . E 83 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,470 pluribus unum . Out of the many come 84 00:04:00,470 --> 00:04:04,400 one and you are a living example of 85 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:05,900 that american experiment . 86 00:04:06,940 --> 00:04:10,560 112 years after West Point was founded 87 00:04:11,340 --> 00:04:15,200 In the summer of 1914 , A pistol shot 88 00:04:15,210 --> 00:04:17,840 in Sarajevo cast the world into the 89 00:04:17,840 --> 00:04:19,951 cataclysm of deadly global conflict , 90 00:04:19,951 --> 00:04:22,560 unleashing destruction on a scale yet 91 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,010 unseen by humanity and setting the 92 00:04:25,010 --> 00:04:27,230 conditions For the Second World War . 93 00:04:27,230 --> 00:04:29,460 Only 20 years later , the bloodiest war 94 00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:32,690 in all of human history . In fact , 95 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:36,060 between 1914 and 19 96 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,150 45 , 3 short decades , the 1st and 97 00:04:40,150 --> 00:04:43,210 2nd wars laid waste to countries 98 00:04:43,210 --> 00:04:46,760 everywhere . 150 million people 99 00:04:47,540 --> 00:04:50,180 were killed in World War One and World 100 00:04:50,180 --> 00:04:52,630 War Two . The most violent three 101 00:04:52,630 --> 00:04:56,130 decades ever recorded all in the 102 00:04:56,130 --> 00:05:00,130 conduct of great power war . To give 103 00:05:00,130 --> 00:05:02,320 us a sense of what great power war 104 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,050 means . Consider for a moment 105 00:05:05,940 --> 00:05:07,950 That 26,000 106 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:12,570 26,000 soldiers and marines 107 00:05:13,140 --> 00:05:16,970 were killed In only six weeks From 108 00:05:16,970 --> 00:05:19,560 October to November 1918 in the battle . 109 00:05:19,990 --> 00:05:22,101 Well , the meuse Argonne in World War 110 00:05:22,101 --> 00:05:24,260 One , consider also that 111 00:05:24,940 --> 00:05:28,620 26,000 us troops were killed In the 112 00:05:28,620 --> 00:05:32,270 eight weeks In the summer of 1940 . For 113 00:05:32,570 --> 00:05:34,570 from the beaches of Normandy to the 114 00:05:34,570 --> 00:05:37,110 liberation of Paris At the same time , 115 00:05:37,110 --> 00:05:41,080 18,000 more Americans were killed in 116 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,080 the central pacific in the marianas 117 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,136 campaign , but my father was hitting 118 00:05:45,136 --> 00:05:49,030 the beach in total . In that summer of 119 00:05:49,030 --> 00:05:52,980 1944 50 , Americans 120 00:05:52,980 --> 00:05:56,760 were killed in action in the air at sea 121 00:05:57,540 --> 00:06:01,420 and on land In five theaters of war and 122 00:06:01,420 --> 00:06:05,070 only eight weeks . That's the human 123 00:06:05,070 --> 00:06:08,050 cost of great power war . The Butcher's 124 00:06:08,050 --> 00:06:11,470 Bill At the end of World War II , 125 00:06:12,100 --> 00:06:15,830 the leaders of 1945 designed our 126 00:06:15,830 --> 00:06:18,052 current rules based international order 127 00:06:18,940 --> 00:06:21,670 And we are now in the 77th year of the 128 00:06:21,670 --> 00:06:24,550 Great Power . Peace that followed World 129 00:06:24,550 --> 00:06:27,300 war two and the structure is currently 130 00:06:27,730 --> 00:06:30,770 under intense stress . It will be your 131 00:06:30,770 --> 00:06:33,760 generation that will carry the burden 132 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,384 and shoulder the responsibility to 133 00:06:36,384 --> 00:06:38,700 maintain the peace to contain and to 134 00:06:38,700 --> 00:06:42,550 prevent the outbreak of great power war . 135 00:06:43,540 --> 00:06:46,600 When America faced its darkest days , 136 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,410 it was West point graduates who stood 137 00:06:49,410 --> 00:06:51,960 ready to answer the call 138 00:06:52,940 --> 00:06:55,107 Revolutionary change is going to occur 139 00:06:55,107 --> 00:06:57,329 while you were in service and right now 140 00:06:57,329 --> 00:06:59,273 at this very moment of fundamental 141 00:06:59,273 --> 00:07:01,496 changes happening in the very character 142 00:07:01,496 --> 00:07:04,850 of war . We are facing right now to 143 00:07:04,850 --> 00:07:07,860 global powers china and Russia , 144 00:07:08,540 --> 00:07:10,860 each with significant military 145 00:07:10,860 --> 00:07:14,270 capabilities and both who fully 146 00:07:14,270 --> 00:07:17,450 intend to change the current rules 147 00:07:17,450 --> 00:07:21,270 based order . Yet again in 148 00:07:21,270 --> 00:07:23,950 Ukraine , we are learning the lesson 149 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,980 that aggression left unanswered only 150 00:07:27,980 --> 00:07:30,990 emboldens the aggressor . Let us never 151 00:07:30,990 --> 00:07:33,550 forget the massacre that we have just 152 00:07:33,550 --> 00:07:36,750 witnessed in Buka nor the slaughter 153 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,340 that occurred in Mario opal and the 154 00:07:40,340 --> 00:07:43,650 best way to honor their sacrifice is to 155 00:07:43,650 --> 00:07:46,320 support their fight for freedom and to 156 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:50,200 stand against tyranny As we 157 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,080 are entering a world that is becoming 158 00:07:53,090 --> 00:07:55,970 more unstable . The world you are being 159 00:07:55,970 --> 00:07:59,010 commissioned into has the potential for 160 00:07:59,010 --> 00:08:01,450 significant international conflict 161 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,760 between great powers and that potential 162 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,730 is increasing not decreasing . We 163 00:08:08,730 --> 00:08:12,290 are also on the cusp of a change in the 164 00:08:12,290 --> 00:08:14,700 fundamental character of war . The 165 00:08:14,700 --> 00:08:16,867 nature of war is not going to change . 166 00:08:16,867 --> 00:08:19,089 It's immutable . It's still a political 167 00:08:19,089 --> 00:08:21,033 act . It's a decision by humans to 168 00:08:21,033 --> 00:08:23,144 impose their political will and their 169 00:08:23,144 --> 00:08:25,200 opponent by the use of violence . As 170 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,311 you all studied here . War will still 171 00:08:27,311 --> 00:08:29,478 be characterized by chance and fog and 172 00:08:29,478 --> 00:08:31,478 friction and its causes will likely 173 00:08:31,478 --> 00:08:33,367 still adhere to the city's famous 174 00:08:33,367 --> 00:08:36,350 analysis of fear , pride and interest 175 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,500 but the character of war , how wars are 176 00:08:39,500 --> 00:08:41,740 fought where wars are fought with what 177 00:08:41,740 --> 00:08:43,910 weapons technologies , organizations 178 00:08:43,910 --> 00:08:46,170 and doctrines in short the ways and 179 00:08:46,170 --> 00:08:48,690 means of war that is undergoing a 180 00:08:48,690 --> 00:08:50,746 fundamental profound and significant 181 00:08:50,746 --> 00:08:53,690 change . As you get commissioned , the 182 00:08:53,690 --> 00:08:56,760 organizations and weapons and doctrines 183 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,570 of the military in 2025 And all the way 184 00:09:00,570 --> 00:09:03,450 out to 2050 in that quarter century . 185 00:09:03,700 --> 00:09:05,950 In that short period of time it's going 186 00:09:05,950 --> 00:09:07,940 to be fundamentally different than 187 00:09:07,940 --> 00:09:10,720 anything we've seen before . Think of 188 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:12,776 the difference between a smooth bore 189 00:09:12,776 --> 00:09:14,942 musket and rifle for the rifle and the 190 00:09:14,942 --> 00:09:16,998 machine gun . The difference between 191 00:09:17,340 --> 00:09:19,680 muscle power and machine power . The 192 00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:22,570 shift from guidance to radio and 193 00:09:22,570 --> 00:09:26,370 internet , the shift from sail to steam , 194 00:09:26,370 --> 00:09:28,490 the shift from dumb bombs to 195 00:09:28,490 --> 00:09:31,730 smartphones . That is the type , a 196 00:09:31,730 --> 00:09:33,841 fundamental shift in the character of 197 00:09:33,841 --> 00:09:35,850 war that is occurring right now and 198 00:09:35,850 --> 00:09:37,980 it's a result of a variety of 199 00:09:37,980 --> 00:09:40,147 geopolitical and economic and societal 200 00:09:40,147 --> 00:09:42,258 and technological developments , some 201 00:09:42,258 --> 00:09:44,500 of long duration and some relatively 202 00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:47,080 recent since the fall of the Berlin 203 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,610 wall . The United States essentially 204 00:09:49,610 --> 00:09:51,666 was the unchallenged global military 205 00:09:51,666 --> 00:09:53,750 political and economic power and we 206 00:09:53,750 --> 00:09:55,583 were experiencing what some have 207 00:09:55,583 --> 00:09:58,770 labeled as a uni polar moment that has 208 00:09:58,770 --> 00:10:01,620 changed . You're entering a different 209 00:10:01,620 --> 00:10:04,290 world . The United States is under 210 00:10:04,290 --> 00:10:08,160 significant challenge in europe Asia 211 00:10:08,540 --> 00:10:11,220 in the Middle East in europe we see a 212 00:10:11,220 --> 00:10:13,260 revanchist Russia as we have just 213 00:10:13,260 --> 00:10:16,160 witnessed another invasion in Ukraine 214 00:10:17,140 --> 00:10:20,830 in Asia . We are in the 3rd decade of 215 00:10:20,830 --> 00:10:22,930 the largest global economic shift in 216 00:10:22,940 --> 00:10:26,130 500 years resulting in a rapidly rising 217 00:10:26,130 --> 00:10:28,100 china as a great power . With a 218 00:10:28,100 --> 00:10:30,690 revisionist foreign policy backed up 219 00:10:30,690 --> 00:10:33,160 with an increasing capable military . 220 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,620 Also in Asia , we are faced with a 221 00:10:36,620 --> 00:10:38,509 rogue north Korea that is rapidly 222 00:10:38,509 --> 00:10:40,600 increasing their missiles and 223 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,660 deliverable nuclear weapons in the 224 00:10:42,660 --> 00:10:44,716 Middle East and parts of Africa . We 225 00:10:44,716 --> 00:10:46,549 continue to see instability from 226 00:10:46,620 --> 00:10:50,060 terrorism in many places . And lastly 227 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,170 the maturity of various technologies 228 00:10:53,630 --> 00:10:55,519 that either exist today or in the 229 00:10:55,519 --> 00:10:57,519 advanced stages of development when 230 00:10:57,519 --> 00:10:59,408 combined are likely to change the 231 00:10:59,408 --> 00:11:01,519 character of war just by themselves . 232 00:11:01,519 --> 00:11:03,741 Information technology that exploded in 233 00:11:03,741 --> 00:11:06,460 the 1800s , it's been an upward curve 234 00:11:06,940 --> 00:11:09,870 For over 150 years . You bet you this 235 00:11:09,870 --> 00:11:12,970 effect is almost unbelievable . No 236 00:11:12,970 --> 00:11:15,303 matter where you are in the world today , 237 00:11:15,303 --> 00:11:17,359 you can be observed from some device 238 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,350 and as you all know what can be seen 239 00:11:20,740 --> 00:11:23,180 can be hit . And the proliferation of 240 00:11:23,180 --> 00:11:25,260 information technologies is also 241 00:11:25,260 --> 00:11:27,427 rapidly diffusing political power once 242 00:11:27,427 --> 00:11:29,149 held by nation states and it's 243 00:11:29,149 --> 00:11:32,960 accelerating instability . You'll be 244 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,540 fighting with robotic tanks and ships 245 00:11:35,540 --> 00:11:38,360 and airplanes . We've witnessed a 246 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:40,930 revolution and lethality and precision 247 00:11:40,930 --> 00:11:44,890 munitions . What was once the exclusive 248 00:11:44,890 --> 00:11:47,057 province of the United States military 249 00:11:47,057 --> 00:11:49,270 is now available to most nation states 250 00:11:49,270 --> 00:11:52,150 with the money and will to require them . 251 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,007 There's a wide variety of technologies 252 00:11:55,007 --> 00:11:57,200 developing and synthetic fuels , three 253 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,256 D . Manufacturing , medicine , human 254 00:11:59,256 --> 00:12:01,330 engineering and enhancement of which 255 00:12:01,420 --> 00:12:03,142 will have significant military 256 00:12:03,142 --> 00:12:05,380 implications as well . And finally 257 00:12:05,940 --> 00:12:08,162 there is the mother of all technologies 258 00:12:08,162 --> 00:12:10,329 artificial intelligence where machines 259 00:12:10,329 --> 00:12:12,551 are actually developing the capacity to 260 00:12:12,551 --> 00:12:15,700 learn and to reason these rapidly 261 00:12:15,700 --> 00:12:17,700 converging developments in time and 262 00:12:17,700 --> 00:12:20,230 space or resulting in that profound 263 00:12:20,230 --> 00:12:23,240 change . The most profound change ever 264 00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:26,640 in human history and whatever overmatch 265 00:12:26,850 --> 00:12:28,572 we , the United States enjoyed 266 00:12:28,572 --> 00:12:31,330 militarily For the last 70 years is 267 00:12:31,330 --> 00:12:34,530 closing quickly and the United States 268 00:12:34,530 --> 00:12:36,450 will be in fact , we already are 269 00:12:36,460 --> 00:12:39,050 challenged in every domain of warfare 270 00:12:39,540 --> 00:12:41,651 in space and cyber maritime , air and 271 00:12:41,651 --> 00:12:43,600 of course land . So what are the 272 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,960 implications for you ? The first thing 273 00:12:47,340 --> 00:12:49,507 is to understand the basic outlines of 274 00:12:49,507 --> 00:12:51,870 this future world . Although we cannot 275 00:12:51,870 --> 00:12:53,981 determine the exact environment we're 276 00:12:53,981 --> 00:12:56,148 gonna be in the 30s and 40s and 50s or 277 00:12:56,148 --> 00:12:58,960 beyond . We can , through rigorous 278 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,127 analysis determine what the world will 279 00:13:01,127 --> 00:13:03,293 look like . There's surely going to be 280 00:13:03,293 --> 00:13:05,390 a lot of surprises along the way in 281 00:13:05,390 --> 00:13:07,750 development of forces and weapons . But 282 00:13:07,750 --> 00:13:09,861 the structure and organization of our 283 00:13:09,861 --> 00:13:12,083 joint forces is going to have to change 284 00:13:12,083 --> 00:13:14,860 drastically and we know that and all of 285 00:13:14,860 --> 00:13:17,320 us , we're gonna have to be open minded . 286 00:13:17,330 --> 00:13:20,490 You most of all , we can no longer 287 00:13:20,490 --> 00:13:23,390 cling two concepts and organizations 288 00:13:23,390 --> 00:13:25,960 and the weapons of the past . We may 289 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:29,510 not have divisions and cores . We may 290 00:13:29,510 --> 00:13:31,288 not have tanks and Bradleys and 291 00:13:31,300 --> 00:13:33,940 carriers and manned fighters and 292 00:13:33,940 --> 00:13:37,050 bombers . Additionally , the 293 00:13:37,050 --> 00:13:39,217 battlefield will be highly complex and 294 00:13:39,217 --> 00:13:41,820 almost certainly decisive in urban 295 00:13:41,820 --> 00:13:44,260 areas against elusive , ambiguous 296 00:13:44,260 --> 00:13:46,460 enemies that combined terrorism and 297 00:13:46,460 --> 00:13:48,182 warfare alongside conventional 298 00:13:48,182 --> 00:13:50,290 capabilities , all embedded within 299 00:13:50,290 --> 00:13:53,770 large civilian populations in this 300 00:13:53,770 --> 00:13:57,620 world . Your world , you're 301 00:13:57,620 --> 00:13:59,676 going to have to optimize yourselves 302 00:13:59,780 --> 00:14:02,350 for urban combat , not rural combat . 303 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:05,700 That has huge implications for 304 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:07,644 intelligence collection vehicles , 305 00:14:07,644 --> 00:14:09,367 weapons design , development , 306 00:14:09,367 --> 00:14:11,660 logistics , camo and all of the other 307 00:14:11,660 --> 00:14:14,270 aspects of our profession . The 308 00:14:14,270 --> 00:14:16,326 battlefield is going to be nonlinear 309 00:14:16,326 --> 00:14:18,381 compartmented and units are going to 310 00:14:18,381 --> 00:14:20,437 have non contiguous battlespace with 311 00:14:20,437 --> 00:14:22,437 significant geographical separation 312 00:14:22,437 --> 00:14:25,650 between friendly forces . You're gonna 313 00:14:25,650 --> 00:14:27,730 be much more lonely on a future 314 00:14:27,730 --> 00:14:30,360 battlefield . This type of battlefield 315 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,471 is going to place a very high premium 316 00:14:32,540 --> 00:14:34,429 on independent , relatively small 317 00:14:34,429 --> 00:14:36,720 formations that are highly lethal and 318 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:38,720 linked to very long range precision 319 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,450 fires the exact details we don't know 320 00:14:41,450 --> 00:14:45,010 yet . But we need to change and we need 321 00:14:45,010 --> 00:14:46,843 to change our current methods of 322 00:14:46,843 --> 00:14:49,750 thinking . Training and fighting . The 323 00:14:49,750 --> 00:14:52,030 joint warfighting concept currently 324 00:14:52,030 --> 00:14:54,252 under development will help guide us as 325 00:14:54,252 --> 00:14:56,510 a roadmap to the future . But we need 326 00:14:56,510 --> 00:14:59,350 to chart that course very fast and for 327 00:14:59,350 --> 00:15:03,020 speed we need to look no further then 328 00:15:03,020 --> 00:15:04,964 the incredible than the incredible 329 00:15:04,964 --> 00:15:07,076 innovative work that the army futures 330 00:15:07,076 --> 00:15:09,530 command in austin texas has done and 331 00:15:09,530 --> 00:15:11,830 paving the way for the future . The new 332 00:15:11,830 --> 00:15:13,910 concepts they've developed in the 333 00:15:13,910 --> 00:15:16,210 weapons systems in just 36 months . 334 00:15:16,330 --> 00:15:19,160 They brought 20 for new programs into 335 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:21,049 low rate production , a record of 336 00:15:21,049 --> 00:15:23,560 innovation in scale and scope and speed , 337 00:15:24,340 --> 00:15:26,760 unprecedented in US . Army history 338 00:15:27,740 --> 00:15:29,518 technology will change but this 339 00:15:29,518 --> 00:15:32,370 institution is about you . It's about 340 00:15:32,370 --> 00:15:34,640 people and the ones who are going to 341 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,570 follow you into battle . You 342 00:15:38,570 --> 00:15:41,420 are our most valuable asset . You are 343 00:15:41,420 --> 00:15:43,198 our most significant asymmetric 344 00:15:43,198 --> 00:15:45,520 advantage . You represent what is 345 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:47,687 inherent in the United States military 346 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:49,950 for we come from a society of 347 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,447 improvisers , a society of tinkerers , 348 00:15:52,540 --> 00:15:54,540 a society of innovators and problem 349 00:15:54,540 --> 00:15:56,800 solvers . Tech savvy at a very early 350 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,490 age and independence of action comes 351 00:15:59,490 --> 00:16:03,080 natural to all americans . Self 352 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,360 starting initiative . Disdain for 353 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,000 boundaries and rules nonlinear , 354 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,150 critical thinking and an aggressive 355 00:16:10,150 --> 00:16:12,440 will to win . Coupled with an eternal 356 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:15,840 optimism to overcome all obstacles and 357 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,170 achieve the objective . All of that is 358 00:16:18,170 --> 00:16:20,990 hardwired in our national D . N . A . 359 00:16:21,250 --> 00:16:23,417 And it's hard wired into the heart and 360 00:16:23,417 --> 00:16:25,980 soul of the american soldier . In the 361 00:16:25,980 --> 00:16:27,950 absence of supervision , the 362 00:16:27,950 --> 00:16:30,420 willingness to disobey specific orders 363 00:16:30,430 --> 00:16:32,720 to achieve the intended purpose , the 364 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,930 willingness to take risks to meet the 365 00:16:34,930 --> 00:16:37,890 intent , the acceptance of failure in 366 00:16:37,890 --> 00:16:39,890 practice in order to learn from our 367 00:16:39,890 --> 00:16:42,290 experimentation . These are all the 368 00:16:42,290 --> 00:16:44,068 qualities that you will have to 369 00:16:44,068 --> 00:16:47,460 demonstrate . And finally there is 370 00:16:47,460 --> 00:16:50,640 character on a non contiguous , 371 00:16:51,140 --> 00:16:53,790 non linear battlefield with very little 372 00:16:53,790 --> 00:16:56,550 higher command supervision and maximum 373 00:16:56,550 --> 00:17:00,450 decentralization . We must we have 374 00:17:00,450 --> 00:17:03,070 to develop leaders who have incredible 375 00:17:03,070 --> 00:17:06,350 character under the intense pressure of 376 00:17:06,350 --> 00:17:08,740 ground combat . And there is no greater 377 00:17:08,740 --> 00:17:12,390 crucible than ground combat leaders who 378 00:17:12,390 --> 00:17:15,630 will make the right moral and ethical 379 00:17:15,630 --> 00:17:17,850 choice along with the right tactical 380 00:17:17,850 --> 00:17:20,300 choice in the most emotionally charged 381 00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:23,650 environment you will ever face . Each 382 00:17:23,650 --> 00:17:27,410 of you are those leaders . So in 383 00:17:27,410 --> 00:17:31,060 short , The next 20 or 25 years , 384 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,080 it's not going to be like The last 20 385 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,230 or 25 . The accumulating challenges we 386 00:17:37,230 --> 00:17:39,670 face and the changing character wars 387 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,290 unlike anything our nation has faced 388 00:17:42,290 --> 00:17:45,850 before globally , there's an 389 00:17:45,850 --> 00:17:47,760 increase in nationalism and 390 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,230 authoritarian governments . Regional 391 00:17:50,230 --> 00:17:52,341 arms races and unresolved territorial 392 00:17:52,341 --> 00:17:55,950 claims , ethnic and sectarian disputes 393 00:17:57,140 --> 00:18:00,290 in an attempt by some countries To 394 00:18:00,290 --> 00:18:02,346 return to an 18th century concept of 395 00:18:02,346 --> 00:18:04,700 balance of power politics with spheres 396 00:18:04,700 --> 00:18:08,260 of influence . So I went back in time a 397 00:18:08,260 --> 00:18:11,890 little bit when I was you 43 years 398 00:18:11,890 --> 00:18:15,420 ago and and I recalled some lyrics from 399 00:18:15,430 --> 00:18:19,050 bob Dylan and we can feel 400 00:18:19,940 --> 00:18:22,810 the light breeze in the air and right 401 00:18:22,810 --> 00:18:25,050 now as we sit here on the plain at West 402 00:18:25,050 --> 00:18:28,140 Point we can see the storm flags 403 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,520 fluttering in the wind and we can hear 404 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:34,520 in the distance the loud clap of 405 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,580 thunder and howard rain 406 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:42,350 it's about to fall . So let us right , 407 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:44,960 let us here and now in the present , 408 00:18:45,740 --> 00:18:47,930 let us commit to not march into that 409 00:18:47,930 --> 00:18:51,010 abyss blind to the changes . Let us be 410 00:18:51,010 --> 00:18:53,177 prepared for the first battle . As you 411 00:18:53,177 --> 00:18:55,177 march off the plane of West , point 412 00:18:55,177 --> 00:18:57,121 into your future , let us have the 413 00:18:57,121 --> 00:18:59,570 vision to change and to prevent war 414 00:18:59,570 --> 00:19:01,640 from happening in the first place by 415 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,170 maintaining the peace through strength 416 00:19:04,610 --> 00:19:06,870 of our military and the example of our 417 00:19:06,870 --> 00:19:10,460 values . It is up to us here today . 418 00:19:11,140 --> 00:19:12,990 When you graduate as you get 419 00:19:12,990 --> 00:19:16,960 commissioned to commit You the 420 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,180 class of 2022 , you're gonna lead us as 421 00:19:20,180 --> 00:19:22,350 a nation to the environment . I just 422 00:19:22,350 --> 00:19:26,020 described 20 years from now in 423 00:19:26,020 --> 00:19:28,260 2040 to many of you are going to be 424 00:19:28,260 --> 00:19:30,720 colonels or brigadiers . 40 years from 425 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:32,720 now , one of you is going to be the 426 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:34,887 Chief of Staff of the army and another 427 00:19:34,887 --> 00:19:36,998 one is going to be the chairman . But 428 00:19:36,998 --> 00:19:38,998 no matter how long you serve and no 429 00:19:38,998 --> 00:19:41,690 matter what rank your rise to your job 430 00:19:41,690 --> 00:19:43,760 is going to be deter great power war 431 00:19:44,060 --> 00:19:46,860 and maintain the great power of peace . 432 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,270 Lastly , you're about to take an oath 433 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,760 as a commissioned officer in just a few 434 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:56,704 minutes , you've already taken the 435 00:19:56,704 --> 00:19:58,649 south . When you first entered the 436 00:19:58,649 --> 00:20:00,704 academy , this oath is going to be , 437 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,000 you're forever North Star . And by 438 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:05,944 taking this oath , you're publicly 439 00:20:05,944 --> 00:20:08,056 stating that you're willing to suffer 440 00:20:08,056 --> 00:20:09,944 grievous wounds . You're publicly 441 00:20:09,944 --> 00:20:12,167 stating that you're willing to separate 442 00:20:12,167 --> 00:20:14,389 from your family for unknown periods of 443 00:20:14,389 --> 00:20:16,611 time to lose an eye or an arm or leg to 444 00:20:16,611 --> 00:20:18,810 make great sacrifice . In fact , 1628 445 00:20:18,810 --> 00:20:22,660 of you cadets graduated before you 446 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:25,440 have been killed in action . They 447 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,120 sacrifice all of their tomorrows . For 448 00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:31,370 today they laid the last full measure 449 00:20:31,370 --> 00:20:33,690 of devotion on the altar of freedom to 450 00:20:33,690 --> 00:20:35,690 protect the values enshrined in our 451 00:20:35,690 --> 00:20:38,180 constitution . And this is the essence 452 00:20:38,710 --> 00:20:41,070 for the long gray line . You are 453 00:20:41,070 --> 00:20:43,181 connected to them , to each other and 454 00:20:43,181 --> 00:20:45,348 to all who come before you and all who 455 00:20:45,348 --> 00:20:47,403 will follow you . And if there's one 456 00:20:47,403 --> 00:20:49,900 message you remember from today , it's 457 00:20:49,900 --> 00:20:52,400 the message of your oath . The message 458 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,511 of what we stand for . The message of 459 00:20:54,511 --> 00:20:56,630 why we fight and embedded within the 460 00:20:56,630 --> 00:20:58,574 documents that we call the U . S . 461 00:20:58,574 --> 00:21:00,650 Constitution and the declaration of 462 00:21:00,650 --> 00:21:03,320 Independence is the idea the idea that 463 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,090 is american . And this idea is simple , 464 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,320 but it's incredibly powerful . It's so 465 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:12,470 powerful that the nazis were definitely 466 00:21:12,470 --> 00:21:14,860 afraid of it . We defeated Imperial 467 00:21:14,860 --> 00:21:17,250 Japan because of it . The communists 468 00:21:17,250 --> 00:21:19,417 feared that the soviet union collapsed 469 00:21:19,417 --> 00:21:21,528 because of it , the fascists in Italy 470 00:21:21,528 --> 00:21:24,180 and the terrorists of Al Qaeda and ISIS . 471 00:21:24,190 --> 00:21:26,730 They hate it . They hate this idea 472 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,870 and we take an oath not to a person , a 473 00:21:31,870 --> 00:21:34,800 king or queen , not to a dictator or a 474 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,530 tyrant or would be dictator . We don't 475 00:21:37,530 --> 00:21:39,700 take an oath to a religion or a tribe 476 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,680 or even a country . No , we swear an 477 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,170 oath to an idea . No idea . That is 478 00:21:47,170 --> 00:21:50,670 America . So what is this powerful idea ? 479 00:21:51,540 --> 00:21:53,596 Well , look around you as you sit in 480 00:21:53,596 --> 00:21:55,818 front of me , look around you right now 481 00:21:55,818 --> 00:21:57,929 and you can see that idea . Just look 482 00:21:57,929 --> 00:22:00,420 to your left and your right and the 483 00:22:00,420 --> 00:22:03,760 idea is that Every single one of you , 484 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,650 it doesn't matter if you're male or 485 00:22:06,650 --> 00:22:09,060 female or gay or something in between . 486 00:22:09,530 --> 00:22:11,990 It doesn't matter . It doesn't matter 487 00:22:11,990 --> 00:22:14,590 if you're black or you're white , asian 488 00:22:14,590 --> 00:22:16,940 or indian , it doesn't matter the color 489 00:22:16,940 --> 00:22:19,220 of your skin . It doesn't matter if 490 00:22:19,220 --> 00:22:21,442 you're catholic or you're protestant or 491 00:22:21,442 --> 00:22:23,442 you're muslim or a jew . It doesn't 492 00:22:23,442 --> 00:22:25,664 matter if you don't believe at all . It 493 00:22:25,664 --> 00:22:27,887 doesn't matter where you came from what 494 00:22:27,887 --> 00:22:29,998 your last name is , what your country 495 00:22:29,998 --> 00:22:29,830 of origin is . Doesn't matter if you're 496 00:22:29,830 --> 00:22:33,140 rich or poor , famous or common . None 497 00:22:33,140 --> 00:22:37,030 of that matters . The idea that's 498 00:22:37,030 --> 00:22:39,490 in that document . The idea for which 499 00:22:39,490 --> 00:22:41,940 you are willing to die . The idea that 500 00:22:41,940 --> 00:22:44,520 in this constitution has propelled our 501 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,270 nation to some of our darkest days , 502 00:22:47,940 --> 00:22:50,750 all it says that in this country , in 503 00:22:50,750 --> 00:22:53,200 these United States , under these 504 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,990 colors of red , white and blue , no 505 00:22:55,990 --> 00:22:59,090 matter who you are , every single one 506 00:22:59,090 --> 00:23:01,170 of us , by the grace of the Almighty 507 00:23:01,170 --> 00:23:03,870 God in heaven is an american and every 508 00:23:03,870 --> 00:23:07,600 single one of us is born free and equal 509 00:23:07,610 --> 00:23:10,060 and you will rise or you're gonna fall 510 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:12,850 based on your talent . You're married , 511 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,730 your attributes , your hard work , your 512 00:23:15,730 --> 00:23:18,390 perseverance and you're gonna be judged 513 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,580 by the content of your character , not 514 00:23:20,580 --> 00:23:22,636 the color of your skin . And we hold 515 00:23:22,636 --> 00:23:25,950 these truths to be self evident that 516 00:23:25,950 --> 00:23:28,280 all men and all women are created equal 517 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,410 and they're endowed by their creator 518 00:23:30,410 --> 00:23:32,570 with certain inalienable rights and 519 00:23:32,570 --> 00:23:35,390 among those are life , Liberty and the 520 00:23:35,390 --> 00:23:37,830 pursuit of happiness . That is what you 521 00:23:37,830 --> 00:23:40,230 are committing yourself to today in 522 00:23:40,230 --> 00:23:42,119 just a few minutes . That is what 523 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:44,341 you're all about . That is why you will 524 00:23:44,341 --> 00:23:46,508 fight . That is why you will win . And 525 00:23:46,508 --> 00:23:48,960 you will never ever ever turn your back 526 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,340 on that constitution . No matter what 527 00:23:51,340 --> 00:23:54,160 the prices to yourself , that's what 528 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:56,327 guides every beating heart in the long 529 00:23:56,327 --> 00:23:58,327 gray line today . And that's what's 530 00:23:58,327 --> 00:24:00,382 guided it ever since the first day . 531 00:24:02,340 --> 00:24:05,210 Yeah . Okay , 532 00:24:11,340 --> 00:24:14,450 so it's now time for you The class of 533 00:24:14,450 --> 00:24:18,300 22 to take the torch and protect and 534 00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:20,411 defend the Constitution of the United 535 00:24:20,411 --> 00:24:22,467 States against all enemies , foreign 536 00:24:22,467 --> 00:24:25,230 and domestic . Lieutenants . We're 537 00:24:25,230 --> 00:24:27,410 proud of you . Mhm . You have a 538 00:24:27,420 --> 00:24:29,850 difficult and dangerous road ahead and 539 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:32,890 No one should underestimate it . But 540 00:24:32,890 --> 00:24:36,160 you also have the opportunity the 541 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,980 opportunity to navigate through those 542 00:24:38,980 --> 00:24:42,120 dangerous roads ahead and to lead our 543 00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:44,700 nation's most precious resource , the 544 00:24:44,700 --> 00:24:46,920 young men and women who donned the 545 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:48,920 cloth of this nation , the american 546 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:50,698 soldier . We all have faith and 547 00:24:50,698 --> 00:24:53,031 confidence in each and every one of you . 548 00:24:53,031 --> 00:24:55,309 Congratulations to you and your family . 549 00:24:55,309 --> 00:24:57,253 May God bless West Point , May God 550 00:24:57,253 --> 00:24:59,309 bless the United States Army and May 551 00:24:59,309 --> 00:25:01,587 God bless the United States of America . 552 00:25:03,140 --> 00:25:03,350 Mhm .