Class of 2020 Graduation

[Music] [Music] do you remember the day you were accepted and right there they called and said just so you know in the mail there's an acceptance letter I honestly just couldn't believe it do you remember the day you were right and you come in and all of a sudden there's five people screaming in your face can you believe how far you've come oh I couldn't have dreamt of what I ended up doing at West Point for 218 years the United States Military Academy at West Point has graduated the finest young men and women in the country some of the greatest leaders in American history have studied and trained inside these halls today in spite of challenges unlike anything the world has ever faced I'm proud to say but the long gray line continues welcome to the United States Military Academy graduation 2020 [Music] I mean I think more than anything it's just gonna be a way of emotion you know you see all these videos all the time of West Point cadets on their graduation day throwing that hat up and for a while it didn't seem like that would be something that we would have all 1100 of us on that plane are going to be together to throw up our hats this graduation for us is a lot bigger than us we're stepping into a profession where everything means a little more than us we're representing all the graduates across America and even the world right now this is the culminating event I finally get to give the nation back what it's given me for four years my role here is the superintendent is to provide the strategic kompis for the United States Military Academy my vision is that we are the world's pre-eminent Leadership Institute and we do that by educating training inspiring the Corps of Cadets and so we do that every single day we have the most important mission I think in the entire United States Army because on day one these young men and women of only platoon size elements we have to get it right when I was a getting ready to come to West Point my father said to me don't worry about it's gonna be just like the Boy Scouts and it wasn't just like the Boy Scouts but anyways that's how he got me to come or day which is reception day is a is a shock to the system 60-seconds say goodbye to your family awesome okay I was like oh no the tears was like a kid cry on our day like this is a good my dad didn't cry but my mom was bawling suddenly everyone's yelling at you you've got all your bags you to be a cadet at the United States Military Academy I shouldn't be like it's pretty shocking you know you kind of say to yourself so why is this person being so mean to me so it was a little more tough for me because I showed up with a big bright red cello case in my hand you know they they definitely didn't give me an easy time because of that you sit there and you wonder what have I gotten myself into I think it also sets the stage because it's like hey this is serious I think that it's to give you like an immediate stressor of like hey like this is what beast is gonna be like you're gonna be stressed out you're gonna be uncomfortable and how are you gonna respond to it are you gonna freak out are you not gonna able take the pressure people say that West Point will find your weakness and expose it and make you get better at it I thought they were just posed to find one but they found all of them from the first day of beast it hit me square in the face I was at my school my high school's valedictorian I was the team captain on all three of my teams you know I I was successful and I was not used to failing and when I encountered failure here it just made me question my whole life they all arrived here at the very top of their class and then they get humbled really quick I literally looked in the mirror that night and reflected on who I was there's no real way to prepare for Beast I think the best way to prepare for it is to have everything that they tell you to have and just go through it with an open mind and just understand hey look everybody who graduated from here everybody who's doing this to me now and everybody after me is gonna go through the same experience you know I had doubts about why I was there the first year and and everybody's gonna have those [Music] and just the time pressure you went to the mess hall for breakfast you went to your first class you came back you marched to lunch there wasn't time in the day where you could just say huh okay I think I just go for a walk yeah it wasn't in the cards well the plebe years an extraordinarily formative experience for the cadets and it's and it's meant to be hard there's no point in fighting it you just gotta suck it up and do it everybody did it before you at least for me I'd learned what my true capacity is the endure obstacle course is a tremendously challenging physical fitness event and it's one of those things that every graduate remembers and talks about and and that's cuz it's tough so that for me was I think my biggest physical challenge coming here at West Point that was something that I really struggled with when I got here at West Point first time I ran in front of everyone there's 300 people in the room and I ran up to the shelf and I just couldn't get up on the shelf and here I tried it six different times called my dad my dad's like he just got to practice just like he practiced you cello you know you can't play a song on the first day and so for me that was every single morning at 5:30 until that next i OCT I was gonna practice the IO CT your nerves and your guts in the ball but somehow you fly across the monkey bars and climb up the rope and you get it done and I ran and I just remember saying everything you've got give it a little more and I got up there sprinted and a clocked in the time and I got an a on the IO CT with everything we do at West Point it's not you fail it at X it's why did you fail at X and how did your actions leading up to it and how you dealt with that failure will really define you and and what you're gonna do with that move for a lot of lessons in leadership at least in my experience have been when I've struggled or when I felt or what I've had a difficult time you experience failure and you learn to overcome it and that's important because you're gonna have to lead through both uncertainty and adversity out in the army we have our break pillars here our academic pillar our military pillar our physical pillar and the most important one is our character pillar and it's well defined in the cadet cream it's about someone who chooses to live above the common level of life and someone who chooses the harder right over the easier wrong in a thick of things [Music] I'm a great Navy fan for 364 days a year one day a year they are your enemy it's maybe one of the most important days of the entire year at West Point my favorite memory and this might be contrary but you might hear coming from the Dean my favorite memory was eating Navy defining moment in my connect career lost my hat on the field never got it back I saw a grown men cry old grads crying at that big game because they're so happy tears of joy you know it's it's crazy people might think that's goofy because it's just a sports game but it really since it means so much more to people it really took an impact on this place the entire game feels like it's hanging in the balance on every play until you are in it and you realize that there are people in Afghanistan and Egypt and Germany all over the globe from both sides rights glued to their televisions that is like their Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one you don't miss that game I think it's the best rivalry in sports in that rivalry has made each of us better when we look back at the class of 2020 you know we're gonna be the year that we broke that streak and you know winning the year after and the year after you know we really had a lot of momentum and football winning pelleve year was everything [Music] plea beer is supposed to teach you how to be a follower beast is supposed to teach you how to be a follower but yuckier is your first attempt at leadership and it can be very challenging you come to West Point because you want to learn how to lead they give you that opportunity to practice and fail at every level you become a team leader so you're in charge of two or three people you have to be a team leader to that plebe who doesn't really know how West Point works yet so you can you can figure out you know how do I want to communicate with people what type of leader do I want to be with just one person and all of a sudden you deal with five people or six people and if I messed up you know I could go talk to a mentor like general Buzzard and say hey you know can you help me walk through what I did wrong here part of being a good role model is one admitting when you make mistakes and and sharing your own failure and helping them understand that we're always learning you know the day you stop learning is a day you should stop leading I think there's a difference between being a boss and a leader so just because we have second lieutenant rank pinned on us when we graduate our subordinates are looking for more than that I think the biggest thing is empathy you have to know what you don't know and you have to be willing to learn from others they can learn a lot by you know listening the third year they're really transitioning into more responsibility as leaders so I went from being charged of one to being in charge of a hundred and now your decisions are impacting the unit as a whole and not just one person what defines a really good leader is usually not what they're doing when they're in front of people it's what they're doing with their staff or with the people on their team these young men and women are gonna be in positions and levels of responsibility or there are no clear ways to figure out things and they learn here from an academic sense from a pedagogical sense how to think their way through different frameworks and they'll bring those frameworks to bear in the future in ways they don't even know they get up at six they go to bed at midnight they're taking a course load that is unrecognizable at most universities I can't even begin to tell you the extraordinary talents of this class so part of academics is grit you know sticking with something they have that grit they're smart and they're engaged and they're responsive they always try to teach them to plan for something that they can't see around the corner cadets learn quantitative analysis they learn engineering problem-solving contexts and this gives you the tools to look at problems from different angles I'm an English major I study literature and literature it's taught me that perspective is the most important part of life the opportunity I've had at West Point having once-in-a-lifetime experiences I got to do the crisis negotiation course with the negotiation project I learned Russian in the Republic of Georgia and Armenia going to Italy and working with the multinational cimmyt group this particular class the class of 2020 I've been so impressed with their extraordinary talents my senior project was presenting to Stratcom which is the strategic command of the Army on hybrid warfare we give them the tools to continue to grow and to develop in every which way every cadet at West Point wants to be as successful as they can be each cadet has a different mission I got through day to day West Point because people helped me out you know in the academic realm just as much as I was able to help them out in the military realm the things that I'll remember the most from my time at West Point are the military competitions I've been able to do with my military skills team through the black and gold team I've been to a military skills competition in Mexico twice the best place to train is at the threshold of failure because that's where the most growth occurs Sandhurst is an annual international military skills competition we invite teams from all over the world and they come here to West Point to compete over two days challenges such a wide breadth the military skills all aspects of fitness strength endurance speed and we actually once Sandhurst for the first time in a long time the class of 2020 spleeb year I'm tremendously impressed with this class you go all the way back to when MacArthur was the superintendent here and he said every cadet an athlete West pointers come here to learn how to fight [Music] those traits that you get through competition tenacity grit toughness resilience all of those qualities are going to make these young men and women better soldiers when I think of the class of 2020 they've turned the tides a lot of our sports you know our track and field and cross country teams I think they've accounted for 75 new Academy Records over their four years here this has been the best experience of my life the class of 2020 has left this legacy it's given me an opportunity to not just follow but to also lead serving in the capacity as a team captain but also just being able to see my fellow teammates succeed on the track the young women who are graduating today from women's lacrosse they're the first recruited class in the history of the women's across program an army West Point I think sports really helps you to know that you know you're going to fail sometimes but that's okay it's how you get up and you continue moving that matters the most what does it mean to get that tackle or to stretch and make that touchdown it happens through discipline and practice and determination and grit and resilience those are all the traits we want in officers to win once gave us the confidence that we could we could do it again to win again and to win again finishing in the top 25 for the first time and two plus decades the culture strong the team strong army football's back the wrestling team under coach Kevin Ward truly transformed since his arrival here so we had multiple individuals ranked top 15 10 20 in the country we beat maybe four times that's the first time in program history beating him four times in row it's so satisfying it's not necessarily just the fact that we beat Navy all four years it's the way that we did it winning is very very important at the United States Military Academy and and not only one day but winning the right way running with with honor winning with a sense of values very very important that we win the right way so our team has a saying like chasing greatness chasing greatness that's that's a big part of the program you know it's a mindset it's that constant pursuit of greatness it wasn't just the narrative of being a good wrestler it was being a great cadet being a great student being a great person I think the happiest person ever meant by far so Chris was so nice that whenever he started wrestling as a kid his grandpa pulled him aside and said hey you can't be this nice when I be out on the wrestling mat you cannot you have to be tough so whenever you step out on the mat you're gonna have an alter ego your alter ego is gonna be Charlie and Charlie's the meanest toughest individual that you've ever met in your life and so he told them before you step on the mat say je suis Charlie it means I am Charlie in French I think that also just speaks to Chris's character I mean he had to give himself a whole new identity just because he didn't want to hurt people there was a land navigation day and that's when the accident happened that was June 6 for us there it was a very emotional day and I got it on my arm it's a it's the the date that he passed in Roman numerals and then this is this is a saying he had on his chest we've overcome some challenging times here at West Point the death of CJ was particularly you know difficult for our class the world kind of just stopped there was somebody who wasn't gonna come back CJ was part of my beast platoon you know when I showed up to beast he was the guy that looked a little more handsome than me and could carry a little more than I could and it was a little more happy that I was he was a lot more in a lot of aspects you just don't think about it until he's gone like he's always positive he's always a great great friend teammate he's tough I mean as tough as tough as they come I never had felt that much power that much raw power in someone that I had wrestled I mean that there were times where he would blast me off my feet and I was a weight class above him and it's just hard to see a family go through that I just hope that they can find peace and us carrying it on for him coach Ward said we're going to talk about it and the reason we're going to talk about it is we don't want to forget we want to live like Chris we want to do things that Chris would want us to do [Music] what was remarkable is I think about the the specific wrestling season that we had we qualified the most wrestlers in school history to the NC double-a tournament and what we accomplished this year was for Chris when they get into that third period of a tight wrestling match they've got CJ Morgan on their back every single time I stepped out on the mat I was thinking about him I learned a lot from a lot of different people here at West Point but I think I've learned the most from CJ [Music] I think humility is essential to be an army officer you're looking at the people to your left and right below you an above you to always constantly learn humility it just it shows that you genuinely care you can't you can't fake that with soldier and have the confidence to have good people around you smart people around you smarter people around you getting through West Point it's about finding your own strengths and weaknesses and surrounding yourself with people who complement those strengths and weaknesses then you form the best team and at the end of the day you're a better leader so first years that culmination you're now the leaders of the Corps you want to step away from first year knowing you're ready to join the big army branchnet was so awesome branch knight was felt like the beginning of like that culmination of everything I had worked for everything my classmates had worked for branch nights the night that you find out what branch you're gonna serve within the army it was absolutely electric you know all my friends were feeling their envelopes 2020 Don your branch insignia [Applause] people just tore them open like you could feel the suspense in their room and everyone was jumping up and down and hugging and screaming it was amazing we were opening our futures so I'm headed to flight school my field artillery I am gonna go aviation so branch tonight I find out that I'm going field artillery and the next thing after that is where am I gonna live post Knight is where you figure out where you're gonna go so I'm sitting there I'm waiting to take my pick of where I'm gonna go I know I want to be with friends I want to be with my family but where my friends my family want to go is Kansas and I'm from Missouri and so in my mind I'm going no way I'm going to Kansas no way it won't be the location you know cadets worry about where they're gonna post it's not necessarily the branch it takes all of them to accomplish our mission but it's 100% about the people looks like I'm going to Kansas it's not just about you know the tactics the techniques and accomplishing the mission it's about people leadership is about people and then you got here and you realize that the people who really succeed in the classroom on the field are the ones that stop putting themselves first I got to say that I've been more than blessed to have friends and teammates who's it seemed like sometimes the only job that they had that day was to make people around them happy yeah you fall in love with the people and I surely did talk about a group that's that's going into the real world having already learned how to overcome challenges how to adapt to an online learning environment so the way the class of 2020 responded to this crisis has been nothing short of extraordinary so learning had a lean in a virtual environment that's tough right they had to figure it out so I think when kovin 19 hit it forced us to find connection in new ways oh that's how you run a virtual meeting with over a thousand people on the net we talk about demonstrating excellence we talk about living honorably leading honorably this class has done that in space and the one thing that we really had to focus on because everything else was kind of on pause was you know how can we make sure everyone's doing okay it forced us all to be a lot more compassionate and we're learning how to lead through something like this and once we leave we'll have to continue to lead throughout this territory they're demonstrating the resiliency and strength of themselves of their class of the army and of the nation to the world young Americans gravitate to West Point because they have this inclination to serve they already have it and West Point just strengthens it and then when they're done you know they're ready to take charge it's kind of an amazing transformation over the years I've learned exactly what the Academy has meant to me meant to our class how its developed me as a person as an individual as a professional military officer as a father I owe a great deal to the Academy and my classmates that helped me get through it you know the first time that I got to meet them was on the March back during beast and here are some members of the class of 1970 who said hey you know you may not remember me but I'm gonna be at your graduation in four years and want to make sure that you know we can be the best leaders that we can be [Music] the 50-year affiliate class program I think was instituted to give the new graduates a feeling and a connection with graduates of the past and show them that there's not that big a gap in the basic foundational principles of what the institution stands for and what they're taking from it and what we took from it and it's really inspiring 50 years down the road so willing and eager to come back see each other they're happy to see each other they're happy to see us when they come back here at West Point they go right back to 1970 I'm sure we are what they have been and hopefully what they have become they get out there and they get things done and it happens in the military and it happens after the military it's just so big there's West pointers everywhere I can go anywhere in the world and know that I have someone there that will have my back people are pretty familiar with our famous graduates but really the the graduates who give me special motivation are these folks out in whatever town they live in and they just continue to serve as our alma mater says grip hands that would be from the shadows once you're a graduate you can identify the ring special bond it's a representation of our connection to the long gray line it has metal from our 50-year affiliate class the class of 1970 and it also just as a symbol of all the officers who came before us and everything that is awaiting us I feel like it's proper that the spirit of the American people it's found here where so much history so much legacy so much greatness has come from it it's truly an honor to be part of history in the making [Music] West pointers have led since 1802 here they've led with honor and all of our nation's Wars this class will discover their own greatness over time and it's important they understand the power of this place as they go out and lead our formations in the army if anyone's gonna be out there flying and protecting and leading I want it to be me send me out there and let me help I would encourage every parent out there to think back and just think about the growth that has occurred and those young men and women from the day we first arrived to today this class has adapted and that's really gonna prove and show what this class can do moving forward at the end of the day this was a really hard thing to do 47 months really change a person their parents should be beaming from ear to ear when you see your child go after their dreams work hard achieve serving their country leading soldiers doesn't get better than that they're the best and they really do represent our nation they're 100% ready it's time to graduate to the class of 2020 I'm so proud of you you all the leaders you're all winners you're gonna do great things in our great army thanks for all you do and God bless all [Music] you you [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the united states representative the Honorable Steve Womack the 24th Secretary of the army the Honorable Ryan D McCarthy [Music] [Applause] the 40th chief of staff of the Army General James C McConville [Music] the assistant secretary of the army for manpower and reserve affairs the Honorable dr. Casey worden ski the Commandant of Cadets Brigadier General Curtis a buzzard the Dean of the academic board Brigadier General Cindy our Jeb [Music] the director of intercollegiate athletics Mike buddy United States Military Academy command sergeant major command sergeant major Jack Love and the United States Corps of Cadets command sergeant major command sergeant major Kenneth L Killingsworth [Music] - take seats [Music] I will always place the mission first I will never accept the field I will never quit I will never leave a fallen comrade these are the words of the Army's Warrior Ethos a set of principles by which every soldier lives [Music] that defines both who we are and who we aspire to become each of you chose committed to becoming 20 percent reported committed to serving your country committed to defending freedom in our [Music] committed to living above the common level committed to be a leader of character exemplifying the model duty honor you have chosen a path traveled only by a few that is challenging a path that is demanding on the path that is rewarding you will learn how to think and you will learn how to fight more importantly you will learn how to be a leader of tremendous integrity and character you'll know what it means to lead honorably to live honorably and to continually pursue and demonstrate excellence each of you will join a proud legacy of American soul who answered their nation's call serve in the crucible of ground combat to leave to fight and to win [Applause] [Music] [Music] ladies and gentlemen family and friends thank you for joining us this morning as we come to you live from the beautiful and historic grounds of the United States Military Academy at West Point the world's pre-eminent leadership development institution today we honor the achievements of West Point's newly promoted graduates please welcome the United States Military Academy class of 2020 established in 1802 West Point is a national treasure and has been developing leaders of character for over 200 years with each graduate exemplifying personal devotion to the ideals expressed in the West Point modern duty honor country this year graduation is being held on the parade grounds commonly referred to as the plane the plane sits 150 feet above the picturesque Hudson River and over the years it has served various functions to include drillin Calvary movement movements summer training encampment and sports venue today the plane serves as the primary location for cadet reviews and outdoor ceremonies at Western hello everyone I'm Secretary of Defense and fellow West Point graduate mark Esper congratulations to the United States military Academy's graduating class of 2020 today you join the long gray line during a pivotal time in our nation's history and I know that your education and training have prepared you to be strong leaders of character competence and courage as commissioned officers in the world's finest army I encourage you to take inspiration from the brave soldiers who serve before you and I expect you to remain committed to our core values loyalty Duty respect selfless service honor integrity and personal courage these principles will guide you in challenging times and in the face of new and emerging threats I am confident that each and every one of you are ready to serve the nation and defend the United States and our interests at home and abroad thank you for being a part of the world's most capable and lethal fighting force ever known I look forward to watching you lead congratulations it's my honor to address the faculty and staff the friends and families of the graduates but most of all you the West Point class of 2020 congratulations now as we all know these are truly difficult times perhaps more difficult than most of us have ever experienced but I'm not even a global pandemic can disrupt or delay the long gray line these viruses attack many things it is scaled and subverted many defenses but it cannot invent or weaken or kill those eternal values that make this institution a unique force for our nation duty honor country our society will overcome this chair and sewing you and when the worst is over we'll need your help to rebuild our country even stronger than it was before you are our future leaders and we faith in you so I say to the ground it's once again congratulations good luck Godspeed and go Barney hello I'm senator centers school I want to congratulate the class of 2020 from the United States Military Academy at West Point you have earned this day also this is a chance for you to thank your parents and your friends and your family and all those who helped you get through you will in a few short weeks of the greatest furthers that any American can have the dedication the integrity and the decency thank you hi I'm congressman Sean Patrick Maloney and it's my great honor to represent the many cadets faculty active-duty soldiers and alumni at West Point right here in New York's Hudson Valley in fact this is my backyard and United States Military Academy is right over there so I hear the cannon every morning and every night and it's a wonderful way to begin and then my day and it reminds me of the motto of duty honor country and all of you are committed to you know those are more than words they're words to live by and you all live by them and that means you're leaders in our society and we need leaders now more than ever in these difficult times when we faced so many challenges and divisions we look to you our young leaders who represent the values and the decency and the integrity that we so desire in all of our national institutions so here's to you congratulations to the West Point class of 2020 and be Navy I'm general a Beiber's commander United Nations command combined forces command and the United States forces Korea West Point class of 1982 to select view on behalf of our three commands here in Korea I congratulate the West Point class of 2020 for their hard work and resiliency on their graduation and commissioning as officers in the United States Army standing next to me is commander Major tang while he's not a West Point graduate he is my senior enlisted advisor and my most trusted confidant as you enter the ranks of our great army as second lieutenants he will learn to rely and depend on your enlisted soldiers and NCOs to accomplish your mission trust their advice and experience they will not fail you today you are members of the long gray line and will lead our nation's finest the most precious assets our people we know that you are up to the challenge with vision we lead our be strong congratulations to West Point class 2020 you're about to be a leader of the greatest soldiers in the world in order to be a leader sometimes yet to be a great fall and remember trust works in both ways you have to trust in your soldiers and they have to trust in you people first winning matters Ric Shinseki from the class of 1965 congratulations to the class of 2020 on your graduation like all of us you've spent your time at West Point preparing for the storms the dangers of demands you're likely to face during your service to the nation well the first of those storms arrived in 2020 in the form of a pandemic and the outrage being expressed over the killing of George Floyd all of us share in that outrage already you being tempered for the leadership challenges you will inherit upon commissioning prepare to be better than we were at all of your responsibilities other storms will surely come uninvited just as they did for my class remember accomplish your mission take care of your soldiers in that order support and defend the Constitution of the United States for all of us life liberty and the pursuit of happiness are promises you must help to keep for each and every one of us you're gonna do great good luck this would currently the superintendent of the United States Military Academy share some of the history of West Point with today's guest speaker inside quarters 100 built in 1820 quarters 100 is one of the oldest surviving buildings at West Point and has served as the superintendent's residence for 200 years Center face take seats days take seats sound attention class up10tion in honor of today's guest speaker the President of the United States the United States Military Academy salute battery will now render a 21-gun salute breathe arms [Music] [Music] ladies and gentlemen the President of the United States accompanied by the superintendent of the United States Military Academy [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] order arms on cover dance on cover ladies and gentlemen chaplain matthew public offski will now offer this morning's invocation all-seeing God we gather here on the plane and online to celebrate the graduation of the class of 2020 with vision we lead expresses their worldview that leaders of the future have a responsibility to have a vision and to see that vision through four without a vision the people perish so make us Lord instruments of your peace that walls of Pride and Prejudice may cease where there is darkness let us bring light where there's despair hope and life where there is confusion clarity where there is hatred charity help us desire less to be understood than to understand and with this vision to renew the spirit of our land amen days take seats take seats tomorrow June 14th marks the 245th army birthday when we recognize the American soldiers bravery serving and protecting our nation at this time the West Point band under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Todd Addison will present a musical tribute honoring the legacy and history of our United States Army established in 1817 the West Point band is the Army's oldest band and has been inspiring America's leaders for over 200 years [Music] on this historic day the West Point class of 2020 adds to the Army's story of 245 years of honorable service from the birth of our nation the American soldier has stood strong as bearer of the torch of freedom protecting lives and they're conic legacies of West Point graduations MacArthur Patton Eisenhower and so many others continue to inspire our diverse force which welcome soldiers of always all genders and all cream whose varied experiences continue to make us the greatest army in the world we were always amazed the mission first communities face [Music] Americans and freedom around the world [Music] today [Music] [Music] personal kurz [Music] we honor your support by continuing to fiercely safeguard our Army's most precious resource its people the American soldier [Music] I'm just trying to be father raise a daughter and listen be a lover to their mother everything do everyone append atom brightener all business in my suit yeah I'm dressed up for success my head down to my the price of counted [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I'll probably see [Music] Johnny [Music] [Applause] [Music] in celebrating our Army's birthday we recognize that the threat of our Army's legacy is inextricably woven to the fabric of American history today marks a continuation of our story written by the Army's newest class of officers West Point class of 2020 [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] boy band ladies and gentlemen please welcome the 60th superintendent of the United States Military Academy Lieutenant General Darryl a Williams mr. president Congressman Womack Secretary of the army honorable McCarthy chief of staff for the army general McConville Assistant Secretary of the army dr. Ward insky distinguished guests staff and faculty family and friends ladies and gentlemen good morning and welcome to West Point a national treasure an historic landmark and to the great class of 2020 with vision we lead congratulations mr. president thank you for being here today we know you share our pride these incredible new leaders the class of 2020 has a special message for you class of 2020 on your feet go Arnie have a seat today's ceremony is unusual in a number of ways most notably the physical absence of family and friends to cheer on our graduates however there are still a celebration and we're thrilled to share it with friends family in the entire nation through a live broadcasts made possible through the support and generosity of several of our alumni to them I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks I'd also like to thank the members of the class of 1970 the 50-year affiliate class for their support and mentorship to these young men and women over the past four years you have demonstrated the strength of the long gray line as you gripped hands with the class of 2020 demonstrating the unbreakable bonds that link West Point's past present and future and to the moms and dads guardians and grandparents brothers and sisters boyfriends and girlfriends and fiancees friends and well-wishers thank you thank you for the love support and encouragement you've given these outstanding young men and women throughout their lives I'd also like to remember someone who is here with us in spirit today your classmate our teammate and our brother CJ Morgan CJ was an outstanding cadet athlete an exemplar of West Point values we miss him but I know his memory and example will be with you wherever you go class of 2020 today marks the culmination of your West Point journey you came here with the desire to serve and to be part of something much larger than yourself you encouraged helped and loved each other as you became brothers and sisters in arms as a class you have completed the world's most challenging most demanding leader development experience and you've done it with honor with distinction with excellence fulfilling your oath requires strong character the West Point cadet prayer challenges challenges us to always choose the harder right over the easier wrong the phrase is easy to say but often difficult to do your challenges ahead will require moral and physical courage in our great army there are soldiers awaiting your arrival right now wondering if their lieutenant will be worth following their loved ones wonder if you will care for their soldier your character and leadership are essential for answering those questions be the officer worth following and take care of your soldiers and their families emulate those who have come before you leaders such as ninninger award recipients cat Lyndsay Heisler and Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Meyer who have marched upon these very grounds where we're gathered here today leaders who have led in peace and in war today you take your place in the long gray line as the newest officers in the United States Army ready to lead to fight and to win on any battlefield as our chief of staff of the Army General McConville says there is no second place or honorable mention in combat winning matters in joining the profession of arms you carry on that proud legacy by committing yourselves to duty honor country you are ready to rise to the challenge of completing the mission while building cohesive teams based on trust put your people first always as you protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and as your class model compels you with vision you will lead and now ladies and gentlemen it is my great honor to introduce the 45th President of the United States of America the Honorable Donald J Trump Thank You general and Aloka debts on behalf of our entire nation let me say congratulations to the incredible West Point class of 2020 congratulations everyone have a good time enjoy yourselves because we are here to celebrate your achievements and great achievements they are let us also recognize your remarkable Superintendent General Darryl Williams for his outstanding stewardship general thank you very much great job thank you few words in the English language and few places in history have commanded as much all an admiration as West Point this premier Military Academy produces only the best of the best the strongest of the strong and the bravest of the brave West Point is a universal symbol of American gallantry loyalty devotion discipline and great skill there is no place on earth I would rather be than right here with all of you it's a great honor across this hallowed plain have passed many of the greatest and most fearsome soldiers that ever lived they were heroes who drove thundering columns of Sherman tanks into the heart of a wicked empire there were legends who unleashed the fury of American artillery upon our enemies on remote islands and distance yours they were Titans who strode through cannon blasts and cavalry charge and stared down our foes through grey clouds of smoke and shrapnel they were the army Rangers who the way up jagged cliffs the airborne soldiers who rain down justice in the dark of night the infantry whose very sight meant liberation was near and the mighty forces who sent tyrants terrorists and sadistic monsters running scared through the gates of hell no evil force on earth can match the noble power and righteous glory of the American warrior I have no doubt that the young men and women before me today will add your names to this eternal chronicle of American heroes you will go forth from this place adored by your countrymen dreaded by your enemies and respected by all throughout the world someday generations of future West Point cadets will study your legacy they will know your deeds they will celebrate your triumph and they will proudly follow your example to the eleven hundred and seven cadets who today become the newest officers in the most exceptional army ever to take the field of battle I am here to offer America's salute thank you for answering your nation's call on this special occasion we are delighted to be joined by Congressman Steve Womack Secretary of the army Ryan McCarthy assistant secretary Casey ward in ski an Army Chief of Staff General James McConville an old grad from the class of 1981 let's also express our appreciation to general Curtis Buzzard general Cindy JEP and all of the wonderful instructors coaches and faculty members who are continuing response to century tradition of unrivaled excellence to all of the parents grandparents and family members watching this ceremony from your beautiful home even though you could not be here today we know this day could never have happened without you your love and sacrifice have given America these phenomenal men and women cadets please join me in sending your parents and families the heartfelt thanks that they so richly deserved they're all watching right now please thank you very much the depth and breadth of the United States military's contributions to our society aren't everlasting inspiration to us all I want to take this opportunity to thank all members of America's armed forces in every branch active duty National Guard and Reserve who step forward to help battle the invisible enemy the new virus that came to our shores from a distant land called China we will vanquish the virus we will extinguish this plague I also want to thank the men and women of our National Guard who respond with precision to so many recent challenges from hurricanes and natural disasters to ensuring peace safety and the constitutional rule of law on our streets we thank every citizen who wears a uniform and selfless service to our nation the members of this class have come from every state in our Union you have come from the farms and the cities from States big and small and from every race religion color and create but when you enter these grounds you became part of one team one family proudly serving one great American nation you became brothers and sisters pledging allegiance to the same timeless principles joined together in a common mission to protect our country to defend our people and to carry on the traditions of freedom equality and Liberty that so many gave their lives to secure you exemplify the power of share national purpose to transcend all differences and achieve true unity today you graduate as one class I new embody one noble Creed duty honor country every graduate on this field could have gone to virtually any top-ranked university that you wanted you chose to devote your life to the defence of America you came to West Point because you know the truth America is the greatest country in human history and the United States military is the greatest force for peace and justice the world has ever known the survival of America and the endurance of civilization itself depends on the men and women just like each of you it depends on people who love their country with all their heart and energy and soul it depends on citizens who build sustained nurture and defend institutions like this one that is how societies are made and how progress is advanced what has historically made America unique is the durability of its institutions against the passions and prejudices of the moment when times are turbulent when the road is rough what matters most is that which is permanent timeless enduring and eternal it was on this soil that American patriots held the most vital fortress in our war for independence it was this school that gave us the men and women who fought and won a bloody war to extinguish the evil of slavery within one lifetime of our founding it was the graduates of West Point towering figures like MacArthur Patton Eisenhower and Bradley who led America to victory over the sinister Nazis and imperial fascists seventy-five years ago it was under the leadership of West Point graduates like the legendary general Matthew Ridgway that the army was at the forefront of ending the terrible injustice of segregation it was army strength that held the line against brutal opposition and oppression from communism and it has been thanks to Patriots like you that America has climbed to new heights of human achievement and national endeavor this is your history this is the legacy that each of you inherits it is the legacy purchased with American blood at the crest of Little Round Top or in the crimson beaches of Normandy in the freezing mud of best stone and the dense jungles of Vietnam it is the legacy of courageous selfless faithful Patriots who fought for every inch of dirt with every ounce of strength and every last scrap of heart and drive and grit that they had and they did it because they believed in the undying principles of our founding they did it because they cherished their homes their faith their family and their flag and they did it because when they came to this school they were taught to hold fast to their love of our country to cherish your heritage learn from it and build upon it that is what young Americans are taught here at West Point that is the legacy that you carry forward a second lieutenants in the United States Army and you must never forget it through four long years you have honed your skills trained your mind and body overcome every obstacle and earned your place of pride in the long gray line you made it through the rigors of our day and beast an intensity of CL DT and weeks of training in the blistering heat you're pushed yourselves far beyond every limit imaginable some of you have even pushed the limits a bit too much so for any cadets who have not finished walking off their hours as commander-in-chief I hereby absolve all cadets on restriction for minor conduct offenses and that is effective immediately congratulations [Applause] that's a nice one isn't it don't you feel better now surviving the 47 month experience is never easy but only the class of 2020 can say it survived 48 months and when it comes to bragging rights no one can boast louder than the class that brought Navy's 14-year football winning streak to a screeching halt you did that I happened to be there I happened to be there was a big day I was there you beat Navy and brought the commander-in-chief's trophy back to West Point for two straight years so we say go army go this graduating class secured more than 1,000 victories for the Black Knights including three ball victories 13 NCAA team appearances and a woman's rugby championship with the help of somebody that I just met 2019 MVP Sam Sullivan fantastic job thank you fantastic [Applause] five cadets won national boxing championships and adaiah queen brought home to Brendon Brown earned the title of powerlifting national champion in academics 38 cadets of earned fellowships to continue their studies including first captain Dane Vander Waal who received one of the most prestigious awards in academia the Rhodes Scholarship congratulations Dane it's a great achievement thank you congratulations great achievement but no one modeled the values of the soldier scholar quite like Lindy Moretti and Lindy earned both the highest overall class standing and the highest physical program score she has published scientific research in a prominent journal and said five new records on the athletic track Lindy credible job where's Lindy where's Lindy somebody that did so well they didn't give you a very good seat Lindy we have to talk about that congratulations right now America needs a class of Cadets that lives by your motto with vision we lead we need you to carry on the spirit of the great General Ulysses s grad soon after assuming overall command following three years of Union setbacks General Grant encounters someone heading north to Washington during the Battle of the wilderness if you see the President Grant said tell him from me that whatever happens there will never be no turning back we need you to be as visionary as Patton who was a young man in 1917 became the first soldier assigned to the army tank corps one month into the job he saw the future writing if resistance is broken and the line is pierced the tank must and will assume the role of pursuit cavalry and ride the enemy to death under Patton's leadership that's exactly what they did we need you to be as bold and determined as the immortal General Douglas MacArthur who knew that the American soldier never ever quits after leaving the Philippines for Australia at a low point of the Pacific War in 1942 MacArthur famously vowed I shall return for two years he then took great strategic risks and placed himself often in personal danger on October 20th 1944 MacArthur stepped off a landing boat strode through knee-high water and proclaimed people of the Philippines I have returned by the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil he then called upon the islands brave people to rise up and join the fight America's momentum was unstoppable these great leaders were not afraid of what others might say about them they didn't care they knew their duty was to protect our country they knew the army exists to preserve the Republic and the strong foundations upon which it stands family God country liberty and justice they were true tough American patriots that is what our country needs especially in these times and that is what you are each of you begins your career in the army at a crucial moment in American history we are restoring the fundamental principles that the job of the American soldier is not to rebuild foreign nations but defend and defend strongly our nation from foreign enemies we are ending the era of endless wars in its place is a renewed clear-eyed focus on defending America's vital interests it is not the duty of US troops to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have never even heard of we are not the policemen of the world but let our enemies be on notice if our people are threatened we will never ever hesitate to act and when we fight from now on we will only fight to win as MacArthur said in war there is no substitute for victory to ensure you have the very best equipment and technology available my administration has embarked on a colossal rebuilding of the American armed forces a record like no other after years of devastating budget cuts and a military that was totally depleted from these endless wars we have invested over two trillion Trillian that's with $80 in the most powerful fighting force by far on the planet Earth we are building new ships bombers jet fighters and helicopters by the hundreds new tanks military satellites rockets and missiles even a hypersonic missile that goes 17 times faster than the fastest missile currently available in the world and can hit a target 1,000 miles away within 14 inches from Center Point for the first time in 70 years we established a new branch of the United States military the space force that's a big deal in recent years America's warriors have made clear to all the high cost of threatening the American people the savage Isis Caliphate has been 100% destroyed under the trump administration and it's barbaric leader al Baghdadi is gone killed over and the world's number one terrorist Qasem Soleimani is likewise dead as commander-in-chief I never forget for one instant the immense sacrifices we ask of those who wear this nation's uniform already you have known the crushing pain of losing a brother in arms today we remember an extraordinary cadet who made the supreme sacrifice in an accident last year CJ Morgan we're deeply moved to be joined by his father Christopher Morgan and CJ was something very special Christopher is a Secret Service agent a tough guy great guy great son is looking down right now Christopher I want you to know that we will carry CJ's pleasant memory in our hearts forever thank you very much thank you tomorrow America will celebrate a very important anniversary the two hundred and forty fifth birthday of the United States Army unrelated going to be my birthday also I don't know if that happened by accident did that happen by accident please but it's a great day because of that army birthday and as you know the Army's first commander-in-chief General George Washington called the fort that stood on this majestic point the most important post in America its strategic location on the Hudson River was vital to our war for independence if British ships gained control of this River they would have divided our young nation into so American soldiers stretched a massive metal chain across the waters of the Hudson from West Point all the way to Constitution Island I saw a piece of that chain it's incredible no enemy ship even dared tried to cross every link in that great chain was formed from over 100 pounds of pure American iron mine from American soil and made with American pride together those links formed an unbreakable line of defense standing here before you more than to say shuri's later it is clearer than ever that general Washington's words still hold true West Point is still the indispensable post for America the vital ground that must not lose and the survival of our nation still depends on the great chain reaching out from this place one made not of iron but a flesh and blood of memory and spirit of sheer faith and unyielding courage today each of you becomes another link in that unbroken chain forged in the crucible known as the United States Military Academy the greatest on earth it has given you soldiers that you can rely on to your right and to your left and now we are entrusting you with the most noble task any warrior has ever had the privilege to carry out the task of preserving American Liberty as long as you remain loyal faithful and true then our enemies don't even stand a chance our rights will never be stolen our freedoms will never be trampled our destiny will never be denied and the United States of America will never be defeated with the grace of God and the heroes of West Point America will always prevail nothing will stand in your way nothing will slow you down and nothing will stop the West Point class of 2020 from achieving a true and lasting victory god bless you god bless the United States army and god bless america congratulations thank you very much the class president Joshua Phillips will now come to the dais for the presentation of the class gift [Music] mr. president on behalf of the West Point class of 2020 it is my honor to present to you the first class cadet Sabre as a token of our appreciation [Applause] please remain standing for the singing of the Corps a cherished West Point song it is second and importance only to the alma mater the Corps was first sung at the graduation ceremony in 1911 [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] take seats ladies and gentlemen the Dean of the academic board Brigadier General Cindy our Jeb class of 2020 your education has prepared you to be a leader of character sworn to uphold the values embodied in our Constitution so on behalf of the academic board I present these graduates and recommend each as worthy of the Bachelor of Science degree will the members of the class of 2020 now come forward to receive your diplomas congratulations hi I'm coach Mike she's ask you the Duke University Blue Devils congratulations to the graduates of the class of 2020 Wow what an accomplishment and especially in this environment you know what though you've shown great resiliency and now as you move forward as officers in the in the greatest team in the world show that resilience show your adaptability show your courage and lead us in this new time congratulations hi I'm Pete Dawkins and as the president of the class of 1959 I want to extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to you all you know I frequently recall the words of the Harrow school song 40 years on growing older and older what will it mean to you 40 years on well 65 years since our class graduated it means more than you could ever imagine best wishes and God bless hello West Point class of 2020 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo here I graduated from this amazing institution and was commissioned United States Army 34 years ago my time at West Point taught me about self discipline the pursuit of excellence and the high calling of public service it also taught me about camaraderie stick close to your classmates there likely to be some of your closest friends in good times and in bad you will all now forever be part of the long gray line congratulations congratulations you make me proud as a fellow old grad and never forget beat maybe first we will recognize the honor graduates beginning with the first captain and brigade commander the class president the class valedictorian and the army athletic association trophy winners Dane a Vander Waal first captain and brigade commander Joshua OH Phillips class president Gavin P McAuliffe class valedictorian [Applause] Thomas e Funke army athletic association Trophy winner Samantha K Sullivan army athletic association Trophy winner Lynn D Meridian J Alexander Albright Michael K Deegan Nathaniel J Schlosser Samuel D Reich and fall Truman J Gabriel Brian T savage Haley M Watson Jordan D T Vince [Applause] Kevin a ring cliff [Applause] Joshua M Mooney Benjamin J Petrella [Applause] Thomas v Morin Zachary K Danes Samuel s Humphreys Seamus P magetta ghen Sean J O'Leary Jacob M Murdock Seth t-bar bro [Applause] Zachary H Tarble John s gray jr. Murray L Johnston the fourth Parker s Peterson Judson see haggard Gartrell see bowling [Applause] Colin II Parker John Dee Burke Nerissa j sy wits the remaining graduates will now receive their diplomas alphabetically by company members of the 1st and 2nd regiments are seated on the south side of the platform to your left members of the 3rd and 4th regiments are seated on the north side of the platform to your right 1st regiment Peyton a Boylston third Regiment Tyler D Abbott NACO Kadim nor Luke I are get a Aaron Jay Cho Annette e Bell Marcus M Cox the second Connor s Benny Rowan W Crowley Rashad D Bolton Giuliana T Dwarfs Shaq Julia a Joshua D die John see Erskine Jared D facet Jason Fung Christopher w4 Dhin catherine i hilbert Nicholas age Frank Matthew s Hopwood Catherine s Harris Bryson D Lacey Christopher P Jackson dove L Landau Denali a Jackson Lance al Lawson the second Caleb Kay Johnson Deborah see maker wits Christopher D Landon Nikita M para ver zijn Steve Jay Lee Jacob W pool Trenton our Leslie Philippe T Sanchez Rihanna L licked and all Lauren s Schultz Garrett M manly Joshua iw Swint Maxwell T McVicker Robert J seals ELISA M Milner Caleb and sceptre Austin a maroc Ken W song Junior Daniel our new burger Felix el sábado the fourth Henry D new strim William W Thomas Reilly Doug D page Peter J Valenta s-- Ryan are racing Madison are Radhika Joseph are Ryan Rebecca a Michael Robert T Santoya John H Wilson Benjamin s Shire Ryan M Anderson Ethan D Shepherd Silvan G Blankenship Roman sea Simpson Ethan see bloom Connor J sparks Jacob T pachón ik Wesley J Swain Lindsay n Bowen Alejandro s Tom brink Preston Mt Butler Hannah M white Jack em Carberry Kelly n as in gay Cameron G Connors Davis em Ben Jacob El Cortez Jonathan W Benson Evan M Crowell haven e Bethune Connor s DeWitt drew P Blair Christian a fig Leola Georgia II said of antes honor our Fussel men David R Cooper Christopher M Guin Anthony J Dinello the third da tree a Harvey Braden age durian Stephanie L Johnson Andrew G tithing Connor L long Luke D Hudson Gustavo L Lugo Jimenez William R Huff Logan M Mar Sisson Adam see hug Duncan G McAloon Joseph II Hines Robert W McCarville Kaylin P con chase T Miller [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Elliot s climb Celeste VL Nichols Joseph Kay Kyser jr. Brianna M romaine Eric are low Hannah age Schwartz Craig hey Maya jr. John be Sheridan Michael a people's Keegan J Smith Darin gin Charles D Stevenson Brandon Jay Rosen borough Ryan n Velez Timothy M Schmidt way Sean M Wong john g shapoval of Jayden G Watson are Alina shala from Kosovo Lucas J Weiland Noah m.stuart Michael E Willis jr. Brent T Tauri jr. Jade s Adler Frankie G Turner Daniel H Archer jr. Leah see Turner Reuben D are dairy [Applause] Joseph T to sing Stephen L Barstow Hunter see Wallace Denise s Blackman [Applause] Jonathan are Willis Edward C shallow food the third Darrell K Yama Maura Dillon M Charlton Jason a Blackwood heaven Joe Braden P bleh ski Cooper e cone Cara L Bowser Stephen C de Moss Samuel W brush Matthew a DiBiase Jack em Buell Luke a early Elliot je veux Bello Fabiola Gonzales Joseph and dabbled hope n hack Dorothy are Dennis Olivia M Harvey [Applause] Jonathan M Ellery Jacob G Hurtubise Michaela see Fran Joshua P Johnson Brian D herring John Chandler P keen Bernard Jenkins jr. Matthew W manone Tyler J Leary Connor M McDonald Zachary are Lenihan Brody E Miller Raphael a Lopez Gabriel H Parrish Delaney a marbot jaywalk Park from South Korea Cody J Maynard Montgomery II Potter Mia L Mel Gaza Evan M rata maker Jacob e Morgan Paris M Taylor Aidan G Mulligan Noah see Utley Adam Jay oiler Carson M Vil check chase G Prairie Bradley L Voinovich Christopher W Ritter Thomas J Weatherford the third Joseph P Santoro James C white Dylan D Spencer James C white Samuel B Sutera Ashley M wolf Eric a Tollefson Jason M exlude Adrian Yoon Levi D Baldrige Francisco Sabri eros the third Nathaniel W bus Edmund s Coleman Jackson our Farrington Colin are pushing Donna G Fanaa row Sean W Fallon Kyle II garlic Palmer a fields Nicholas and Gish lien on ax j Fuji NACA Aiden P Hanrahan Peter M Gonsalves Charlotte Oh L hair afford Jeremy D Hammes William n Kimmie hunter s Knievel bard William t-norm Jin H Kwan Grover J Laporte the third Tyler J La Coste Travis see Lee Andrew T Laflamme Jacob D Lemelin D&D McDonald Michael P McGirt e Gregory see Madden Liana M Mitchell Ashley P McCabe James M Murphy Amira T Muhammad Ryan e Murphy Joseph P more Nicole be nettles Charles D Mosley Derek a nun Brian J narramore James a Richie Austin M nu n Andrew F Rivera James a Niemeyer gray l Sasser Roman D all ur Riley em Scott Eden Elizabeth Phillips de han seong Helen f Schroder Cameron see Steven Alexander s Wilkinson Mitchell s stipler will see Anderson Austin are Taylor Michael J abalone James II Tweety the third Brian Z Brooks ty see write read age Burton Morgan L Yancey June a Copeland chase K Albert's Jacob M Covington Brandon a Anderson Peter be Cox Andrew see Arnold Peter W Davis Adrian M Barraza Anthony L del to fo k ly D Breslin Micah j.d Montgomery Dalton J Burke Riley J heck David WR Dahlberg Keegan M Fitzpatrick Robert T done the third Matthew and go and Bess key Magdalena a Eamonn Allen Z dong Jacob T Ellington Hogan T Harper William II S Pen she'd David be Kim Brian M gerstenfeld Taylor D Krug Alexander J Hopkins Sawyer J Madsen Muhammad T Iftikhar from Pakistan kale M McCormick Jacob W young Charles O'Brien Adriel e more'n a vocal eonni OB Oman Michael che Nesta Christopher B Papa Liam Jay O'Hara Jacob are Phillips Joseph L Pierce Matthew J Robinson Katherine D Peterson Felix G Rosanna grown Rainier a porous michael s Rudisill le g Quinlan Julius T Shepherd Abigail are Smith Lacey M Swafford Logan Jay Smith Benedict G Watson Zachary D Sprecher William d-a-d Justin F stole Austin h-beam Jackson J servic Judson II Bucher Alicia are Thornton Jacob age Connors Michelle a to Ray Deanna are Edgar Jesse D Whipple Melissa are Gammons simian be Willis Brendan W Gunther Tyler J Amazon Justin Jang Jacob K ballmart Ricardo a Jimenez jr. Evan see Brunner Geraldo see John from Tanzania Keegan see burrows Jacob s Keith Samantha M Coletti Joseph H Kim George II Cox the forth min sung kim Layla W Cunningham John T King Jackson M Deaton James age Larson Philip our Donner Jacob F Lepard Oh Jason a green Jonathan D low Murray H Greer the third Don F McLaren Kyle W Hershberger Devon em more Alexia t xu Elizabeth J or Ryan C Jennings Nicholas J para Edward K Kang Margaret Oh Redfield Caleb m KY fur Scott W sarsen son Jay Kim miles P Silva Gunther d Klee miss Mitchell II slow bow ski grant J Levasseur Jacob are Stauffer Matthew M McDonough Jackson V Sullivan Andrew J Mergen Michael J Tierney Austin J Myers Janelle M Tracy Macy k Newberry William QJ Walter Scott J Niebuhr James a Begley no John H Provost Nathan M Brooks Stephen L Robertson jr. Daniel age Chun Lilly M rueland Michael T Clark Daniel J Salazar Matthew C Co hain Jake T Stucker ski Connor G Helmand doc Brian J Thornton Jon F Holman idea a Underwood Austin T Kim Paul a Adams Michael P King Zachary a Aloma Sarah J Clini Yashica A Beka Roo chance e Kramer Albert F Benenati the third william s quiet Kowski john f k hill Joseph J Khyber's max D campoli Madeline L Miller Steven a cilenti the third Robert P Norwood Joshua be couch David H Oh Thomas I cruise Sophie s Parker Gunnar J Doyle Emma J palace Zebedee decree the third Joshua de Robeck George see fair the fourth John a Steven Julia our Gibbs Bennett see taylor-brady Jay golden so s AG TIA Christopher J Greg on be boo-boo-chh all Kim Oh in D Y so Seth be Lozier iris w you Matthew a Lugo Alexandra K ilaqua Sean are McClair mark f Babic Sean D Patterson Isaiah age ball Thomas J Rigney Dana P Cody john d Rusnak rock em curry Emily II Schultz Taylor J Davidson Andrea G shade Cedric are Davis Michael E Turner ii Christian M dipinto Jenny L Wang passion M Hanna Adam Jay Ward Brian C Hicks Riley a warns Michael H Jerome Caleb M Watkins Jacob s Kelly Kevin R waul guest Tyler M kopetsky jose maria g Borrego a co-star the third kaneen Oh Manuel William M Brigham Liam K McMillan Monica s Burciaga Daniel W messenger Ethan P car Sean s min Zachary a Coulson Sean M O'Brien Brock J Doherty drew em polchinski Bridget a Duffy Michael a Renard Garrett L done Joseph P ribbon burr Dominic M Franco Elizabeth L sang Vic Ryan H French Rachel L Slough Courtney M green Katherine M sire Samuel K Hauser jak ii sides Samuel see Howard Chiana and Stuart Wyatt J hoist Patrick Tuohey Swanton Michael C Klein yon UL j Trinidad Vasquez Kenny h ly Luke Jake Werner Stephen H Lee Justin M Williamson miles H Martin Kendall M Woodard Taylor see our forest s Zen Oni Morgan a Morris Taylor M Andrews David J Pinter jr. Chris are as Alton Samuel see pool Christopher J landing Aaron n Romero Jack H Cheng Luke II rose grant F : Isaac J Severson grant grace II and finger Jae young son Brandon J fast Kyle J summa Michael a graves James s Abercrombie Joseph I Henry David C Anderson the third Aiden our keys Jordan I Asbury Christopher J Kilbride John W Beco one huh Kim Francis Z Castillo de lune alert Eunice s Cole Tim chow jr. Payton car LaDuke Elliott W Clybourn Jong hak Lee Isabella Cortez Cosme a Lopez jr. Connor W done Ian D McKinnon Mary II English Paul M Meridian Arthur J fan de Maria a Morton Liam see theory Robert E Osborn DeMarre see Gail Michael S Osburn Natalie our hails Elijah a pain Connor M engleson oddish post goal from Bosnia and Herzegovina Bryce V Johnston robert l / d Amanda P Lynn Ross our reason anchor our Loesch Jacob s reser Dylan L query Kevin R C word john e rogue a key autumn a che David W Russell Connor else prowl Thomas M Shaffer Benjamin T basta Jacques was J Steen Benjamin w Whitlow Elizabeth el TECA Paul T Williamson jr. Kendrick L Thomas Jr from 2nd regiment Olivia a AG Jacob a Thompson Ryan s Barry John II von cleek Joshua a Cox Cameron Jay Wilson Sean D coil from 4th regiment grant W alter ty q dang John our anthis William G Dietz Wesley our bales Sean P Fallon Christian our Leben's Alexander J good and cough Bridget M bordelon Sarah E Henderson Justin TCAP Mark W Jerome Nicholas B Bennett carpenter grant Karstens Thomas AC edge alia see the blue Viviana L Gonzalez John M Lorenz Jake T Holman Caleb P Marston Courtney our horas en T McCool Brandon JT Johnson Isaac W McMillan Daniel D Co Michael J McTiernan soon chao-li Nicholas M min yay Casper a Lewis Gabrielle M milanesa Liam J McCarthy Louie a Palumbo Michael E merit jr. 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Samantha m.stuart Michael se-jin Allison em strong Tim Allen a Sagar L Seth M Thompson Morgan J Stockdale Kyle a Velez Brian km Suarez Frank J Wheaton Kimmy s-walker Syrah s wolf Jacob W Wells Desmond L Young Jr Gregory s Brooke over Alex Cyprus Maxwell a Broughton [Applause] Alexander T Dolan Megan M Carol Preston T Dre loose Devante Jake Carter vault Dylan D do be merry s-sir bond Juliana and Fausto low Madison a curry Jake a jurrac Dante a dag Estero Megan e-gold Ansley M Davenport Adam M Hudler Alexander J Decker Xavi odd Joe LaCava from Georgia Kevin D do Nicholas J Kanellis Lauren K Fairfax John you Kim Isaac T Ferrell Jonathan J Lindstrom Leah e food Minh Donovan see Lynch Samuel age Gordon ER Emily II Malone Austin a Gutierrez Aiden J McCarthy Jackson F halt Robert S more Brendan d hue line Anant Mundra Elizabeth s houki winter see Nicholas Archie L Jung Blom Daniel a ferrous coal M Kaiser Galen a Kiros Spencer SJ Lee Andrew F Roberts Nicholas a Lunsford Steven M Scott : t McGann Claire and Serna Hana our Mills Roderick F Stoddard the second Dion de perón on Daryl J a Vincent the second Justin M rata maker Benjamin C ball Bach Seth D ruckman Matthew W ward Calvin see rue yak Michael are worth Joseph M Salta Mayer Michael a Wilson Charles M Worsham [Applause] you're heading out into a world that's changing that's changed and we need your leadership we need your brand of leadership and you're up to the task so be that change leader make a difference and of course be Navy ratios [Music] hi I'm Bob McDonald class of 1975 I want to congratulate all members of the class of 2020 on your graduation from West Point almost 50 years ago now I was in Mikey Stadium and I received my diploma from President Ford many things have changed since then the Berlin Wall is fallen the advent of the personal computer the iPhone the Internet many things have changed and certainly during your careers and military many things will change but with your vision I'm sure you will succeed and that's why I want to congratulate you on your graduation with vision we lead class of 2020 thank you class of 2020 one more time round of applause [Music] [Applause] ladies and gentlemen please join in the singing of the alma mater written by cadet Paul s Reineke class of 1911 it was first sung for the graduation in 1912 class attention [Music] read we covered please remain standing while the oath of office is administered to the class of 2020 by the United States Military Academy commandant of Cadets Brigadier General Curtis a Buzzard raise your right hand and repeat after me I state your name having been appointed an officer in the army of the United States in the grade of second lieutenant do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and then I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and then I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter so help me God please lower your right hand at this time please join in the singing of the official army song the army goes rolling along [Music] on covered Chaplin polokov Sookie will now give the benediction for such a time as this it is right to offer prayers for all who are in positions of high authority that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives but lieutenants you are West Point's gift to the Army on its birthday tomorrow crapped neatly in new uniforms and stuffed with commitment competence and character as we give you to soldiers and their families may God strengthen you to serve selflessly to give yourselves generously even to the last full measure of devotion to sustain the vision that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that the government of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth amen second lieutenant vander waal dismiss the class of 2020 read cover class of 2020 dismissed [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music]

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Id: fLJ0M1cU9r4

Length: 191min 53sec (11513 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 14 2020