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May 12, 2016 - Defense Secretary Ash Carter today shared four
commitments that guide him and asked cadets of the U.S. Air Force
Academy to adapt them to their circumstances.
Carter spoke to
about half of the cadets who attend the academy in Colorado Springs,
Colorado.
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Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks with U.S. Air Force Academy cadets during a tour of the campus in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 12, 2016.
(DoD photo by Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz)
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The first commitment, the secretary said, is “to ground all of
your training, all of your thinking and all of your actions in our
core mission of the Department of Defense.”
“Our primary
mission will always be protecting our people and serving our
nation's interests,” he told the cadets. From the White House
Situation Room to flightlines around the world, defending American
interests is what matters most, Carter said. “Some regions of the
world are exceedingly messy, but we're not daunted or confused,
because we have our North Star,” he added.
Leading Other Nations and Peoples
Protecting American interests often means leading other nations
and other peoples, the secretary said. “Ever since World War II, the
United States has stood as the world's foremost leader, partner and
underwriter of stability and security in every region of the world,”
he said. “It is a mantle we embraced again after the Cold War, and
one that continues today to the great benefit of this nation, but
also the rest of the world.”
The
positive and enduring partnerships the United States has cultivated
with other nations around the world are built on American interests,
but rest on American values – “which most find decent, honorable and
attractive,” Carter said.
The Air Force provides the United
States unprecedented global power and global reach, said the
secretary told the cadets, and these capabilities, when applied
consistent with American values, are of great benefit to the nation.
“When a natural disaster occurs on the other side of the world ...
it is often the United States Air Force who is first on the scene to
deliver aid and demonstrate our values to the world,” he said. “I
can tell you that really creates an impression.”
When
targeting enemies, America does all it can to protect innocent life,
Carter said. “When we do that,” he added, “we demonstrate our values
to the world.”
Keeping People in
Mind
The next commitment is to remember it is people
who make the American military the finest fighting force in the
world, Carter said. “And it is our people who will ensure that the
force of tomorrow, which you will command, remains as great as the
force of today,” he said.
The secretary said this is why he is pushing for new ways to
recruit and retain the best and why the United States military seeks
to be inclusive.
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Defense Secretary Ash Carter listens to a briefing on the U.S. Air Force Academy curriculum during a visit to the campus in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 12, 2016.
(DoD photo by Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz)
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“From the first classes of female cadets, including Brig. Gen.
Allison Hickey and your own superintendent, Lt. Gen. [Michelle]
Johnson, to the first female combat pilots, including my former
assistant, Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, to Gen. Lori Robinson, who
tomorrow will become the first woman to lead a combatant command,
the Air Force has proven time and again that we are strongest when
we draw from the strength of our entire nation,” he said.
Finding Solutions
The third
commitment is to remember “that our nation's defense rests on being
able to find solutions to seemingly intractable problems,” Carter
told the cadets, noting that they will face unexpected challenges
and life-or-death decisions.
“Have the courage to accept risk to solve those problems and the
wisdom to determine when a risk becomes a gamble,” the secretary
said. “You are responsible for the lives of your people and the
accomplishment of your mission. Balancing these two solemn duties
one of the most difficult tasks you will face, but you've got to
succeed. That is the burden of command.”
As missions
progress, Carter told the cadets, they must constantly re-evaluate
the situation. “And to chart a new course,” he added, “you must have
the confidence to be open to new ideas.”
“This should be a
lesson for our enemies: never underestimate the ingenuity of our
officers,” he said. “We need to maintain that advantage forever.”
Character and Resolve
Finally, the secretary discussed character. He noted that the halls
of the Pentagon have portraits of many airmen who were held as
prisoners of war in North Vietnam. “They serve as reminders of the
character and resolve at the core of our mission,” he said.
Throughout
their careers, Carter said, the cadets must constantly learn – and
teach -- character. “You'll find the words of George Washington you
memorized as a fourth class cadet: ‘Remember that it is the actions,
and not the commission, that make the officer, and that there is
more expected from him than his title,'” Carter said. “That will
have new and greater meaning as you go on.
“We are a great
nation, with great responsibilities,” he continued. “As we meet
these responsibilities, our nation stands on the foundation of
character that both you and this institution make stronger and send
forth into the world. As you embark on your career and lives of
service, know that our nation is 100 percent behind you. I'm a
thousand percent behind you, and I am so proud of you.”
By Jim Garamone
DOD News
Copyright 2016
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