WEBVTT 00:00.070 --> 00:02.070 It's a great honor to introduce our 00:02.070 --> 00:03.792 next speaker . And this year's 00:03.792 --> 00:05.959 commencement speaker , the 35th Deputy 00:05.959 --> 00:08.350 Secretary of Defense , Doctor Kathleen 00:08.359 --> 00:09.359 Hicks . 00:16.069 --> 00:18.291 Thank you John for the introduction and 00:18.291 --> 00:20.538 good morning everyone . Vice Admiral 00:20.548 --> 00:23.108 Noonan , congratulations on an historic 00:23.118 --> 00:25.118 first year . And thank you for your 00:25.118 --> 00:27.396 exceptional leadership of this academy . 00:27.618 --> 00:29.839 Rear Admiral Ballard . Thank you for 00:29.849 --> 00:31.849 your commitment and service to this 00:31.849 --> 00:34.199 academy and to this outstanding class 00:34.208 --> 00:36.548 and to Rear Admiral Phillips and all 00:36.558 --> 00:38.669 the distinguished guests on stage and 00:38.669 --> 00:40.780 in the audience today . Thank you for 00:40.780 --> 00:42.947 supporting these midshipman since plea 00:43.359 --> 00:46.419 to now and beyond . It's really an 00:46.430 --> 00:48.486 honor for me to be here to celebrate 00:48.486 --> 00:50.810 with all of you as these graduates 00:50.819 --> 00:52.970 transition from midshipman to and 00:52.979 --> 00:55.209 second lieutenants . You know , this 00:55.220 --> 00:57.849 class has accomplished so much already 00:58.520 --> 01:00.631 completing plea year and becoming mid 01:00.631 --> 01:02.687 shipment is a major accomplishment . 01:02.687 --> 01:05.290 But surviving your plea year and your 01:05.300 --> 01:07.720 senior year during a global pandemic 01:07.730 --> 01:09.599 and separated from many of your 01:09.610 --> 01:11.832 classmates brought a whole new level of 01:11.832 --> 01:14.360 challenge , but you didn't just survive , 01:14.370 --> 01:17.889 you thrived . I'm deeply impressed by 01:17.900 --> 01:20.122 the breadth of your leadership and your 01:20.122 --> 01:22.289 commitment to public service . You are 01:22.289 --> 01:25.019 a midshipman , but you are also EMTS 01:25.029 --> 01:28.069 and volunteer firefighters , tutors and 01:28.080 --> 01:30.739 guide dog trainers , club leaders , and 01:30.750 --> 01:33.650 humanitarian aid workers , all American 01:33.660 --> 01:36.569 athletes and trail blazers . In fact , 01:36.580 --> 01:38.779 you are the first class to ever have 01:38.790 --> 01:41.889 two female regimental commanders and 01:41.900 --> 01:43.956 you're the first graduating class to 01:43.956 --> 01:46.639 have a female superintendent . And for 01:46.650 --> 01:48.739 the first time in 20 years , the 01:48.750 --> 01:50.694 football team beat Coast Guard and 01:50.694 --> 01:52.879 brought home the Secret's Cup four 01:52.889 --> 01:54.129 years in a row . 01:58.720 --> 02:01.150 So in my book , you are also the 02:01.160 --> 02:03.930 champions . If all of this is a 02:03.940 --> 02:06.169 reflection of your future and I believe 02:06.180 --> 02:09.419 it is your potential is endless and to 02:09.429 --> 02:11.839 all the parents and grandparents , 02:11.850 --> 02:13.970 aunts and uncles , close friends and 02:13.979 --> 02:16.929 coaches , the kids are all right . In 02:16.940 --> 02:18.996 fact , you can see that they're more 02:18.996 --> 02:21.051 than all right and they're no longer 02:21.051 --> 02:23.699 kids . How proud you should all be of 02:23.710 --> 02:26.160 your graduates . Thank you for all you 02:26.169 --> 02:28.391 have done to support them as they cross 02:28.399 --> 02:31.229 the finish line . But also every step 02:31.240 --> 02:33.919 along the way . And thank thank you for 02:33.929 --> 02:36.096 all you will do to support them in the 02:36.096 --> 02:38.830 future . But most importantly to this 02:38.839 --> 02:40.330 year's graduating class . 02:40.339 --> 02:43.389 Congratulations , you've endured school 02:43.399 --> 02:45.960 exams last week's demanding licensing 02:45.970 --> 02:48.600 exams , tests of your physical strength 02:48.610 --> 02:51.100 and stamina and tests of your will and 02:51.110 --> 02:53.399 your patience . And those are just the 02:53.410 --> 02:55.466 trials and tribulations you faced in 02:55.466 --> 02:57.521 the past three weeks . And I bet you 02:57.521 --> 02:59.743 were thrilled to ring the bell after it 02:59.743 --> 03:02.330 was all over . Not to mention while 03:02.339 --> 03:04.506 other college students might have been 03:04.506 --> 03:06.617 spending their summers vacationing or 03:06.617 --> 03:08.470 taking a breather . Each of your 03:08.479 --> 03:10.590 summers were committed to working and 03:10.590 --> 03:13.220 completing credit hours . So your work 03:13.229 --> 03:15.285 and determination over the past four 03:15.285 --> 03:17.340 years is a particular point of pride 03:17.340 --> 03:19.559 for all of us here today and a well 03:19.570 --> 03:21.737 deserved . Congratulations is in order 03:21.737 --> 03:23.348 to each of you on this major 03:23.348 --> 03:26.229 accomplishment , Kings Point is a 03:26.240 --> 03:28.639 special place to be from . And I know 03:28.649 --> 03:30.649 in these last weeks as midshipman , 03:30.669 --> 03:32.336 there has been quite a bit of 03:32.336 --> 03:34.509 reflection on that on all you've 03:34.520 --> 03:36.631 overcome to get where you are in this 03:36.631 --> 03:39.169 moment and what you've achieved on how 03:39.179 --> 03:41.235 much you've stretched yourselves and 03:41.235 --> 03:43.639 grown and on the memories that you will 03:43.649 --> 03:45.520 take with you , including those 03:45.529 --> 03:48.289 gorgeous story , Brook sunsets over 03:48.300 --> 03:50.356 Long Island Sound that I've heard so 03:50.356 --> 03:53.110 much about whether you're commissioning 03:53.119 --> 03:55.750 today in the active duty service , Navy 03:55.759 --> 03:57.926 Marine Corps , Army Coast Guard or Air 03:57.926 --> 04:00.910 Force or to serve as a navy reservist . 04:00.919 --> 04:02.808 While you work in the US maritime 04:02.808 --> 04:05.830 industry , all of you will be crucial 04:05.839 --> 04:07.783 in advancing the US military's top 04:07.783 --> 04:10.960 priority of defending this nation . And 04:10.970 --> 04:12.859 while we confront many challenges 04:12.859 --> 04:14.692 around this world , our greatest 04:14.692 --> 04:16.748 challenge is outpacing our strategic 04:16.748 --> 04:18.940 competitors . Take the challenge we 04:18.950 --> 04:20.894 face with the People's Republic of 04:20.894 --> 04:22.894 China , which is the only strategic 04:22.894 --> 04:25.119 competitor to the United States with 04:25.130 --> 04:26.799 the will and increasingly the 04:26.809 --> 04:29.109 capability to remake the international 04:29.119 --> 04:31.609 order that's given so much benefit to 04:31.619 --> 04:35.420 so many for so long . Our goal is to 04:35.429 --> 04:37.485 deter aggression because competition 04:37.485 --> 04:39.989 doesn't mean conflict . And part of 04:40.000 --> 04:41.679 deterrence is making sure our 04:41.690 --> 04:44.049 adversaries understand the costs and 04:44.059 --> 04:46.670 folly of pursuing outright conflict . 04:47.600 --> 04:50.320 As in any competition , our lead is not 04:50.329 --> 04:52.529 guaranteed . We have to earn it 04:52.540 --> 04:55.269 continuously . It is truly all hands on 04:55.279 --> 04:58.899 deck . So America will need her 04:58.910 --> 05:01.230 merchant Mariners as you've learned 05:01.239 --> 05:03.570 here at Kings Point , us , merchant 05:03.579 --> 05:06.079 marines have long played a vital role 05:06.089 --> 05:08.033 in contributing to the defense and 05:08.033 --> 05:10.589 security of our nation from the 05:10.600 --> 05:12.809 enormous sacrifices merchant Mariners 05:12.820 --> 05:14.570 made in world War II when they 05:14.579 --> 05:16.779 experienced the highest casualty rates 05:16.790 --> 05:20.170 of any us service to conflict in Korea 05:20.179 --> 05:22.470 and Vietnam where Mariners brought 05:22.480 --> 05:26.049 between 75 and 95% of us troops and 05:26.059 --> 05:29.299 supplies to those theaters to the first 05:29.309 --> 05:31.540 Gulf War . When your predecessors 05:31.549 --> 05:34.290 delivered over 12 million tons of 05:34.299 --> 05:36.910 vehicles , helicopters , ammunition , 05:36.920 --> 05:39.079 fuel , cargo and other supplies and 05:39.089 --> 05:41.579 equipment to the wars in Iraq and 05:41.589 --> 05:43.929 Afghanistan , which merchant Mariners 05:43.940 --> 05:45.730 under military sealift command 05:45.739 --> 05:48.769 supported by shipping tens of billions 05:48.779 --> 05:51.299 of gallons of fuel and hundreds of 05:51.309 --> 05:53.198 millions of square feet of combat 05:53.198 --> 05:55.529 equipment and supplies enough to fill 05:55.540 --> 05:57.651 thousands of fields like this . One . 05:58.799 --> 06:01.380 Simply put again and again throughout 06:01.390 --> 06:04.109 history . America's merchant Mariners 06:04.119 --> 06:06.839 have delivered and today merchant 06:06.850 --> 06:08.929 Mariners remain an indispensable 06:08.940 --> 06:11.269 component of our national defense 06:11.279 --> 06:13.959 because they continue to deliver to 06:13.970 --> 06:16.660 Europe where more than 70 vessels have 06:16.670 --> 06:19.029 helped bring supplies and equipment to 06:19.040 --> 06:21.429 us , allies and partners after Russia 06:21.440 --> 06:24.579 once again invaded Ukraine and to the 06:24.589 --> 06:27.179 Indo Pacific where multiple strategic 06:27.190 --> 06:29.880 sealift ships provide critical maritime 06:29.890 --> 06:31.679 prepositioning of us , military 06:31.690 --> 06:35.239 supplies and equipment . What so many 06:35.250 --> 06:37.459 of you will do as merchant Mariners 06:37.470 --> 06:40.320 enables our ability to project power 06:40.329 --> 06:42.429 globally to respond to crises and 06:42.440 --> 06:44.880 contingencies on short notice and to 06:44.890 --> 06:47.540 campaign in support of joint operations . 06:48.850 --> 06:51.140 It won't surprise you that we do things 06:51.149 --> 06:53.093 differently than our competitors . 06:53.093 --> 06:55.093 That's a big reason why nations and 06:55.093 --> 06:57.038 people around the world choose the 06:57.038 --> 06:59.260 United States as their foremost ally or 06:59.260 --> 07:01.649 partner . For instance , we don't use 07:01.660 --> 07:03.382 maritime militias in ways that 07:03.382 --> 07:05.104 undermine regional stability , 07:05.104 --> 07:07.529 international law and countries shared 07:07.540 --> 07:09.873 desire for a free and open Indo Pacific . 07:10.690 --> 07:12.859 We don't seek to invade our neighbors 07:13.079 --> 07:15.279 and we don't plan to use civilian 07:15.290 --> 07:17.420 ferries as camouflage for military 07:17.429 --> 07:19.579 action that would only bring risk to 07:19.589 --> 07:22.140 civilian shipping . But it's not 07:22.149 --> 07:24.440 primarily the equipment or the tactics 07:24.450 --> 07:26.783 that make our military the world's best . 07:27.359 --> 07:29.660 Perhaps the most important advantage we 07:29.670 --> 07:32.929 have over our competitors is you your 07:32.940 --> 07:34.839 talent , your training and the 07:34.850 --> 07:37.709 responsibility we place in you all of 07:37.720 --> 07:39.776 which will serve you . Well , as you 07:39.776 --> 07:42.899 enter a complex world , they will help 07:42.910 --> 07:45.079 you navigate an operating environment 07:45.089 --> 07:47.149 that's challenging , complicated and 07:47.160 --> 07:50.299 contested . But in the face of friction 07:50.309 --> 07:53.619 and fog , I know you . Our newest and 07:53.630 --> 07:55.950 second lieutenants active duty and 07:55.959 --> 07:58.600 reserve will be America's saving grace 07:58.609 --> 08:02.529 just like your predecessors in the US 08:02.540 --> 08:04.429 military . We're confident in our 08:04.429 --> 08:07.510 junior officers ability in your ability 08:07.519 --> 08:10.859 to get the job done , to lead to figure 08:10.869 --> 08:12.591 it out . As you've often heard 08:12.591 --> 08:14.813 throughout your education here , that's 08:14.813 --> 08:17.619 not true of our competitors . So the 08:17.630 --> 08:20.579 responsibility we place on you , that 08:20.589 --> 08:23.070 is a key ingredient in the secret sauce 08:23.079 --> 08:25.779 that makes our military the finest and 08:25.790 --> 08:27.901 fiercest fighting force in the entire 08:27.901 --> 08:30.220 world . And that's why here at the 08:30.230 --> 08:32.390 Merchant Marine Academy , the United 08:32.400 --> 08:34.622 States of America has been investing in 08:34.622 --> 08:37.280 you making you into leaders and we are 08:37.289 --> 08:40.429 all impressed by the results . You 08:40.439 --> 08:42.809 received an education and training that 08:42.818 --> 08:45.049 is second to none and fit for the 08:45.059 --> 08:48.219 challenges you will soon face . You had 08:48.229 --> 08:50.285 the opportunity to forge unbreakable 08:50.285 --> 08:52.451 bonds with all those around you , with 08:52.451 --> 08:54.562 professors , friends and classmates , 08:54.562 --> 08:56.673 all of whom care deeply about you and 08:56.673 --> 08:59.130 your future and vice versa . And that 08:59.140 --> 09:02.280 is a lifelong gift . I'm sure you 09:02.289 --> 09:04.511 learned very quickly that you could not 09:04.511 --> 09:06.733 get through the demands of student life 09:06.733 --> 09:08.789 here alone . Believe it or not , you 09:08.789 --> 09:10.678 will soon learn that the need for 09:10.678 --> 09:12.900 teammates , the need for your shipmates 09:12.900 --> 09:14.789 might be one of the most valuable 09:14.789 --> 09:17.011 takeaways of your student career , your 09:17.011 --> 09:20.309 military career and your life . Every 09:20.320 --> 09:22.376 graduate here has their own story to 09:22.376 --> 09:25.760 tell about why they chose service a few 09:25.770 --> 09:27.770 days ago , I spoke with some of you 09:27.770 --> 09:29.881 about this . Some told me you decided 09:29.881 --> 09:32.103 to serve because you wanted to continue 09:32.103 --> 09:34.103 the camaraderie that you've already 09:34.103 --> 09:36.510 experienced here at the Academy others 09:36.520 --> 09:38.242 have been called by a sense of 09:38.242 --> 09:39.909 adventure as a class . You've 09:39.909 --> 09:41.964 crisscrossed the seas to hundreds of 09:41.964 --> 09:43.853 ports around the world . Very few 09:43.853 --> 09:45.909 people can say that some of you have 09:45.909 --> 09:48.530 parents , grandparents , older siblings 09:48.539 --> 09:50.840 or friends that preceded you . And 09:50.849 --> 09:53.016 through their stories of service , you 09:53.016 --> 09:55.016 saw yourself and envisioned how the 09:55.016 --> 09:56.738 military could be part of your 09:56.738 --> 09:59.929 narrative too . Others were steered by 09:59.940 --> 10:01.662 an inner compass to be part of 10:01.662 --> 10:03.773 something larger than yourself or you 10:03.780 --> 10:05.724 were inspired to do something that 10:05.724 --> 10:08.002 would challenge you each and every day . 10:08.002 --> 10:10.058 And the military offers all of these 10:10.058 --> 10:12.280 things , adventure a challenge , a 10:12.289 --> 10:14.520 common purpose and so much more , 10:15.099 --> 10:17.440 whatever your reasons , whatever those 10:17.450 --> 10:19.909 values that drove you here because of 10:19.919 --> 10:21.975 your education and training at Kings 10:21.975 --> 10:24.141 Point , you are ready to put them into 10:24.141 --> 10:27.369 practice . You have survived the rigor 10:27.380 --> 10:29.500 built into your academic program and 10:29.510 --> 10:31.732 you've overcome adversities that no one 10:31.732 --> 10:34.119 could have predicted . And now the 10:34.130 --> 10:36.130 people of the United States are 10:36.140 --> 10:39.090 trusting you to lead . And I can say 10:39.099 --> 10:41.210 this with confidence you have endured 10:41.210 --> 10:43.377 the best test of what is to come . And 10:43.377 --> 10:45.679 the fantastic news is that you have 10:45.690 --> 10:47.940 succeeded . And there's no reason to 10:47.950 --> 10:50.006 believe that streak won't continue , 10:50.006 --> 10:53.299 that should give you confidence . So 10:53.309 --> 10:55.469 here is my advice to you . You will 10:55.479 --> 10:57.590 have tough calls and have to make the 10:57.590 --> 10:59.500 right choices . You will have 10:59.510 --> 11:01.510 challenges and the only way will be 11:01.510 --> 11:04.479 through , you will rise and fall as a 11:04.489 --> 11:06.940 team . And that means that you will 11:06.950 --> 11:08.894 have to look out for your people , 11:08.894 --> 11:11.061 those to your left , to your right and 11:11.061 --> 11:13.228 in front and behind you . And you will 11:13.228 --> 11:15.599 need to let them in to look after you . 11:17.030 --> 11:19.059 No matter where you serve in the 11:19.070 --> 11:21.669 military or civilian careers , you will 11:21.679 --> 11:24.599 be part of a unit , ensuring the trust 11:24.609 --> 11:26.979 and safety of that unit is paramount to 11:26.989 --> 11:29.229 maintaining cohesion , connection and 11:29.239 --> 11:32.340 camaraderie . So even as we as a nation , 11:32.349 --> 11:34.571 put an extraordinary amount of trust in 11:34.571 --> 11:36.859 you to advise and provide counsel , to 11:36.869 --> 11:38.702 use your own discretion to solve 11:38.702 --> 11:40.869 problems and make timely decisions and 11:40.869 --> 11:43.849 to execute . We expect you to earn that 11:43.859 --> 11:46.280 trust . It's not just a privilege . It 11:46.289 --> 11:48.669 comes with responsibility to complete 11:48.679 --> 11:50.568 the mission and take care of your 11:50.568 --> 11:52.869 people . When uniformed leaders take 11:52.880 --> 11:55.520 care of their people , us military 11:55.530 --> 11:59.429 readiness skyrockets and who is 11:59.440 --> 12:01.496 responsible for taking care of their 12:01.496 --> 12:05.409 people , who is a leader , every one of 12:05.419 --> 12:07.586 us who was called to serve in civilian 12:07.586 --> 12:09.909 or military capacities . That's why 12:09.919 --> 12:11.975 Secretary of Defense Austin has made 12:11.975 --> 12:13.752 taking care of our people a top 12:13.752 --> 12:15.641 priority for every leader . Every 12:15.641 --> 12:19.090 service member , the heart of knowing 12:19.099 --> 12:21.200 how to lead and leading well , is 12:21.210 --> 12:23.979 knowing what's right , what's wrong and 12:23.989 --> 12:26.219 acting on it . It's that simple , 12:26.580 --> 12:28.520 whether you're at sea or ashore , 12:28.530 --> 12:30.586 whether you're the lowest ranking or 12:30.586 --> 12:32.697 the person in charge . If you see bad 12:32.697 --> 12:35.349 behavior , say something , do something , 12:35.359 --> 12:37.969 do the right thing . Don't tolerate 12:37.979 --> 12:40.201 hateful speech or hazing or bullying or 12:40.201 --> 12:42.312 sexual harassment , often a precursor 12:42.320 --> 12:44.320 to sexual assault or sexual assault 12:44.320 --> 12:46.859 itself . I know that members of this 12:46.869 --> 12:49.320 class have championed victim advocacy . 12:49.340 --> 12:51.580 You shape policies like through embark 12:51.590 --> 12:53.423 to ensure every Mariner builds a 12:53.423 --> 12:56.429 respectful culture and you've demanded 12:56.440 --> 12:58.607 support to survivors of sexual assault 12:58.607 --> 13:00.218 and other crimes and to hold 13:00.218 --> 13:02.051 perpetrators accountable to help 13:02.051 --> 13:04.218 prevent these crimes from happening in 13:04.218 --> 13:06.384 the first place . You've also demanded 13:06.384 --> 13:08.496 better mental health services and the 13:08.496 --> 13:10.384 recognition that mental health is 13:10.384 --> 13:12.799 health . And I know for a fact that the 13:12.809 --> 13:14.940 formal bond bonds that you have made 13:14.950 --> 13:17.061 and the trust you have built with one 13:17.061 --> 13:19.172 another have been defining aspects of 13:19.172 --> 13:21.339 your experiences here at the academy . 13:22.039 --> 13:24.229 That's no mistake . That's actually a 13:24.239 --> 13:26.406 feature of your education and you will 13:26.406 --> 13:28.690 soon see how far it will take you and 13:28.700 --> 13:30.922 how it's meant to bring out the best in 13:30.922 --> 13:33.619 you . So when crises occur , step up , 13:33.630 --> 13:35.519 be a leader and take care of your 13:35.519 --> 13:38.309 people . Each of you deserves the 13:38.320 --> 13:40.789 career that you envision and that you 13:40.799 --> 13:43.369 will continue to work hard for . I for 13:43.380 --> 13:45.602 one have been struck by your stories of 13:45.602 --> 13:48.570 grit and determination . Take one of 13:48.580 --> 13:50.469 your fellow midshipmen who on his 13:50.469 --> 13:52.691 second sailing expedition was bitten 14 13:52.691 --> 13:55.169 times by a black widow spider with 13:55.179 --> 13:57.346 venom 15 times stronger than that of a 13:57.346 --> 13:59.179 rattlesnake . He was temporarily 13:59.179 --> 14:01.840 paralyzed from the waist down , he 14:01.849 --> 14:03.571 recovered and today he will be 14:03.571 --> 14:05.793 commissioning active duty Navy and take 14:05.793 --> 14:07.909 another classmate who volunteered his 14:07.919 --> 14:09.869 rare free time in the Academy's T 14:09.880 --> 14:12.320 program and ended up delivering a baby 14:12.330 --> 14:14.274 in the ambulance on the way to the 14:14.274 --> 14:17.109 hospital . These are only two of the 14:17.119 --> 14:19.650 many of your stories of hardship and 14:19.659 --> 14:22.599 courage and sacrifice . So as you step 14:22.609 --> 14:24.940 off this stage today , know that you 14:24.950 --> 14:27.799 are ready and we are ready for you . 14:27.859 --> 14:29.915 And I look forward to seeing all the 14:29.915 --> 14:32.026 ways that you shape the world for the 14:32.026 --> 14:33.970 better . I wish you fair winds and 14:33.970 --> 14:36.260 following seas and nothing but the best 14:36.270 --> 14:38.460 as you pursue your next adventure . So 14:38.469 --> 14:40.525 thank you and congratulations to the 14:40.525 --> 14:41.940 class of 2023 .