 Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Naval War College graduation ceremony. I'm Captain John Griffin the Dean of Students will be serving as your emcee for today's ceremony. You're welcome to take photographs at any time throughout the ceremony. We have official photographers taking pictures today and we'll find these photos posted on our Flickr site found in the back of the program. At this time as a courtesy please put your mobile phones on silent or vibrate. Please remain seated for the procession. Please rise. Remain standing for the arrival of the official party, National Anthem and invocation. The National Anthem will be sung by a musician's second-class Laura Carey. Commander Douglas E. Rosander the Naval War College chaplain will deliver the invocation. From the book of Proverbs an intelligent heart acquires knowledge and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Sovereign Lord in heaven we ask for your presence with us today. Graduation marks a milestone in the life of each one being recognized for their months of hard work and perseverance. These students have been stretched and challenged and have passed the test. As a result of their time here may they be better equipped to lead serving our nation and benefiting others. Thank you for their instructors and mentors as well as their families and friends who have encouraged them along the way. Now please be with those being recognized today for their achievements and may this institution continue to do much to further the goal of peace. I pray this through the blessed Redeemer. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen please be seated. It gives me great pleasure to introduce some members of our official party. Dr. Michael Pavkovic Chair, Strategy and Policy Department. Captain Alan J. Abramson Chair, Joint Military Operations Department. Dr. Jay Hickey Director, College of Distance Education. Dr. David Cooper Chair, National Security Affairs Department. Dr. John Garrafano, Dean of Academic Affairs. Professor William Spain, Associate Provost. Admiral Guillermo E. Barrera, Columbia Navy retired, former CNO, Columbia Navy. Reverend Walter E. Carter Jr. President, United States Naval War College. Good day and welcome to all the guests at today's ceremony. It's my pleasure to introduce the 54th President of the Naval War College, Rear Admiral Carter. Well good afternoon and welcome to everyone. Today is clearly a very special day for all of our graduating students and before we get into the proceedings today I'd like to make a special welcome to a number of our distinguished guests. Obviously you've already seen that our distinguished colleagues up here on the on the stage but also a Major General Steve Sider from the U.S. Naval War College Foundation and Captain retired John Ortegaard. Thank you for being here today and for all your support as always. As a native Rhode Islander it's always great to have the Rhode Island senior officers here. I'd like to think you just came here because you want to be here with us at the War College but I want to just take a special moment here to mention them. Major General Kevin McBride, the Adjutant General for the Rhode Island Army National Guard. Breeder General Charles Petraca, Commander Land Component Command and Breeder General David Maderos, Assistant Adjutant General. Thank you gentlemen for being part of this time honored tradition today. As many of you probably know Kevin is a graduate here of the War College from 2000 I believe so welcome back. But most especially I want to welcome and thanks all the family and friends who made such an effort to come here today. For those of us who live here in the state of Rhode Island we're used to single digit temperatures in the morning in February and March for a lot of you you might not be and as I know some of you made a special effort to get here from long distances. Now you may notice in your program today that Admiral Pete Goumatao was listed in there. He had originally been planned to be our guest speaker and even though Norfolk didn't get really clobbered with as much snow as Baltimore and Washington DC he could actually not get out of there to be here with us today. So no worries we have probably our most distinguished guest speaker we've ever had and Admiral Barrera has stepped up to be part of this great ceremony today. So my task right now is to introduce Admiral Barrera. He graduated from the Columbian Naval Academy in 1971. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Naval Sciences both from the Columbian Naval Academy. He holds a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He completed the Naval Command College right here in Newport, Rhode Island Class of 1993 at the U.S. Naval War College here. Admiral Barrera has served on board many naval ships. He commanded Riverine patrol boat Fritz Agali, Buetenda Gorgana and missile frigate Amarante Padilla. He was a commander of the Columbian Coast Guard. Not many people knew that you commanded the Coast Guard as well as the Columbian Navy. He also served as the Chief of Operations for the Columbian Navy and from August 2006 until August 2010 he served as the commander of the Columbian Navy, commonly known as the Chief of Naval Operations with a rank of four star admiral. Admiral Barrera has received just about every award that you can receive as a Columbian Naval Officer to include the highest award that a foreign officer can receive from the United States in the U.S. Legion of Merit. Admiral Barrera retired from active duty on September 1, 2011. He came to the Naval War College in October of 2011 and has served as our CNO Distinguished International Fellow. Ladies and gentlemen, it's my great honor to introduce our guest speaker and my very good friend Admiral Guillermo Barrera. Good morning, everyone. We are Admiral Walter Carter, President of the United States Naval War College. Professor William Spain, Associate Provost. Dr. John Garafano, Dean of Academic Affairs. Dr. David Cooper, Chair of National Security Affairs Department. Dr. Jay Hickey, Director College of Distance Education. Captain Alian Abranson, Chair, Joint Military Operations Department. Dr. Michael Papcovic, Chair, Strategy and Policy Department. Captain John Griffith, Dean of Students. Major General Kevin McBride, Adjutant General of the Rhode Island. Major General Steve Seiter, Chairman, Naval War College Foundation. Brigadier General David Madeiros, Assistant Adjutant General of Rhode Island. Brigadier General Charles Petrarca, Director of Joint Staff and Land Component Commander. Honor graduates, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Cleenan, U.S. Marine Corps, College of Naval Warfare. Lieutenant Commander Dustin Loneiro, College of Naval Staff and Command, Command and Staff. Highest Distinction graduates, with Distinction graduates. Graduates of the Command and Staff College and the College of Naval Warfare. Honorable faculty and staff of the United States Naval War College. At today's ceremony, we all have a task. Mine is to talk. Yours is to listen. I hope that we will finish at the same time. For me, it's a real honor to be the speaker in this graduation. And I feel honored because you are part of an elite of human beings. You are the people that prefer serving your country. Your families, future generations of this country and humanity. And you choose that because you care. Because you care. That's why I'm honored to be here today. In this graduation. I think it's not a coincidence that we are in Admiral Raymond Ames Springs Hall. The quiet warrior. He graduated from the Naval War College Class of 1927. He indeed was a great and successful leader. He cared about the future of the Navy, the country, and also humanity. For that reason, he chose to be the only four star president of the Naval War College at the end of his naval career. Because he cared. In this very hall, in October 2007, CS21, the cooperative strategy for the 21st century seapower, was formally introduced to 104 chiefs of the navies of the world. Why? Because they were talking here about joint interagency and multinational audiences. Because we had to work together because nobody today can take care of all the maritime commons. It has to be shared. And because of that, everything starts with two conditions. Trust and confidence. And you cannot build trust, as it says in the strategy, from one day to another. This is something that has to work along the years, along the time. Long building. And I have to say that that strategy that was inaugurated that year did not start that year. It started with a conversation with the country and a conversation with the world hosted by the Naval War College for about two years. I remember vividly here in this same stage, General James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps. Admiral Gary Rocket, who was in office for one week at that time. And I have to recognize also Admiral Mike Mullen, the first Navy officer that started working on this strategy. And Admiral Todd W. Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard. They were having a conversation here in the stage. It was not a physical presentation. It was a conversation in which they talk about joint. They talk about interagency and multinational. And they were talking in a conversation that was a great example for 104 commandants of navies of the world. And it was great because they wanted to talk to us and get us to get together with them in the sense that if I use, I have to take care of what I use. And we are talking about the commons. Why for? In search for a better maritime environment for all. That was the purpose. Great event. And right now the Navy is reviewing that process. And probably we will hear about that in the near future. All these and more transcendental events have been taking place in this very hall. Today we gather here to celebrate the successful culmination of your studies and receive your master's degree. During a full year, the United States Naval World College has been giving you education in order to be successful in your careers. You are qualified to be advisors at the operational, strategic and political levels. But many of you will be called to be the decision makers in a known far away future. For that reason, I can see here within you many Raymond's provinces. Your dear graduates will be part of this elite group of leaders who will shape the world. 90 officers from the Marine Corps, the Army and the Navy are graduating today. There are 32 graduates from the College of Naval Warfare and 58 from the College of Naval Command and Staff. Congratulations to each one of you and your families. And I think this is the moment dear graduates in which you should recognize the support, the efforts of your loved ones. Please give a round of applause for your families. You have been giving your full attention to your studies. With dedication, your efforts are showing today the results. You are prepared to see what others do not see. You are capable of seeing the whole forest and not just the trees in that forest. You can understand in a better way the strategic environment. You are ready to successfully access difficult situations thinking outside the box. You are prepared to find innovative multiple solutions to complex and ill structural problems. You are strategists. Congratulations to the Honor graduates and to the Five Haggis distinction and the 14 with distinction graduates. You have been working hard. Your country and your families must be very proud of you. Graduates of the Naval War College are prepared to be the leaders of great and successful organizations. You will lead them administratively, operationally and strategically. For that reason, you have been educated in operations, in theater and national security decision making, as well as strategy and policy and strategy and work. You have developed skills at the Naval War College to be successful strategists. As I recommended to some of you in your seminars and electives, please maintain contact with your professors. They will love to help you if you need them and will rejoice too with your success. It will also be a way of showing your thanks to them. Keep reading and updating. Today, you can carry your personal libraries in your laptops or in your iPads. With all your notes, they will be very useful in the near future. When you arrive to Newport, you have a lot of expectations. Also, you wear the representatives of your services. Now, your return to your services being also the representatives of the United States Naval War College. Your mates back home will learn from your conversation, from your opinions and your analysis, the level of education you have received here, the friendship that you have been creating with your classmates, with a broader vision of the world than the one you brought here at the very beginning. You are not the same person that arrived here a year ago and perhaps you do not notice it, but your mates will. Your friends back home will see it clearly. You will be more respected in your communities because you are now the leading experts in operations, strategy and policy. It is a great responsibility, I would say, yes, responsibility, but a source of respect from your respective communities. But remember to be humble. 12 of you are already in your new jobs. Some of you are returning today. Some others will spend a few days here before going back, but all of you will be working very soon. You are following the path of many graduates that have received education here and will some become commanding officers and flag officers. As a graduate of the Neighborhood Work College myself and being in contact with many successful graduates, I can tell you that this college has marked your lives forever and for good. You have now a more comprehensive vision of the world and the critical thinking you have mastered will help you to grab much better your responsibilities with the United States, your services, your mates and ultimately with your family. Your country has invested in you. The United States expects to receive in return great professionals who serve their country well. This is what is expected from you. If you do your part, your services will be proud of you. Your families will be honored and you may end up as flag or general officers and even chief of your services and perhaps appointed to high-level positions in the international arena. Congratulations dear graduates. I hope this course opened for you the door of success because as I said at the beginning you are the heroes of the United States and the world because you care. One final word to thank each and every one of the great faculty members and the superb staff of the Neighborhood Work College because you have been giving to the new graduates all your knowledge and have inspired them to be excellent strategists. God bless you all. Admiral Barrera on behalf of the students, staff and faculty I thank you for your comments and your ongoing contributions to this institution. For each graduating class one student is selected for recognition as the President's Honor graduate. This award is presented to the student who best displays the highest standards of academic performance, Naval War College activities, participation in civic and community service, and the promotion of military services in the public interest. For the College of Naval Warfare the honor graduate for the March 2014 graduating class is Lieutenant Colonel Mark Klingon. Along with their certificate Lieutenant Colonel Klingon is receiving an engraved Wings and Plath Compass from the Naval War College Foundation. His name will be added to the perpetual plaque of honor graduates. For the College of Naval Command and Staff the honor graduate for the March 2014 graduating class is Lieutenant Commander Dustin Lanero. Lieutenant Commander Larano also along with the certificate Lieutenant Commander Lanero is receiving an engraved Wings and Plath Compass from the Naval War College Foundation. His name will also be added to the perpetual plaque of honor graduates. We'll now give our honor graduates a few moments to address their fellow graduates and classmates. Good afternoon and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here today. It's truly an honor to be selected as the class spokesman for today's graduation. What a tremendous year this has been not only for the students but for all of our families who are able to share in the Newport experience. When we first got here Admiral Christensen told us that the most important thing he wanted us to do was to think and after numerous deployments during 13 years of conflict this year was the perfect opportunity to not only reflect on what we've been through but more importantly on where we as a maritime nation are headed. As I stand up here today I'm filled with a great sense of gratitude and thanks for this opportunity not only to the Marine Corps but to the other services civilian agencies and foreign militaries who despite budget constraints sequestration and the continual op tempo still make the education of their officers a priority. Second I'd like to thank the faculty. He made us think critically about history strategy and the future challenges ahead but he did always give us the grade we wanted. He gave us the feedback we needed to challenge us to be better students and ultimately better strategists. Next I'd like to acknowledge the other students who brought a wealth of experience and insight to the classroom. I know there are a number of quality students who work just as hard and are equally as deserving of receiving an award and being up here today. I particularly want to thank the international students who would ask the tough questions, challenge our assumptions and frequently remind us that the world does not view the United States the way we view ourselves. I'd also like to thank the local Rhode Islanders from Newport, Jamestown and the surrounding area who truly opened up their arms and welcomed us into their schools neighborhoods and communities. You made this year a worthwhile experience for all of our family members. Lastly I'd like to thank our families. Many of our spouses are often left as single parents while we were off charging windmills during deployments or even during our day-to-day jobs back here in the States. To some students who are geographic bachelors, this was yet another deployment with a hardship of separation. Even for the families who came here and were able to enjoy the Newport experience, there were many times where I probably felt like we were deployed as we agonized over research papers and the readings for the next seminar. When I did seek the attention of my wife, it was often to proofread a paper. My wife and even my 13 year old daughter now know more about Vietnam and perhaps China than they ever cared to. To steal a term from Klaus Witz, my wife is clearly my center of gravity without which everything would unravel. I know I can speak for most of the graduating students when I say that our biggest thanks belongs to our families who support us and surprisingly still seem to put up with us. In closing I'd like to quote one of my favorite sayings. It reads, the nation that draws too great a distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools. The current situation in the Ukraine is but one of the many strategic challenges facing the United States and its allies. As long as their institutions like the Naval War College, I'm confident our military will have the strategists and critical thinkers needed to navigate the uncertain course ahead. Thank you. God bless and Semper Fi. Good afternoon. First I'd like to thank Rear Robert Carter, Captain Griffin and the entire Naval War College staff, faculty for just providing an outstanding experience over this last year. I'd also like to congratulate my class. A great job well done. The amount of talent and experience in this class was phenomenal and I learned a lot from you and I appreciate those of you who had the chance to meet. Now believe it or not this is not the first time I stood in front of you in my surface dressed blues. Some of you hopefully not too many may remember a very disheveled short stocky blonde lieutenant commander stumbling in the middle of Admiral Christensen's opening day talk with us and that disheveled lieutenant commander was myself having tried to take a shortcut into work that day. I ended up stuck in the middle of some backstreet in Newport had enlist a couple of patriotic new porters out there to show my sedan out of the snow which led to me showing up wet late and embarrassed to my first obligation. I was terrified so I'm really happy to have another chance to stand up in front of you in my surface dressed blues and show you that I can do it. So not driving down unplowed streets in a two-wheel drive sedan was a big lesson for me. One of many I learned here other being that the answer to any JMO seminar question is it depends and they're a good one to keep around but believe it or not the biggest lesson that I learned while I was here wasn't from any of the war college staff faculty but from my wife Marta sitting right over there and yes I did promise I would not mention her um so I'll pay for that later but she drove four hours to get here today so I figured what the hell make it worth her while. So there it was like many of you at the very beginning of JMO struggling with Dr. Vago's theories late at night and she came down the stairs it was somehow able to wrangle that very very large awkward textbook it's like 8,000 pages out of my hands and looked at me and said Dustin you need to learn to find balance and just as the case probably 90 let's say 99 percent of the time my wife was absolutely right like many of you we came here on the heels of 12 years of straight continuous operational commitments and during that time I had very little control of my time and how I spent it but when we got here Admiral Christensen during his talk at least the little part that I was able to make make it to he challenged us to widen our perspectives and to develop a thought process that went beyond that which got us to this point and I think a critical first step in developing that type of higher level mentality is recognizing a balance between your personal professional ambitions that's because time is precious and I am deeply appreciative of the war college for giving me and my classmates the time to strike that balance I was somehow able to weigh wrestling with Dr. Vago's theories and wrestling with my son's divers and that's not easy I think all of us are appreciative of that and I know as we go forward and we take on higher responsibilities knowing how to balance our lives and to facilitate that balance in the lives of our subordinates will perhaps be just as critical as balancing operational functions so I'm very thankful again to the war college and to my wife Morta for educating me on both thank you a master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies will now be conferred to the graduates will the graduates please rise grandma Carter we admiral I have the honor to present the march graduates of the naval war college candidates for the master of arts and national security and strategic studies they have been thoroughly examined and approved by the faculty by the power vested in me by the secretary of the navy the accreditation of the new england association of schools and colleges and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff I confer upon you the appropriate degrees and diplomas and national security and strategic studies ladies and gentlemen please join me in saluting with our applause the march graduates of the united states naval war college thank you admiral graduates please be seated beyond the requirements for graduation certain individuals have distinguished themselves through academic excellence for those in the top five percent they're receiving a diploma with highest distinction those in the next 15 percent will receive a diploma with distinction graduates will now receive their diplomas graduates from the college of naval warfare please proceed to the stage as your name is read guests are welcome to come forward to take photographs please try to hold your applause until all names have been read ryan mccarter professor spain i'm a berrera dean garifano if you would please rise presenting the graduating members of the college of naval warfare and their next duty assignment commander byron v alexander us navy dissa fort mead maryland captain william s anderson us navy with distinction com nav therefore detachment norfolk virginia commander stephanie j butler us navy tacron 12 nab coronado san diego california commander linard w caver us navy com car strike routine norfolk virginia lieutenant colonel andrew j chevalier us army national guard joint force headquarters rhodo rhodo island army national guard crasson rhodo island lieutenant colonel mark h clingen us marine corps number one in his class highest distinction marine forces europe stuttgart germany commander christopher g dobson us navy nato joint electronic warfare core staff royal neville air station yevelton england commander alexander w ellerman us navy naval reserve paycom 601 nask rock island illinois commander brent c gawt us navy with distinction hsm 41 san diego california commander robert gershner supply core us navy us naval war college newport rhodo island lieutenant colonel eric alan gillis us marine corps commander todd s glasser us navy joint staff arlington virginia colonel kim j hodges us army j soc fort bragg north carolina commander pavo haldish highest distinction vt7 meridian mississippi commander bradley l kincade us navy commander strike force training atlantic norfolk virginia colonel laurence m landen us marine corps headquarters marine corps pentagon washington dc lieutenant colonel steven j lightfoot us marine corps marine manpower and officer assignments quantico virginia commander christopher d mcmillan us navy cnaft at 1094 nas north island california lieutenant commander yolanda k mason us navy center for personnel and professional development dam neck virginia lieutenant commander brett oester us navy surface warfare officer school newport rhodo island commander barry r parker us navy nask orlando orlando florida commander henry primes pierce the fourth us navy navy support facility dago garcia captain gregory p riley us navy opnav pentagon washington dc commander thomas a rino us navy naval special warfare group two norfolk virginia commander gabriel e soltero us navy with distinction hsc 25 guam commander michael t spencer us navy opnav arlington virginia commander bradley w story us navy with distinction naval beach group one coronado california commander richard a vanderstein us navy with distinction training wing four corpus christi texas lieutenant colonel riccardo lamont warfield us army commander south southeastern army reserve intelligence support command forest park georgia commander hyrum j weeden us navy dni opnav support arlington virginia commander chris f white us navy opnav pentagon arlington virginia presenting the graduating members of the college of naval command and staff and their next duty assignment major neal g armstrong us army with distinction first infantry division fort riley kansas lieutenant commander jonathan louis barron us navy strat com gific isr washington dc lieutenant diana concerta blevin's supply corps us navy defense logistics agency fort bellavar virginia major kirk j bush us marine corps maritime advanced warfighter school lieutenant commander philip cascia us navy ffa 83 nas oceana virginia beach virginia lieutenant commander benjamin d cone us navy with highest distinction joint planning support element norfolk virginia lieutenant commander kim the costa azar us navy state department washington dc lieutenant commander christopher s denny us navy commander naval air forces reserve n as north island coronado california lieutenant commander timothy a dp trapolo us navy joint staff logistics director at j4 arlington virginia lieutenant commander adam treyton us navy us cybercom fort mead maryland lieutenant commander patrick m zcan us navy socom tampa florida major john d fey jr us army rhoda island army national guard cranson rhoda island lieutenant commander brian joseph felony us navy us african stuttgart germany lieutenant commander michael h finke us navy with distinction us syncom joint intelligence operations center mcgill air force base tampa florida commander paul flores vaw 112 point mogu california lieutenant commander erik charl friendrup us navy eo d unit mobile 11 eo d mobile unit 11 imperial beach california major jason m gallagher gallagher us army fort steward georgia lieutenant commander paul ray out jager us navy patrol and patrol and reconnaissance wing to marine corps base connolly hawai lieutenant commander leonardo gia velli us navy surface warfare officer schools command newport rhoda island lieutenant commander patrick allen griffin us navy navy operational support center buffalo new york lieutenant commander james arthur glimond us navy us africa command stuttgart germany lieutenant commander joshua a hamond us navy with distinction pep portsmouth united kingdom lieutenant commander victor a hill us navy us strat com gifik space vandenberg air force base california major jason c honeycutt us army 173rd brigade vincenza italy lieutenant commander david p hern us navy us pay com camp smith oahu hawai major james o johnson us army riyadh saudi arabia lieutenant commander james mitchell kenter us navy united states northern command colorado springs colorado lieutenant commander jettadiah clopple us navy us navy carrier strike group eight morpher virginia lieutenant commander jennifer lin larish us navy o and i suitland washington dc lieutenant commander dustin t lonaro us navy with highest distinction tackle training group pacific san diego california lieutenant commander james l martello us navy extraditionary strike group three san diego california lieutenant commander justin t mcaffery us navy with distinction strat com Omaha nebraska lieutenant commander daniel s mcclure us navy north com jtf civil support fort uses virginia lieutenant commander david l mcdavit us navy us cybercom fort mead maryland lieutenant commander charles n mckissick us navy assistant secna financial management arlington virginia lieutenant commander steven james miller supply corps us navy us naval reserve lieutenant commander david anthony pachinich us navy with distinction commander us socom a dill air force base tampa florida lieutenant commander joseph a promarer us navy vfa 106 virginia beach virginia lieutenant commander daniel w robison us navy office of naval intelligent suitland maryland major jeffrey d skaggs us army number one in his class highest distinction at ssa transient detachment washington dc lieutenant commander daniel c short us navy us test pilot school nas betexas river maryland lieutenant commander matthew c somerville us navy defense logistics institute monorail california major richard r still us marine corps with distinction first tank battalion first marine division 29 palms california lieutenant commander shon abram stein us navy with distinction lieutenant commander kyle b thomas us navy opnav rpn arlington virginia major kindle c wells us army first armor division fort blitz el paso texas major jerry lee wood jr us army third cavalry regiment fort hood texas ladies and gentlemen please join us in a round of applause for our graduates honorees and their grandma carter will now issue the charge to the graduates admiral with you would okay folks we're getting close as the president of the us naval war college i i get to say the final few words and just leave you with a couple of parting thoughts but before i do i want to thank admiral burrara for coming up here and giving us the wonderful words today uh meant a lot to all of us here faculty and staff as well as the students so thank you very much sir is now my honor to bring these proceedings to a close graduates each of you departs this college more knowledgeable about your honorable profession more in tune with both the responsibilities and the rewards of selfless service to the nation and intellectually refreshed to address the challenges of tomorrow i challenge each of you to follow your own ethical compass and ensure that those who work for you who work with you and for home you work respect and protect the worth of every individual they encounter families and colleagues thank you for supporting your students as they participated in the intellectual journey that brought them here today your love encouragement and devotion helped them maintain a proper balance between mind body and spirit college faculty and staff today you once again witness the results of your labors here at the finest war college in the world this group of impressive graduates benefited greatly as you skillfully crafted and delivered a superior educational product even while dealing with an unprecedented series of bureaucratic hurdles and disruptions you never lost your commitment to our deserving students thank you all and finally to summarize what this year has been all about i cannot do better to quote from a speech made by our founding president radmal steven b loose who spoke about the purpose of this great institution when he said and i quote attendance here will serve to broaden an officer's views extend his or her mental horizon on national and international questions and give him a just appreciation of the great variety and extent of the requirements of their profession unquote i trust that we've accomplished the task loose set out for all of us well over a century ago good luck godspeed and i wish each of you fair wins and following cease thank you all very much chaplain rose enter will now deliver the benediction please stand let us pray eternal father for these men and women a rigorous and challenging academic year is now to close but their voyage continues as they go from here serving on land sea or air at home and abroad may their knowledge skills wisdom and friendships be fully utilized to maintaining peace and security enable them with honor courage and commitment in all things and protect them as they serve granting them safety and success we also ask that you watch over those who serve today in harm's way please be near to their families and to those recovering from the effects of war now bless these men and women as they go forth to do great things thank you for the service they've rendered to our nation please be with them and their families as they depart for new destinations and challenges through the one who saves amen ladies and gentlemen please remain standing for the departure of the official party thank you all for your tenant thank you all for attending today's ceremony and graduation this complete this concludes the ceremony