George
W. Bush
2005 Commencement Address at U.S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland
May 27, 2005
Thanks for the warm welcome. Secretary England,
Admiral Clark, General Nyland, Vice Admiral Rempt, Captain Leidig, Dr.
Miller, members of the Board of Visitors, Lieutenant Governor Steele
and Congressman Hoyer, distinguished faculty, distinguished guests,
proud parents, family, friends, and, most of all, graduating
midshipmen of the Class of 2005, I'm honored to be here. (Applause.)
And I am proud to stand before the future leaders of the Navy and
Marine Corps, and to celebrate the occasion, I thought I would bring
along a small graduation gift. Too late to give you a "Staubach Day,"
-- so I'll do the next best thing: In keeping with long-standing
tradition, I hereby absolve all midshipmen who are on restriction for
minor conduct offenses. (Laughter and applause.) I leave it to
Admiral Rempt to define exactly what "minor" means. (Laughter.)
You worked hard to get to this moment: You survived Plebe Summer,
and having your parking tickets scraped. (Laughter.) You climbed
Herndon Monument, and threw pennies at Tecumseh, god of the 2.0. I
knew him pretty well when I was in school. (Laughter.) Now, at last,
you've made it to graduation day, and in a few moments you will receive
your military commissions and your diplomas. Your parents are proud of
you, your teachers are proud of you, and so is your
Commander-in-Chief. Congratulations on a great achievement.
(Applause.)
A lot has changed since you arrived at Annapolis four years ago.
Navy football went 0 and 10 in your plebe year. This year, you went 10
and 2, and you won your second Commander-in-Chief's trophy in a row.
(Applause.) I'd like the record to show that your turnaround started
the year after I delivered your commencement address. (Laughter.) So
to ensure the continued dominance of Navy football, I thought I'd just
swing by for a return visit.
When I spoke to the Class of 2001, none of us imagined that a few
months later we would suffer a devastating surprise attack on our
homeland, or that our nation would be plunged into a global war unlike
any we had known before. Today, we face brutal and determined enemies
-- men who celebrate murder, incite suicide, and thirst for absolute
power. These enemies will not be stopped by negotiations, or
concessions, or appeals to reason. In this war, there is only one
option -- and that is victory. (Applause.)
Today, I'm going to talk about our strategy for victory in this
war, what we've accomplished to make our nation more secure, your
crucial role in this struggle, and why we need you to fight the war on
terror and transform our military at the same time. In the 21st
century, America will be prepared to answer any challenge, and defeat
any adversary.
Our nation is pursuing a clear strategy for the war on terror:
We're using every available tool to disrupt terrorists and their
organizations. We are taking the fight to the enemy abroad so we do
not have to face them here at home. (Applause.) We're denying the
terrorists sanctuary, and making clear that America will not tolerate
outlaw regimes that provide safe haven and support to terrorists.
We're using all elements of national power to deny terrorists the
chemical, biological and nuclear weapons they seek. We will not allow
mass murderers to gain access to the tools of mass destruction. And
we're stopping terrorists from achieving their ideological victories
they seek, by working to spread the hope of freedom and reform across
the broader Middle East. We understand that free nations do not
support terrorists or invade their neighbors. We understand to make
the world more peaceful and our country more secure, we will advance
the cause of liberty. (Applause.)
Thanks to the men and women of the United States military, our
strategy is working -- we are winning the war on terror. Since
September 11, 2001, we've removed brutal regimes in Kabul and Baghdad
that supported and harbored terrorists. We helped launch Afghanistan
and Iraq on the path to lasting freedom by liberating over 50 million
people. (Applause.) Both these nations have now chosen their leaders
in free elections, and their courage is inspiring democratic reformers
across the broader Middle East to rise up and claim their liberty.
To stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction, we broke up the
world's most dangerous nuclear trading network. We convinced Libya's
leader to give up his country's chemical and nuclear weapons programs,
as well as his long-range ballistic missiles. Two years ago, we
launched the Proliferation Security Initiative, an effort supported by
60 nations to stop shipments of weapons of mass destruction on land, at
sea, and in the air. We have gone after al Qaeda and other terrorists
with relentless determination, disrupting their communications,
planning, training, and financing. We have put the enemy on the run,
and now they spend their days avoiding capture, because they know
America's Armed Services are on their trail. (Applause.)
And we will stay on their trail. The best way to protect our
citizens is to stay on the offensive. In the last few weeks, we've
dealt the enemy a series of powerful blows. In Afghanistan, we brought
to justice scores of terrorists and insurgents. In Pakistan, one of
Osama Bin Laden's senior terrorist leaders, a man named al-Libbi, was
brought to justice. In Iraq, we captured two senior operatives of the
terrorist Zarqawi. And in recent days, our forces have killed or
captured hundreds of terrorists and insurgents in Baghdad and Western
Iraq and near the Syrian border. Across the world, our military is
standing directly between the American people and the worst dangers in
the world, and Americans are grateful to have such brave defenders.
(Applause.)
Difficult and dangerous work remains. Suicide bombers in Iraq are
targeting innocent men, women and children, hoping to intimidate Iraq's
new leaders, and shake the will of the Iraqi people. They will fail.
Iraqis are determined, and our strategy is clear: We will train Iraqi
forces so they can take the fight to the enemy and defend their own
country, and then our troops will come home with the honor they have
earned. (Applause.)
The midshipmen I addressed here four years ago are now serving
bravely in this struggle. The new officers who sat in the chairs where
you now sit could not have known that their strength and character
would be tested so soon. In the last four years, they've met every
test, and overcome every challenge. And they are setting a lasting
example of courage for the classes that follow.
Sitting in that crowd four years ago was Midshipman Edward Slavis.
When I gave the order to liberate Iraq, he charged across the Kuwaiti
border, leading a rifle platoon through 21 days of tough fighting into
the heart of Baghdad. His battalion helped pull down the statue of
Saddam Hussein. Ed says, "I will have time for myself later. Now I
just feel privileged to spend my life doing something much larger than
myself." He went on to say, "The mission will be a success, and 20 or
30 years from now historians will look back on the mission to Iraq as
America's golden moment." Ed Slavis is serving his country with
courage, and he's adding to the history of this Academy.
Sitting in the crowd that day was Midshipman Josh Glover. He would
soon risk his life in the city of Fallujah, fighting through a
half-mile of enemy territory to rescue a platoon of Marines pinned down
by insurgents. Josh says: "They had casualties and a Marine who had
been killed. We were shooting 360 degrees." Josh and his men
recovered that fallen Marine, and saved the platoon, and helped us win
a critical battle in the war on terror.
Sitting in the crowd that day was a Midshipman whose name I cannot
mention, because he went on to join the secret world of Navy special
operations. He would soon deploy to Afghanistan with his Navy SEAL
team, where he conducted lightning raids that captured dozens of
Taliban and al Qaeda fighters. He even helped protect a very
distinguished visitor to Afghanistan: the First Lady of the United
States. (Applause.) And if he's out there listening, I've got a
message for that courageous Navy Frogman: thanks for defending
America, and thanks for taking such good care of my bride. (Applause.)
Also sitting in the crowd that day was Midshipman Bobby Rashad
Jones. He would go on to serve as a deck division officer onboard the
USS Germantown, ensuring the safe landing of Marines and Seabees in
hostile territory, during anti-terrorist operations in the
Philippines. Bobby was the "anchorman" of the Class of 2001. He was
the one who gave me that bear hug. (Laughter.) Four years later, my
ribs still hurt -- (laughter) -- so don't get any ideas. Here's what
Bobby says: "Once I got to my ship after 9/11, it did not matter where
I graduated. The expectations of Annapolis graduates never change --
and I am proud to be part of the elite and unique tradition of the
United States Naval Academy." I want to thank Bobby for his service,
and thank Bobby for witnessing your graduation today. (Applause.)
The members of the Class of 2001 have grown into experienced,
battle-hardened Navy and Marine officers. They are serving our nation
with valor and distinction, and soon you'll join them. Four years at
this Academy have prepared you morally, mentally, and physically for
the challenges ahead. And now the American people are depending on you
to uphold the high ideals you learned here as midshipmen. I know that
in the war on terror, the members of the Class of 2005 will "walk with
honor," and you will make America proud. (Applause.)
In this time of unprecedented dangers, we need you to take on two
difficult missions at once: We need you to defeat the terrorists who
want to destroy what we stand for and how we live. And at the same
time, we need you to transform our military for the 21st century, so we
can deter and defeat the new adversaries who may threaten our people in
the decades ahead.
The lesson of September 11th is clear: new dangers can arrive on
our shores without warning. In this era of surprise, we cannot know
for certain who might attack us, or where, or when. But we can
anticipate how we might be attacked, and we can transform our
capabilities to defend our citizens and deliver justice to our
enemies.
To meet the threats of the 21st century, we are developing new
technologies that will make our forces faster, lighter, more agile, and
more lethal. In our time, terrible dangers can arise on a short moment
anywhere in the world, and we must be prepared to oppose these dangers
everywhere in the world.
Since taking office, my administration has invested $16 billion to
build transformational military capabilities. We've requested an
additional $78 billion for these efforts over the next four years.
We've invested $240 billion in research and development, so we can
build even more advanced capabilities in the decades ahead. We
requested $275 billion for these efforts over the next four years.
These investments will help us keep the peace by redefining war on our
terms. And so long as I am your President, you will have the very best
equipment and the resources you need to get the job done. (Applause.)
We've already seen the power of technology to transform our
forces. In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, aircraft taking off from a
carrier deck could engage about 200 targets per day. In Operation
Iraqi Freedom, that number jumped to over 600 targets a day, three
times the capability. And in each year, those capabilities are
becoming more and more precise. In Iraq, we used a new hellfire
missile for the first time, which can take out enemy fighters hiding on
one floor of a building, without destroying the floors above and
below. This missile is capable of reaching around corners to strike
enemy forces that hide in caves, and bunkers and hardened multi-room
complexes. In the coming years, there are going to be some awfully
surprised terrorists when the thermobaric hellfire comes knocking.
(Applause.)
Revolutionary advances in technology are transforming war in our
favor. And in the decades ahead, the changes will be even more
dramatic. We will deploy unmanned underwater vehicles that can go
where no submarine can go today. We will deploy advanced destroyers
capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, and transformed strike
submarines that can silently carry special operation forces and cruise
missiles within striking distance of our adversaries. We are
developing joint sea bases that will allow our forces to strike from
floating platforms close to the action, instead of being dependent on
land bases far from the fight.
We're also harnessing advances in information technology, such as
undersea surveillance systems, to provide our forces with near total
battle space awareness. And technology is allowing us to improve the
ability of the Navy and Army and Air Force and Marines to work together
as a truly "joint" force -- with innovations like joint tactical radio
that will allow all services to share information in the heat of
battle. These technological advances will put unprecedented agility,
speed, precision, and power in your hands, and you will use them to
protect the American people in the dangerous decades ahead.
Technology changes the balance of war in another important way: We
can now strike our enemies with greater effectiveness, at greater
range, with fewer civilian casualties. In this new era of warfare, we
can target a regime, not a nation, and that means terrorists and
tyrants can no longer feel safe hiding behind innocent life. In the
21st century, we can target the guilty and protect the innocent, and
that makes it easier to keep the peace. (Applause.)
To meet the threats of the 21st century, we must reposition our
forces at home and abroad. Today, much of our military is still
deployed in ways that reflect the threats of the 20th century. So last
summer, I announced the biggest transformation of our global force
posture since the end of the World War II. Over the coming decade, we
will reposition our forces so they can surge quickly to deal with
unexpected threats. We will deploy increased combat power across the
world. And we will bring home between 60,000 to 70,000 uniformed
personnel currently stationed overseas. (Applause.) These changes
will reduce the stress on your families, raise the pressure on our
enemies, and ensure that you remain the most powerful and effective
fighting force on earth.
To meet new threats, we must transform our domestic force posture
as well, and that will require closing and realigning military bases.
The military services have each done a review of their requirements,
and they have concluded that we have more bases than we need.
Supporting these facilities wastes billions of taxpayer dollars, money
that can be better spent on giving you the tools to fight terrorists
and confront 21st-century threats. Two weeks ago, the Defense
Department presented the military's recommendations to the Base
Realignment and Closure Commission. This is only the beginning of the
process. Commission members will now visit all the sites that the
military has recommended for closure, and communities will have the
opportunity to make their case directly to the Commission.
I know first-hand how hard base closings can be on local
communities. I was Governor of Texas during the last round of base
closures, when facilities were shut down in places like Lubbock and
Laredo and Austin. We'll do everything possible to help affected
communities make the transition as smoothly as possible, by providing
economic development aid, job training, and assistance with
redevelopment plans for affected bases. This process will be impartial
and fair, and it will produce a net savings of $48 billion over the
next 20 years. It will result in a military that is more efficient and
better prepared, so you can better protect the American people against
the dangers of this new century.
Transformation requires more than high-tech weapons -- it requires
creativity, ingenuity, and a willingness to try new things. All the
advanced technology in the world will not transform our military if we
do not transform our thinking.
Sometimes, transformation means using old capabilities in new
ways. In Afghanistan our troops rode into battle on horseback -- but
they did it while using GPS and advanced satellite communications to
call in air strikes on enemy positions. They combined a staple of 19th
century warfare with the most advanced 21st century technology, and
they helped remove a dangerous threat to America.
As you begin your military careers, we need you to bring that same
spirit of creativity and innovation to your work. Seek out the
innovative leaders in our military, work with them and learn from them,
and they will help you to become leaders yourselves. Show courage, and
not just on the battlefield. Pursue the possibilities others tell you
do not exist.
This advice comes with a warning: If you challenge established
ways of thinking, you will face opposition. Believe me, I know, I've
lived in Washington for four years. The opponents of change are many,
and its champions are few, but the champions of change are the ones who
make history. Be champions, and you will make America safer for your
children and your grandchildren, and you'll add to the character of our
nation.
And as you begin your military careers, proceed with confidence,
because our citizens are determined, our country is strong, and the
future belongs to freedom. Across the world, liberty is on the march.
In the last 18 months, we have witnessed a Rose Revolution in Georgia,
an Orange Revolution in the Ukraine, a Purple Revolution in Iraq, a
Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan, and a Cedar Revolution in Lebanon --
and these are only the beginning. (Applause.) Across Central Asia and
the broader Middle East, we are seeing the rise of a new generation
whose hearts burn for liberty, and they are going to have it. America
is standing with these democratic reformers because we know that the
only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and
replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom. And by
extending freedom to millions who have not known it, we will advance
the cause of peace and make America more secure. (Applause.)
Some of our men and women in uniform have given their lives in this
cause, and others have returned home with terrible injuries. America
honors their sacrifice, and we will uphold the cause they served. You
are the ones who will take up their mantle, and carry on their fight,
and ensure the triumph of liberty in the century ahead.
You are now part of the greatest force for freedom in the history
of the world -- the Armed Forces of the United States. In the years
ahead, you will see dramatic changes taking place all around you. Yet
amid all the tumult and change, there is one thing that won't change --
and that is character of our men and women who wear the uniform. This
is your generation's moment. Your mission is necessary and it is
noble. The weapons you use will be more powerful and precise than
those available to Annapolis graduates who came before you, and you
will face enemies they never imagined. But what will make your success
possible is the same thing that made their success possible: the
courage and honor and personal integrity that you learned at this
Academy.
We're going to give you the tools you'll need to prevail in today's
war on terror, and the capabilities you'll need to protect us against
the dangers that may yet emerge. Now the task is in your hands, and
that means it is in the best of hands. Thank you for your courageous
decision to serve. Bring honor to the uniform, security to our
country, and peace to the world. And congratulations to every member
of the class of 2005.
May God bless you. (Applause.)
<< Go Back
|