New Officers Ready to Lead in a Complex World > U.S. Department of Defense > Department of Defense News
Even as new Navy ensigns and Marine Corps second lieutenants were commissioned at the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Central Command issued a statement about the latest threat to sailors in the Red Sea.
“At approximately 7:26 am on May 23, the Iran-backed Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea,” the Centcom statement said. “There have been no reported injuries or damage to U.S., coalition, or commercial vessels. This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
This is just one of the threats new officers will face as they begin their military careers. It is an example of the challenges these young officers must face as they join the ranks.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III told military graduates in Annapolis, Maryland, that their experiences at the Naval Academy prepared them to face the challenges of the future.
“I hope you see your years here as a long lesson in courage, adaptability and discipline,” said the secretary. “You do ‘reps and sets’ to succeed as a team and grow as teammates. And that is what we will continue to expect from you – today and every day.
“The United States has the most capable Navy and Marine Corps in the world. … And make no mistake, we’re going to keep it that way. And you’re going to keep it that way.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III
The graduating class arrived at the academy at the height of the COVID-19 epidemic. They had to adapt to a new learning situation and new procedures to graduate. “You lived by your class motto: ‘From Adversity, Victory’,” Austin said. “And during a once-in-a-generation pandemic, that’s exactly what you showed.”
This is the second year in a row that Austin, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, has officiated at the Naval Academy graduation. “Last year, I told the class of 2023 that they would learn that the lifeblood of the rules-based international order is, in fact, seawater,” he said. “And over the past year, we have seen how important its mission is. Sea power is a beacon that projects American power and American principles to the world. Our allies and partners depend on it, and our enemies and rivals envy it.”
The Navy and Marine Corps are defending U.S. principles from the South China Sea to the Red Sea. Austin said the United States is seeing new challenges in the open world of rules, rights and responsibilities built under U.S. leadership after World War II. “In times like these, freedom of navigation follows the waves off the bow of U.S. Navy ships,” he said. “As officers, you will help us enhance American security and model American values around the world. Our Sailors and Marines will enable the U.S. military to project power anywhere on Earth.”
The new ensigns and second lieutenants will join forces working to “protect the world’s sea lanes for the free flow of ships, commerce and ideas,” Austin said. “We depend on you to sail, fly, and operate wherever international law allows. We depend on you to deepen old alliances and forge new friendships. And we depend on you to prevent conflict and maintain peace.”
Yes, new officers must be prepared for war, but they must do more. Austin cited Navy Admiral Arleigh Burke, who in 1961 said that Navy officers must “understand not only how to wage war, but how to use the tremendous power they wield to sustain a world of freedom and justice.”
“And you will be tested. Just ask last year’s graduates”, said the secretary.
The secretary spoke with the ensigns from the class of 2023 who are aboard the USS Carney. “They helped defend freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” he said. “They helped those in danger at sea. They helped degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia. And they helped shoot down missiles and UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles]. In fact, the Carney conducted 51 engagements in six months, which is the Navy’s most direct combat with an enemy since World War II.
“And the message from those Ensigns at Carney to the Class of 2024 is this: You are ready.”
The secretary said they will lead sailors and Marines through tension and uncertainty.
