GyBill
05-26-2007, 00:18
Respect Congress, the press, Gates tells mids
By Chris Amos - Staff writer
Posted : Friday May 25, 2007 18:17:41 EDT
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Military officers must respect the roles that Congress and the press play in managing the military, and must distance themselves from political partisanship, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told 1,028 graduates at the Naval Academy commencement exercises Friday.
Congress, the press and the military “are the surest guarantees of the liberty of the American people,” Gates told the graduates gathered on the field at Navy Marine Corps Stadium, while an estimated 27,000 underclassmen, family members and dignitaries watched from the stands.
Slideshow
Naval Academy commencement exercises
“The Congress is a coequal branch of government that that under the Constitution raises armies and provides for navies,” he said. “Members of both parties now serving have long been strong supporters of the Department of Defense and of our men and women in uniform.”
“As officers, you will have the responsibility to communicate to those below you that the American military must be non-political and recognize the obligation that we owe the Congress to be honest and true when reporting to them, especially when it involves admitting mistakes and problems,” Gates said.
“Don’t kid yourself. That takes courage.”
In dealing with the press, officers must understand the role that it plays in providing information to the American people, Gates said, noting the positive role that it played in exposing conditions at Walter Reed Hospital earlier this year.
“The press is not the enemy and to treat it as such is self defeating,” he said.
Shortly after Gates’ remarks, 213 graduates were sworn in as Marine second lieutenants. Minutes later, 791 graduates were sworn in as ensigns. Another eight graduates were commissioned in the Army, Air Force or Coast Guard and 10 others were commissioned in the military services of Cameroon, Jamaica, St. Lucia and several other countries.
Six students graduated, but were not commissioned.
“You now join the band of warriors,” Navy Secretary Donald Winter told the class, before introducing Gates. “You will taste the rewards that come from working together as part of a team of highly trained professionals.”
“You have chosen to serve at a critical time in our nation’s history,” said Adm. Michael Mullen, chief of naval operations. “You could have chosen not to serve. You didn’t.”
“Be confident, be bold, be innovative,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to make hard decisions.
“Real leadership is a rare commodity,” Gates said. “Believe me I should know. Over the course of my career, I have worked for seven presidents. I knew six of them personally.”
“Not the chest thumping, strutting egoism that we see and read about all the time. Rather it is the quiet self assurance that allows a leader to give others both real responsibility and real credit for success.
Roll call
List of Marine Corps graduates
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/05/marine_academy_graduation _070525w/
By Chris Amos - Staff writer
Posted : Friday May 25, 2007 18:17:41 EDT
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Military officers must respect the roles that Congress and the press play in managing the military, and must distance themselves from political partisanship, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told 1,028 graduates at the Naval Academy commencement exercises Friday.
Congress, the press and the military “are the surest guarantees of the liberty of the American people,” Gates told the graduates gathered on the field at Navy Marine Corps Stadium, while an estimated 27,000 underclassmen, family members and dignitaries watched from the stands.
Slideshow
Naval Academy commencement exercises
“The Congress is a coequal branch of government that that under the Constitution raises armies and provides for navies,” he said. “Members of both parties now serving have long been strong supporters of the Department of Defense and of our men and women in uniform.”
“As officers, you will have the responsibility to communicate to those below you that the American military must be non-political and recognize the obligation that we owe the Congress to be honest and true when reporting to them, especially when it involves admitting mistakes and problems,” Gates said.
“Don’t kid yourself. That takes courage.”
In dealing with the press, officers must understand the role that it plays in providing information to the American people, Gates said, noting the positive role that it played in exposing conditions at Walter Reed Hospital earlier this year.
“The press is not the enemy and to treat it as such is self defeating,” he said.
Shortly after Gates’ remarks, 213 graduates were sworn in as Marine second lieutenants. Minutes later, 791 graduates were sworn in as ensigns. Another eight graduates were commissioned in the Army, Air Force or Coast Guard and 10 others were commissioned in the military services of Cameroon, Jamaica, St. Lucia and several other countries.
Six students graduated, but were not commissioned.
“You now join the band of warriors,” Navy Secretary Donald Winter told the class, before introducing Gates. “You will taste the rewards that come from working together as part of a team of highly trained professionals.”
“You have chosen to serve at a critical time in our nation’s history,” said Adm. Michael Mullen, chief of naval operations. “You could have chosen not to serve. You didn’t.”
“Be confident, be bold, be innovative,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to make hard decisions.
“Real leadership is a rare commodity,” Gates said. “Believe me I should know. Over the course of my career, I have worked for seven presidents. I knew six of them personally.”
“Not the chest thumping, strutting egoism that we see and read about all the time. Rather it is the quiet self assurance that allows a leader to give others both real responsibility and real credit for success.
Roll call
List of Marine Corps graduates
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/05/marine_academy_graduation _070525w/