WEBVTT 00:01.059 --> 00:03.460 Well , it is great to be with you here 00:03.460 --> 00:07.170 on this incredible day and I gotta say , 00:07.260 --> 00:09.300 it's a pretty cool trick where when 00:09.300 --> 00:11.467 people say good morning , you guys say 00:11.467 --> 00:13.633 it back in unison . So let me say good 00:13.633 --> 00:15.470 morning to the class of 2025 . 00:19.110 --> 00:21.510 I want to say first of all , thank you 00:21.510 --> 00:23.750 all for having me and thank you 00:23.750 --> 00:26.389 especially to Vice Admiral Davids and 00:26.389 --> 00:28.579 Captain Allman for your hospitality . 00:29.190 --> 00:31.134 Thank you as well , of course , to 00:31.134 --> 00:33.412 Secretary Phalin for that great speech , 00:33.412 --> 00:35.523 Admiral Kilby and General Smith , for 00:35.523 --> 00:37.746 all that you do for our country . First 00:37.746 --> 00:41.020 off , I want to say both from me and 00:41.020 --> 00:43.650 from President Trump , congratulations 00:43.650 --> 00:45.700 to the class of 2025 . 00:55.580 --> 00:57.802 I would say congratulations not just to 00:57.802 --> 00:59.691 you all because you all certainly 00:59.691 --> 01:01.191 earned a great honor , but 01:01.191 --> 01:03.369 congratulations to the families , the 01:03.369 --> 01:05.610 friends , the faculty , plus the other 01:05.610 --> 01:07.832 midshipmen and service members who join 01:07.832 --> 01:10.120 us on this beautiful morning and share 01:10.120 --> 01:11.559 in this incredible day . 01:19.330 --> 01:21.569 Now it's always dangerous to give a 01:21.569 --> 01:25.040 politician a microphone , but I know 01:25.040 --> 01:27.199 that I am one of the very last things 01:27.199 --> 01:28.866 standing between you and your 01:28.866 --> 01:31.529 commission and your diploma . And so 01:31.529 --> 01:33.529 out of respect , I just want you to 01:33.529 --> 01:35.585 know that this is only going to be a 01:35.585 --> 01:39.279 3.5 or 4 hour speech . I hope you all 01:39.279 --> 01:41.279 brought your sunscreen because it's 01:41.279 --> 01:43.930 bright out here . But today is such an 01:43.930 --> 01:46.809 incredible day for you . Tonight you'll 01:46.809 --> 01:49.250 celebrate in the finest tradition of 01:49.250 --> 01:51.650 the United States Naval Academy with 01:51.650 --> 01:53.872 great food and of course maybe a little 01:53.872 --> 01:54.872 drink . 02:01.250 --> 02:03.417 But I hope that as you celebrate , you 02:03.417 --> 02:05.639 remember that this is not just your day 02:05.639 --> 02:07.639 as hard as you have worked for it . 02:07.750 --> 02:09.600 This day belongs to parents , 02:09.889 --> 02:12.190 grandparents , aunts , uncles , 02:12.470 --> 02:14.789 teachers , brothers , sisters , and so 02:14.789 --> 02:18.710 many others . You , all of you are the 02:18.710 --> 02:21.589 product of an incredible legacy people 02:21.589 --> 02:23.533 who worked hard to give you a good 02:23.533 --> 02:26.029 education , food on the table , and a 02:26.029 --> 02:28.809 sense of possibility . People who took 02:28.809 --> 02:31.250 you to church , to practices , to 02:31.250 --> 02:33.649 tutoring sessions , people who prayed 02:33.649 --> 02:35.371 for you when you struggled and 02:35.371 --> 02:37.371 celebrated with you at moments just 02:37.371 --> 02:40.949 like today . Most of you We are 02:40.949 --> 02:43.060 fortunate enough to have someone here 02:43.060 --> 02:45.060 to celebrate with you . Some of you 02:45.060 --> 02:47.619 don't . But whether they are here with 02:47.619 --> 02:50.179 you or not , the very best piece of 02:50.179 --> 02:52.699 advice I can give you is to begin your 02:52.699 --> 02:54.820 life in the fleet with the spirit of 02:54.820 --> 02:58.179 gratitude . Be thankful for all the 02:58.179 --> 03:00.235 people gathered here today and those 03:00.235 --> 03:02.419 who aren't , because they made you who 03:02.419 --> 03:04.530 you are and they got you to where you 03:04.530 --> 03:06.539 are today . And 03:13.919 --> 03:15.752 And I hope you'll take from that 03:15.752 --> 03:19.169 gratitude a sense of duty . You owe it 03:19.449 --> 03:22.330 to the American people , to yourselves , 03:22.529 --> 03:24.418 but most of all to the people who 03:24.418 --> 03:26.740 sacrifice so hard to get you here . You 03:26.740 --> 03:29.440 owe it to them to do the best job you 03:29.440 --> 03:31.610 can , and I know that is exactly what 03:31.610 --> 03:34.979 you're going to do . Now it's customary 03:34.979 --> 03:37.740 in speeches like this for people like 03:37.740 --> 03:40.229 me to offer words of congratulations 03:40.229 --> 03:42.340 and maybe a little bit of advice , of 03:42.340 --> 03:44.889 course I just did exactly that . But 03:44.889 --> 03:46.778 you're not just graduates of some 03:46.778 --> 03:48.860 random university about to embark on 03:48.860 --> 03:51.259 careers in the private sector , and I'm 03:51.259 --> 03:53.148 not just giving another political 03:53.148 --> 03:56.350 speech . I'm your vice president . And 03:56.350 --> 03:58.630 the minute you walk off the stage with 03:58.630 --> 04:01.110 your diploma and your commission , you 04:01.110 --> 04:03.429 will be officers in the United States 04:03.429 --> 04:05.762 Navy and the United States Marine Corps , 04:05.762 --> 04:07.651 and that is an incredible thing . 04:16.480 --> 04:20.429 You will be leaders of men and 04:20.429 --> 04:23.489 women in our armed forces . So while 04:23.489 --> 04:26.140 President Trump and I congratulate you 04:26.140 --> 04:29.010 on this incredible achievement . I also 04:29.010 --> 04:31.232 thought it would be appropriate to tell 04:31.232 --> 04:33.454 you a bit about how the president and I 04:33.454 --> 04:35.730 think of your mission in this new and 04:35.730 --> 04:37.786 very dangerous era for our country . 04:39.019 --> 04:41.130 Last week , the president took a very 04:41.130 --> 04:43.075 historic trip to the Middle East , 04:43.100 --> 04:45.570 meeting with heads of state in Qatar , 04:45.940 --> 04:47.980 Saudi Arabia , and the United Arab 04:47.980 --> 04:50.809 Emirates . Most of the headlines 04:50.809 --> 04:52.976 focused on the trillions of dollars of 04:52.976 --> 04:55.031 new investment the president secured 04:55.031 --> 04:57.198 for our country , and that's of course 04:57.198 --> 04:59.198 an important thing . But I actually 04:59.198 --> 05:01.420 think the most significant part of that 05:01.420 --> 05:04.649 trip . Is that it signified the end 05:05.339 --> 05:08.220 of a decades-long approach in foreign 05:08.220 --> 05:10.579 policy that I think was a break from 05:10.579 --> 05:12.468 the precedent set by our founding 05:12.468 --> 05:15.540 fathers . We had a long experiment in 05:15.540 --> 05:18.380 our foreign policy that traded national 05:18.380 --> 05:20.980 defense and the maintenance of our 05:20.980 --> 05:23.859 alliances for nation building and 05:23.859 --> 05:26.809 meddling in foreign countries' affairs , 05:27.149 --> 05:29.260 even when those foreign countries had 05:29.260 --> 05:31.640 very little to do with core American 05:31.640 --> 05:34.410 interests . What we're seeing from 05:34.410 --> 05:36.632 President Trump is a generational shift 05:36.632 --> 05:40.130 in policy with profound implications 05:40.130 --> 05:42.297 for the job that each and every one of 05:42.297 --> 05:44.899 you will be asked to do . Following the 05:44.899 --> 05:46.929 collapse of the Soviet Union , our 05:46.929 --> 05:49.410 policymakers assumed that American 05:49.410 --> 05:52.010 primacy on the world stage was 05:52.010 --> 05:55.630 guaranteed . For a brief time , we were 05:55.630 --> 05:59.489 a superpower without any peer . Nor did 05:59.489 --> 06:01.489 we believe any foreign nation could 06:01.489 --> 06:03.820 possibly rise to compete with the 06:03.820 --> 06:06.390 United States of America . And so our 06:06.390 --> 06:10.070 leaders traded hard power for soft 06:10.070 --> 06:12.014 power . We stopped making things , 06:12.149 --> 06:14.950 everything from cars to computers to 06:14.950 --> 06:17.390 the weapons of war , like the ships 06:17.390 --> 06:20.279 that guard our waters . And the weapons 06:20.279 --> 06:22.839 that you will use in the future . Why 06:22.839 --> 06:25.859 do we do that ? Well , too many of us 06:25.859 --> 06:28.081 believe that economic integration would 06:28.081 --> 06:30.459 naturally lead to peace by making 06:30.459 --> 06:32.681 countries like the People's Republic of 06:32.681 --> 06:34.970 China more like the United States . 06:35.809 --> 06:38.290 Over time we were told the world would 06:38.290 --> 06:41.760 converge toward a uniform set of bland , 06:41.989 --> 06:45.130 secular universal ideals regardless of 06:45.130 --> 06:47.570 culture or country , and those that 06:47.570 --> 06:49.626 didn't want to converge , well , our 06:49.626 --> 06:51.737 policymakers would make it their goal 06:51.737 --> 06:54.200 to force them by any means necessary . 06:54.980 --> 06:57.679 So instead of devoting our energies to 06:57.679 --> 06:59.839 responding to the rise of near peer 06:59.839 --> 07:02.320 competitors like China , our leaders 07:02.320 --> 07:05.040 pursued what they assumed would be easy 07:05.040 --> 07:06.818 jobs for the world's preeminent 07:06.818 --> 07:10.519 superpower . How hard could it be to 07:10.519 --> 07:12.679 build a few democracies in the Middle 07:12.679 --> 07:15.760 East ? Well , almost impossibly hard , 07:15.899 --> 07:19.079 it turns out , and unbelievably costly . 07:20.410 --> 07:23.200 And it wasn't our politicians who bore 07:23.200 --> 07:25.679 the consequences of such a profound 07:25.679 --> 07:28.480 miscalculation . It was the American 07:28.480 --> 07:30.440 people to the tune of trillions of 07:30.440 --> 07:33.279 dollars , but more than anyone , it was 07:33.279 --> 07:36.279 borne by the people who were in your 07:36.279 --> 07:39.000 shoes just a few short years ago by our 07:39.000 --> 07:41.149 service members and their families . 07:42.100 --> 07:44.730 The tens of thousands of war fighters 07:44.730 --> 07:48.079 who sacrifice precious time , energy , 07:48.329 --> 07:50.440 and in some cases their very lives in 07:50.440 --> 07:52.496 the line of duty . They are the ones 07:52.496 --> 07:54.551 who bore the costs of past failure . 07:54.980 --> 07:57.570 Our leaders abandoned clearly stated 07:57.570 --> 08:00.250 strategic goals for lofty , often 08:00.250 --> 08:03.450 incoherent abstractions . This is how , 08:03.489 --> 08:06.369 for example , we wound up chasing a 08:06.369 --> 08:09.940 $230 million pier in Gaza that worked 08:09.940 --> 08:12.410 for a grand total of 20 days while 08:12.410 --> 08:14.890 injuring over 60 American service 08:14.890 --> 08:16.850 members in the construction and 08:16.850 --> 08:19.579 maintenance of that pier . Our 08:19.579 --> 08:21.801 government took its eye off the ball of 08:21.801 --> 08:24.510 great power competition and preparing 08:24.510 --> 08:26.709 to take on a peer adversary , and 08:26.709 --> 08:29.070 instead we devoted ourselves to 08:29.070 --> 08:32.669 sprawling amorphous tasks like 08:32.669 --> 08:34.849 searching for new terrorists to take 08:34.849 --> 08:37.659 out while building up faraway regimes . 08:38.719 --> 08:41.440 Now I want to be clear The Trump 08:41.440 --> 08:44.039 administration has reversed course . No 08:44.039 --> 08:46.799 more undefined missions . No more 08:46.799 --> 08:49.280 open-ended conflicts . We're 08:50.640 --> 08:53.150 returning to a strategy grounded in 08:53.150 --> 08:56.200 realism and protecting our core 08:56.200 --> 08:59.440 national interests . Now this doesn't 08:59.440 --> 09:01.940 mean that we ignore threats . But it 09:01.940 --> 09:03.773 means that we approach them with 09:03.773 --> 09:05.996 discipline and that when we send you to 09:05.996 --> 09:08.739 war , we do it with a very specific set 09:08.739 --> 09:11.619 of goals in mind . And consider how 09:11.619 --> 09:14.419 this played out in just the last major 09:14.419 --> 09:17.299 conflict we engaged in with the Houthis 09:17.299 --> 09:20.179 over in the Middle East . We went in 09:20.179 --> 09:23.330 with a clear diplomatic goal not to 09:23.330 --> 09:25.108 enmesh our service members in a 09:25.108 --> 09:27.200 prolonged conflict with a non-state 09:27.200 --> 09:30.520 actor , but to secure American freedom 09:30.520 --> 09:33.940 of navigation by forcing the Houthis to 09:33.940 --> 09:36.659 stop attacking American ships , and 09:36.659 --> 09:38.270 that's exactly what we did . 09:46.340 --> 09:47.951 We pursued that goal through 09:47.951 --> 09:50.039 overwhelming force against Houthi 09:50.039 --> 09:53.489 military targets . In just the 1st 100 09:53.489 --> 09:55.690 days of the administration , we were 09:55.690 --> 09:58.510 able to reach a ceasefire and a 09:58.510 --> 10:00.690 conflict that had been ongoing for 10:00.690 --> 10:04.130 nearly 2 years . That's how 10:04.130 --> 10:06.359 military power should be used 10:06.690 --> 10:10.390 decisively with a clear objective . We 10:10.390 --> 10:12.390 ought to be cautious in deciding to 10:12.390 --> 10:14.390 throw a punch , but when we throw a 10:14.390 --> 10:16.830 punch , we throw a punch hard and we do 10:16.830 --> 10:19.052 it decisively , and that's exactly what 10:19.052 --> 10:20.330 we may ask you to do . 10:28.479 --> 10:30.270 Now that shift in thinking from 10:30.270 --> 10:33.059 ideological crusades to a principled 10:33.059 --> 10:36.080 foreign policy will help restore the 10:36.080 --> 10:38.880 credibility of American deterrence in 10:38.880 --> 10:42.440 2025 and beyond . With the Trump 10:42.440 --> 10:44.496 administration , our adversaries now 10:44.496 --> 10:46.809 know when the United States sets a red 10:46.809 --> 10:49.130 line , it will be enforced , and when 10:49.130 --> 10:52.690 we engage we do so with purpose , with 10:52.690 --> 10:55.409 superior force , with superior weapons , 10:55.489 --> 10:57.690 and with the best people anywhere in 10:57.690 --> 10:58.690 the world . 11:06.390 --> 11:09.099 Let me say something about weapons and 11:09.099 --> 11:11.321 the future of warfare . It is of course 11:11.321 --> 11:13.590 a priority of this administration , not 11:13.590 --> 11:15.630 just to keep but to widen the 11:15.630 --> 11:17.741 technological edge between the United 11:17.741 --> 11:20.469 States military and our adversaries all 11:20.469 --> 11:22.750 over the world . In the wake of the 11:22.750 --> 11:25.690 Cold War , America enjoyed a mostly 11:25.690 --> 11:28.780 unchallenged command of the commons , 11:29.080 --> 11:32.059 airspace , sea , space , and 11:32.059 --> 11:35.590 cyberspace . But the era of 11:35.590 --> 11:38.289 uncontested US dominance is over . 11:38.979 --> 11:41.669 Today we face serious threats in China , 11:41.940 --> 11:44.340 Russia , and other nations determined 11:44.340 --> 11:48.119 to beat us in every single domain from 11:48.119 --> 11:50.989 spectrum to low Earth orbit to our 11:50.989 --> 11:52.580 supply chains and even our 11:52.580 --> 11:54.609 communication infrastructure . 11:55.039 --> 11:57.590 Technology has lowered the cost of 11:57.590 --> 12:01.219 disruption , and so we must be , all of 12:01.219 --> 12:04.840 us , not just smarter . We got to make 12:04.840 --> 12:08.210 sure that we send our troops to war . 12:08.520 --> 12:10.640 We do it with the right tools . 12:13.020 --> 12:16.659 We can We can no longer assume our 12:16.659 --> 12:19.059 engagements will come without cost . 12:19.429 --> 12:21.596 That's why the Trump administration is 12:21.596 --> 12:25.070 investing in innovation , rewarding 12:25.070 --> 12:26.903 risk takers at the Department of 12:26.903 --> 12:29.419 Defense , and streamlining weapons 12:29.419 --> 12:31.308 acquisition for the new century . 12:32.219 --> 12:35.080 Investing in cutting edge weaponry like 12:35.080 --> 12:38.030 hypersonics is important , but just as 12:38.030 --> 12:40.479 important are the low cost , high 12:40.479 --> 12:42.640 impact technologies that are already 12:42.640 --> 12:44.840 transforming the battlefield , things 12:44.840 --> 12:48.340 like drones . And by the way , when we 12:48.340 --> 12:50.739 talk about innovation , innovation is 12:50.739 --> 12:53.020 not just happening in the laboratory of 12:53.020 --> 12:55.000 a defense contractor . Innovation 12:55.000 --> 12:57.859 increasingly is happening on the very 12:57.859 --> 13:00.026 battlefields that you will lead troops 13:00.026 --> 13:03.059 on . So you are not just recipients of 13:03.059 --> 13:05.170 innovation . You're not just users of 13:05.170 --> 13:07.140 tools . You will very often be 13:07.140 --> 13:09.307 developing tools in this new century . 13:10.549 --> 13:13.099 Our lawmakers and military brass alike 13:13.349 --> 13:16.710 must learn to adjust to a world where 13:16.710 --> 13:19.669 cheap drones , readily available cruise 13:19.669 --> 13:22.070 missiles , and cyber attacks cause 13:22.070 --> 13:24.309 extraordinary damage to our military 13:24.309 --> 13:26.989 assets and our service members , and it 13:26.989 --> 13:29.869 will be you . The graduates gather here 13:29.869 --> 13:32.270 today who will lead the way for the 13:32.270 --> 13:35.659 rest of us . Your service will bring 13:35.659 --> 13:38.169 new challenges and environments , 13:38.780 --> 13:41.369 including ones unfamiliar even to those 13:41.369 --> 13:44.270 who have served before you . You will 13:44.270 --> 13:48.119 deploy new equipment . New systems 13:48.450 --> 13:51.500 and new technology . And through those 13:51.500 --> 13:54.719 experiences , it is you who will learn , 13:55.299 --> 13:57.750 who will teach others , and will help 13:57.750 --> 13:59.950 our services and our entire country 13:59.950 --> 14:02.280 adapt to the future we're confronting . 14:04.200 --> 14:06.256 The extraordinary education you have 14:06.256 --> 14:08.270 received is an investment by the 14:08.270 --> 14:10.549 American people , an investment not 14:10.549 --> 14:13.830 only in your courage . But in the 14:13.830 --> 14:16.299 strength of your minds and the promise 14:16.299 --> 14:19.179 of your leadership . Because your 14:19.179 --> 14:22.140 nation rests easier knowing that we 14:22.140 --> 14:24.900 have the most brilliant strategists and 14:24.900 --> 14:28.030 tacticians standing guard . Men and 14:28.030 --> 14:30.086 women like you , brilliant enough to 14:30.086 --> 14:33.500 preempt and if called , fight and win 14:33.789 --> 14:36.799 the wars of tomorrow . And its 14:36.799 --> 14:38.840 technological change continues to 14:38.840 --> 14:41.489 transform the battlefield . It only 14:41.489 --> 14:43.479 heightens the importance for this 14:43.479 --> 14:45.757 administration , for our whole country , 14:45.919 --> 14:48.599 on investing in our military's human 14:48.599 --> 14:51.599 capital . That's you and the well-being 14:51.599 --> 14:53.766 of our war fighters in your brilliance 14:53.766 --> 14:57.539 in your strategic innovation . Modern 14:57.539 --> 15:00.760 modernization isn't just about tactics 15:00.760 --> 15:03.280 and tools , it's about meeting the 15:03.280 --> 15:05.840 needs of our service members . For too 15:05.840 --> 15:09.830 long we asked too much of too few . 15:12.580 --> 15:15.530 Past leaders sent our service members 15:15.880 --> 15:17.991 on mission after mission with no exit 15:17.991 --> 15:21.309 strategy , no end in sight . And with 15:21.309 --> 15:23.390 little articulation for the American 15:23.390 --> 15:25.909 people or for the war fighters about 15:25.909 --> 15:28.739 what we were doing . When we extend the 15:28.739 --> 15:30.906 deployment of an aircraft carrier that 15:30.906 --> 15:33.099 has real impact on people's lives and 15:33.099 --> 15:35.099 we're aware of it . They miss their 15:35.099 --> 15:37.155 families , of course they miss their 15:37.155 --> 15:39.266 loved ones and their home life . They 15:39.266 --> 15:41.321 accept that sacrifice and that's the 15:41.321 --> 15:43.488 job that you've taken on . But the job 15:43.488 --> 15:45.377 that we have taken on is to never 15:45.377 --> 15:47.543 misuse that sacrifice or never ask you 15:47.543 --> 15:49.766 to do something without a clear mission 15:49.766 --> 15:51.099 and a clear path home . 15:59.739 --> 16:01.849 The Trump administration recognizes 16:02.369 --> 16:05.909 that our most valuable resources , it's 16:05.909 --> 16:09.859 you . It's young people who are brave 16:09.859 --> 16:12.059 enough to put on the uniform and risk 16:12.059 --> 16:14.700 your life for this country , and we 16:14.700 --> 16:17.859 promise , I promise to cultivate that 16:17.859 --> 16:20.570 resource to protect it and to use it 16:20.570 --> 16:23.059 only when the national interest demands . 16:23.750 --> 16:26.510 And what makes your new life so unique . 16:27.210 --> 16:29.440 is that you must take multiple 16:29.440 --> 16:31.799 perspectives . You will be junior 16:31.799 --> 16:34.200 officers , of course , answerable to 16:34.200 --> 16:36.559 commanders , captains , admirals , 16:36.679 --> 16:39.650 generals , and people like me . You 16:39.650 --> 16:42.659 will have to follow orders . Even when 16:42.659 --> 16:45.219 you don't want to . And if I can offer 16:45.219 --> 16:47.108 one piece of advice from a junior 16:47.108 --> 16:49.650 enlisted guy to a bunch of new officers 16:50.099 --> 16:53.739 to say that when you say all with all 16:53.739 --> 16:56.140 due respect , that is not a get out of 16:56.140 --> 17:00.119 jail free card . I got you , these 17:00.119 --> 17:02.770 guys are laughing back here . I got 17:02.770 --> 17:04.603 chewed out more times than I can 17:04.603 --> 17:06.826 remember because I assumed that I could 17:06.826 --> 17:09.048 say whatever I wanted to , so long as I 17:09.048 --> 17:11.159 said with all due respect before it . 17:11.159 --> 17:13.381 That's not how it works out . You learn 17:13.381 --> 17:15.492 that the hard way . But importantly , 17:15.492 --> 17:17.688 you're not just following orders more 17:17.688 --> 17:19.759 often than not , you will be giving 17:19.759 --> 17:23.548 them . And just as I see you , as our 17:23.548 --> 17:26.668 most precious resource , so you must 17:26.668 --> 17:30.468 see the men and women who call 17:30.468 --> 17:33.798 you sir and ma'am as your most sacred 17:33.798 --> 17:36.719 charge . You will not just be 17:45.050 --> 17:48.449 You will not just be another boss . You 17:48.449 --> 17:50.890 will counsel them through triumph and 17:50.890 --> 17:53.530 tragedy . You will learn that there is 17:53.530 --> 17:56.449 no clear line between personal and 17:56.449 --> 17:58.729 professional for officers in the Navy 17:58.729 --> 18:01.709 and Marine Corps . But I encourage you 18:01.709 --> 18:04.400 to see them not just as people who must 18:04.400 --> 18:06.880 follow your orders , but as leaders in 18:06.880 --> 18:09.170 their own right with incredible wisdom 18:09.349 --> 18:12.430 and incredible potential . This is 18:12.839 --> 18:15.250 shocking to think about . But there are 18:15.250 --> 18:19.000 senior enlisted people . Who started 18:19.000 --> 18:21.550 their careers in the Navy or the Marine 18:21.550 --> 18:24.839 Corps before you were born who will 18:24.839 --> 18:27.040 call you sir and ma'am and follow your 18:27.040 --> 18:29.560 orders . Think about what an incredible 18:29.560 --> 18:31.900 honor that is and think about what an 18:31.900 --> 18:34.439 incredible opportunity it is not just 18:34.439 --> 18:36.640 to lead these men and women , but also 18:36.640 --> 18:39.040 to learn from these men and women , and 18:39.040 --> 18:40.880 that is the task before you . 18:49.160 --> 18:51.271 You will lean on that experience , of 18:51.271 --> 18:53.640 course , but still , you're very often , 18:53.839 --> 18:55.950 more often than not , you're going to 18:55.950 --> 18:58.283 be the one in charge . That is an honor , 18:58.520 --> 19:00.742 but it's a responsibility that ought to 19:00.742 --> 19:03.780 give you chills . You've made it now 19:03.780 --> 19:05.669 through one of the most demanding 19:05.669 --> 19:07.613 institutions in the entire world . 19:08.060 --> 19:10.729 You've earned your commissions , and 19:10.729 --> 19:13.510 you step forward to serve at a moment 19:13.510 --> 19:16.050 when your country needs you now more 19:16.050 --> 19:19.140 than ever . But you're stepping into 19:19.140 --> 19:22.459 gigantic shoes , and it's worth taking 19:22.459 --> 19:24.780 stock of that as you prepare to receive 19:24.780 --> 19:27.439 your commission . Those of us who've 19:27.439 --> 19:29.719 served know that graduates of the Naval 19:29.719 --> 19:32.030 Academy , they have a certain energy , 19:32.280 --> 19:34.502 a certain aura , a certain respect when 19:34.502 --> 19:36.724 they're out there in the fleet . Let me 19:36.724 --> 19:40.569 just give you an example . Today is 19:40.569 --> 19:42.849 your day , of course , and you should 19:42.849 --> 19:45.939 celebrate . But in 3 days , the 19:45.939 --> 19:47.883 president and I will lead the most 19:47.883 --> 19:49.661 solemn occasion in our nation . 19:50.079 --> 19:52.270 Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery . 19:53.469 --> 19:55.660 You'll learn as I have , that when 19:55.660 --> 19:58.510 people say things like Happy Memorial 19:58.510 --> 20:01.130 Day . You appreciate the sentiment 20:01.130 --> 20:03.074 behind it , but you know that it's 20:03.074 --> 20:06.010 wrong . Because Memorial Day is not a 20:06.010 --> 20:09.400 happy day . And Memorial Day is not for 20:09.400 --> 20:12.280 those who served and came home . It is 20:12.280 --> 20:15.369 for those who served and didn't . Every 20:15.369 --> 20:17.930 Memorial Day , I think about a graduate 20:17.930 --> 20:20.209 of this institution , Major Megan 20:20.209 --> 20:23.250 McClung . She was an officer I served 20:23.250 --> 20:26.010 with who was bright , tough , and 20:26.010 --> 20:28.939 incredibly dedicated to her job . She 20:28.939 --> 20:31.920 arrived in Iraq not long after me . And 20:31.920 --> 20:33.920 was killed in action not long after 20:33.920 --> 20:37.040 that . She loved this institution . 20:38.219 --> 20:40.441 And like so many that came before her , 20:40.569 --> 20:43.209 she built on its legacy in the way that 20:43.209 --> 20:46.199 she served her country . There are so 20:46.199 --> 20:48.920 many stories of great service in this 20:48.920 --> 20:51.087 institution . I look at these signs on 20:51.087 --> 20:53.719 this stadium Bella Wood , 20:54.560 --> 20:56.520 Midway , Guadalcanal . These are 20:56.520 --> 20:58.680 battles I read about in history books 20:58.680 --> 21:00.736 or learned about when I was a United 21:00.736 --> 21:03.349 States Marine . If you just try to read 21:03.349 --> 21:06.810 a list of the people who served after 21:06.810 --> 21:09.199 graduating from this institution , the 21:09.199 --> 21:11.255 list is almost so long you can't get 21:11.255 --> 21:14.579 through it . Senior leaders , 21:14.989 --> 21:16.878 commandants in the Marine Corps , 21:16.878 --> 21:19.819 chiefs of naval operations , astronauts , 21:19.989 --> 21:22.459 great business leaders , and even a few 21:22.459 --> 21:25.270 lowly politicians have graduated from 21:25.270 --> 21:28.520 the United States Naval Academy . Their 21:28.520 --> 21:32.119 service is an incredible legacy that 21:32.119 --> 21:35.119 they have passed on to you , and you 21:35.119 --> 21:38.359 are the bridge that connects the 21:38.359 --> 21:40.989 incredible heritage of this institution 21:41.319 --> 21:42.708 to the future duties and 21:42.708 --> 21:46.189 responsibilities your country needs you 21:46.839 --> 21:50.089 to perform . That's an incredible honor , 21:50.500 --> 21:52.056 but it's also an incredible 21:52.056 --> 21:54.278 responsibility , and I hope you take it 21:54.278 --> 21:56.810 seriously . People will look at you as 21:56.810 --> 21:58.810 graduates of the Naval Academy in a 21:58.810 --> 22:01.660 different way than they look at most of 22:01.660 --> 22:03.660 the people that you will meet every 22:03.660 --> 22:05.882 single day . They will look at you that 22:05.882 --> 22:08.049 way , yes , because you've worked hard 22:08.049 --> 22:10.327 and yes , because you deserve this day , 22:10.327 --> 22:12.049 but they will also look at you 22:12.049 --> 22:14.104 differently because you stand on the 22:14.104 --> 22:16.780 shoulders of giants . And 2030 or 40 22:16.780 --> 22:20.099 years from now there are giants are 22:20.099 --> 22:22.266 people who are going to be standing on 22:22.266 --> 22:24.266 your shoulders . So please remember 22:24.266 --> 22:26.819 that . Please take it seriously and 22:26.819 --> 22:29.420 please recognize that you become part 22:29.420 --> 22:31.989 of a brotherhood and sisterhood that 22:31.989 --> 22:34.045 will enable you to do great things , 22:34.260 --> 22:36.427 that will support you as you do them , 22:36.427 --> 22:38.819 but will ask you to give back as you 22:38.819 --> 22:40.329 should in return . 22:43.000 --> 22:45.670 You are the inheritors of a national 22:45.670 --> 22:48.979 tradition dating back 250 22:48.979 --> 22:52.959 years . It began with John Paul 22:52.959 --> 22:56.099 Jones . And the founders of this 22:56.099 --> 22:58.900 country asked the United States Navy to 22:58.900 --> 23:01.810 take on the most powerful navy on Earth , 23:02.099 --> 23:05.780 and we won . Our first patriots 23:06.170 --> 23:08.800 knew the stakes . They did not seek out 23:08.800 --> 23:11.022 war . They did everything they could to 23:11.022 --> 23:13.078 advocate and partition for their own 23:13.078 --> 23:15.189 liberties , but when the time came , 23:15.439 --> 23:17.606 they raised the military , they raised 23:17.606 --> 23:19.772 the navy , and they fought like hell . 23:20.839 --> 23:23.829 Their examples lives on in all of you . 23:24.439 --> 23:26.495 In their courage we see the roots of 23:26.495 --> 23:28.383 your calling to be strong but not 23:28.383 --> 23:31.000 reckless , to seek peace , but never at 23:31.000 --> 23:33.550 the expense of liberty , to hold firm 23:33.550 --> 23:36.790 to your convictions even when the cost 23:36.790 --> 23:40.680 is high . I want to say to all of you , 23:40.900 --> 23:42.900 I've been vice president for all of 23:42.900 --> 23:46.319 about 120 days , and this summer I will 23:46.319 --> 23:49.979 celebrate my 41st birthday . But I have 23:49.979 --> 23:53.550 never in those 41 years been so 23:53.550 --> 23:57.199 proud as I am today . To honor 23:57.199 --> 24:00.339 you To celebrate you and to 24:00.339 --> 24:03.489 congratulate you on a job well done . 24:14.760 --> 24:16.660 Now I'm sure some of you share my 24:16.660 --> 24:19.359 politics and some of you don't . But I 24:19.359 --> 24:22.439 know today I speak for a grateful 24:22.439 --> 24:25.589 nation when I say We are rooting for 24:25.589 --> 24:28.829 you . Naval Academy class of 25 . We 24:28.829 --> 24:31.420 are proud of you and we depend on you . 24:31.589 --> 24:34.069 Congratulations , Godspeed , and do 24:34.069 --> 24:34.660 great work .