>> let us pray. heavenly father, as we gather to graduate and commission our class of 2013, we ask you to bless those who lead our nation, our navy and marine corps, and our academy. may they govern us in wisdom, and justice, and peace. we offer our thanks to those who have accompanied our graduates to this happy day. their parents, and friends, their teachers, coaches, and clergy. their mentors and their sponsors. for all who have encouraged and enlightened, challenged and supported these fine young people, we are truly grateful.

finally lord, we ask your blessings on are graduating class of 2013. make their memory of the naval academy bring happiness and peace always to their hearts. may their friendships sustain them throughout the lives and made their service to america make our country stronger and our world more just and more peaceable. amen. >> please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, the 61st superintendent of the nine the -- the united states naval academy, michael h. miller. [applause] >> mr. president, thank you for finding time to join us today. governor o'malley, secretary

mavis, general paxton, dear friends, and the graduating class of 2013, welcome. [cheers and applause] we gather here in the stadium to join a remarkable celebration of the american spirit. today we will be witnesses to another chapter in history of the long blue line. this tradition dates back to least 1902. handing out the diplomas 111 years ago. the hat toss dates to 1912.

1912 graduates have to serve for two years in the navy and did not throw their hats because they needed them for another two years. since 1912, over 75,000 covers have been launched. by tossing their mid-shipment caps, our newly minted and since signify the beginning of their careers as leaders in the navy and the marine corps. the trajectory of their careers must represent our nation's highest aspirations. they have long embraced the phrase, "speed is life." we recall it here in our classrooms when admiral farragut faced a lethal force poised for

battle. the fleet began to scatter and he shouted down, what is the trouble? "torpedoes," came the answer. for the class of 2013, may you answer back just as confidently as faragut. damn the torpedoes. >> full speed ahead! >> thank you very much. we are honored to have so many distinguished guests today. the secretary of the navy.

over 73,000 buildings and thousands of aircraft. he directs a department of nearly 9000 people. he received his undergraduate degree from the university of mississippi and went on to johns hopkins and got his law degree from harvard. he served on the cruiser little rock before serving as a mississippi auditor. he was elected governor of mississippi in 1988. he has been posted to saudi

arabia as our american ambassador. he has been a highly visible leader of our marine corps. you might have seen him on the evening news while helping out on the gulf coast in the wake of the deep water horizon oil spill. he has traveled 715,000 during his tenure. he is also a world class photographer. a true renaissance man and a 75th secretary of the navy. [applause] >> admiral miller, thank you so much for that warm welcome. mr. president, my thanks for all you do as our commander in chief for our sailors and marines

around the world every day. and all that the first lady does on behalf of those who served and those who love them. to our distinguished guests, to family, friends, faculty, and most importantly u.s. naval academy class of 2013, welcome to commissioning day. it is wonderful to be here and i cannot think of a more fitting location to graduate and to be commissioned here were so many memories of your class were formed and where the heroic deeds and battles of those who have gone before you are inscribed around us. for the midshipmen who are about to be commissioned, ensigns and second lieutenants,

congratulations. you have earned it. you have put in the time one nickel at a the time. it is a journey you began the day you turn down your acceptance to west point. [laughter] and in this journey, behind every single one of few helping you to succeed has been parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters, classmates and teachers, company officers, coaches, and many others that you may not even know. take time after the ceremony today to thank them and recognize what they have done to make this day possible because in so many ways this is their

day, too. these past four years have prepared you for the challenges ahead. you are graduating from college today like thousands of others across this country, representing that will be your diploma. it is the acknowledgement of the education you have mastered here. you will receive a second document today. it is a document you need to those who have completed a hard and demanding training program while getting that great education. it is the same document that started the careers here of officers like nimitz. it is your commission as an officer in the united states navy or marine corps.

it conveys a special trust and confidence directly from the president of the united states. with it comes a responsibility of leading our nation's young men and women. this commission is not about past accomplishments but about future contributions. i want to thank everyone of you for making the decision to commit the next part of your life to this country. during the time you have pursue your education here, the navy and marine corps that you are about to join and about to lead have been globally deployed and globally engaged. sailors and marines have continued operations in afghanistan. they have conducted massive sea- based mission to provide disaster relief in haiti after

the 2010 earthquake. they have launched tomahawk strikes into libya and flew missions into ports. the ronald reagan carrier strike group responded within hours to the earthquake in japan. our sailors and marines have deployed to the horn of africa to fight pirates and conduct partnerships inc missions. they are the guarantors of freedom of navigation and they provide global security. they do stand the watch, a steady presence to respond to whatever comes. u.s. sailors and marines have done this and done superbly for decades.

and now it is your turn to join that great legacy and to build a greater legacy of your own. you'll need everything you learned here at the academy, but you also need the spirit that brought you here. you look to the far horizon wanting to know what is beyond and ready and able to deal with whatever is there. i have absolute faith and confidence that you can and will deal with what ever is there. the future of this nation depends on it. from the navy, forever courageous.

from the marine corps, forever faithful. welcome to the fleet. [applause] >> it is my privilege to introduce governor martin o'malley of the great state of maryland. we share a great deal in common. we're the 61st incumbent in our jobs. he is the 61st governor of maryland. we are neighbors here in annapolis. both big fans of navy except possibly when we play the terrapins.

you may have known him as the previous mayor of baltimore. he has accomplished career and has staff positions on capitol hill and was on the baltimore city council prior to becoming mayor. he was reelected to a second term and serves as co-lead on homeland security. he was appointed to the first ever council of governors by president obama in 2010. governor o'malley and his family have been avid supporters of this institution. a true friend of the naval academy, governor martin o'malley. [applause] >> thank you very much. distinguished guests, officers, alumni, fellow graduates, and mr. president. i want to convey our gratitude

to all of the graduates for your choice for your vocation. mr. president, we're very proud here in maryland to be able to say that maryland is the home to the united states naval academy and we congratulate this class of 2013. to give our country a better future, we will need the strongest military in the world and we will need the world's most highly skilled and highly talented and highly innovative workforce. your training here has put you in the position to lead in both of these important national endeavors. it is an honor to stand before you to introduce the commander in chief of the united states of america. president obama is leading our country forward.

he is a thoughtful and resolute leader. he understands america is strongest when her economic and her military power aligned with the power of our principles, the beliefs we share in freedom and justice and in the dignity of every human being. he has committed to making sure that our navy and marine corps of the best and the best equipped in the world. his commitment to you is absolute. he and the first lady are also working hard every single day so that our country does better by you and your colleagues when you and your

years of active duty and come home to assume the role of citizen. jobs, opportunities have been the president's focus from day one. under his leadership, our country has now been creating new jobs every month for 31 months in a row. your commencement speaker is the strong and decisive leader who is moving to america for. please welcome barack obama. [applause] [cheers] >> hello, midshipmen! thank you, governor o'malley, for your kind introduction and

the great support that maryland gives this academy. secretary mavis, general paxton, thank you all for your incredible leadership of our extraordinary navy and marine corps teams. to vice admiral miller, thank you for the outstanding work that you do. to captain clark and the faculty, to the moms and dads who raise your sons and daughters to seek this life of service, to the local sponsor families that cared for them far from home, to members of the class of 1963, the veterans who guided these midshipmen along the way. today is also a tribute to your support and your patriotism and i know the class of 2013 towards me in slitting your service, as

well. in -- in saluting your service, as well. [applause] to the entire brigade of midshipmen, you embody the highest virtues of this venerable institution. and i know that some of you have enjoyed yourselves other local institutions. [laughter] like armadillos. but today is a day of celebration and forgiveness. and so in keeping with tradition, i declare all

midshipmen for minor consequences are hereby absolved. [applause] as always, admiral miller gets to decide what is minor. some of these guys are laughing a little nervously about that. most of all, it is wonderful to be able to celebrate this incredible class of 2013. this has special meaning for me. the united states naval academy was the very first service academy that i had the privilege to address as president. on that spring day four years ago, most of you were still in high school, finishing your senior years or finishing up a prep school. you were a little younger and i was, too. you had your entire naval

academy experience ahead of you. i was started getting chest bumps of the graduates of 2009. soon after you got quite welcome. the joy of i-day, wonderful hair cuts, stylish eyeglasses, and all that free beer -- the high volume and a close range. michelle brought our daughter here for a visit. she got a somewhat different reception. it seems like the navy was doing some recruiting. she saw a name on the door, sasha obama, class of 2023.

today, each of you can take enormous pride. you have met the mission of this academy. you have proven yourselves morally, living a concept of honor and integrity, and this includes treating one another with respect and recognizing the strength of every member of your team. you're the most diverse class to graduate in naval academy history. of the many women graduating today, 13 will serve on submarines. [applause] you have proven yourself mentally. i know that some think this is a small engineering school. you have not only met its

rigorous standards, but you have help this academy earned a new distinction, the number one public liberal arts school in america. [applause] and you have proven yourselves physically with the herndon climb of two minutes, five seconds. now they put the grease back on, no one will ever match your times. [laughter] last month, i welcomed the the team back to the white house because you beat air force and

brought the commander-in-chief trophy back to annapolis. [cheers and applause] so in your four years, you have met every test before you and today is today you have been counting down to for so long. you'll take your oath. those boards and gold bars will be placed on your shoulders. as your commander in chief, i congratulate each of you on becoming our newest officers. ensigns in the navy, second lieutenants in the marine corps. and soon you will join the fleet.

to assess u.s. challenges, so has the challenges facing our military. before you arrived here, our nation was encased in two wars. many of our alliances were strained. over the past four years, we have strengthened our alliances and restored america's image in the world. the war in iraq is over and we welcome to our troops home. thanks to our brave personell, we delivered justice to osama bin laden. [cheers and applause] in afghanistan, the transition is underway. our troops are coming home. by the end of next year, our war in afghanistan will come to an end. today, we salute all the americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in these wars, including 18 graduates of this academy. we honor them all. now and forever.

yesterday i spoke about the way forward in the fights to keep our country secure. as we have decimated the al qaeda leadership, we still face threats from affiliates and from individuals caught up in is ideology. even as we move beyond supplying large ground armies, we still need to conduct precise targeted strikes against terrorist before they kill our citizens. even as we state of vigilance, and stay true to our constitution and values, we need to stay ready for the full range of threats from nations seeking weapons of mass destruction to cyber criminals seeking to unleash weapons of mass destruction. in these tough fiscal times, we have to make hard choices at

home including with our armed forces. i want you all to know as you enter one i know will be extraordinary years of service, let me say as clearly as i can the united states of america will always maintain our military superiority and i will keep fighting to give you the equipment and support required to meet the missions we ask of you and to make sure that you're getting the pay and benefits and the support that you deserve. [applause] i will keep fighting for the capabilities and technologies you need to prevail so we can achieve a 300-ship fleet. [applause]

and i will keep fighting the budget cuts known as the sequester which is threatening already. deficits are falling and it is time for congress to budget in a smarter way to protect middle class priorities, preserves investments in our future, and keeps our military strong because we have the best trained, best equipped military aid history and i'm determined to keep it that way and congress should be, too. [applause] we need you to project power across the oceans. from the pacific to the persian gulf, 100% on watch. we need you to partner with

other militaries from africa to the americas. we need you to respond with compassion in times of disaster as when you helped respond to hurricane sandy. and in all your work, in your lifetime of service, we need you to uphold the highest standards of integrity and character. with the time i've left, the superintendent told me that marines and folks in the navy did not mind a little water. with the time i have left, i want to discuss today. it is no secret that many americans have lost confidence in many of the institutions that help shape our democracy. i suggest to you today that

institutions do not fail in a vacuum. institutions are made up of people, individuals. we have seen how the actions of a few can undermine the integrity of those institutions. everyday men and women of talent and skill work in the financial institutions that fund new businesses and put families in new homes and helps students go to college. we have also seen how the misdeeds of some sparked the financial crisis deepened the recession that cost millions of americans their jobs. every day elected officials like those on the stage devote themselves to improving the condition of this country. all too often we're seeing politics where compromises were

rejected as a dirty word and policies are driven by special interests rather than the national interest. that breeds cynicism that threatens our democracy. every day our civil servants do their jobs with professionalism, protecting our national security and delivering the services that so many americans expect. it only takes the misconduct of a few to further erode the people's trust in their government. that is unacceptable to you and to me. against this backdrop, what is said four years ago remains true today. our military remains the most trusted institution in america. when others have shirked their responsibilities, our armed forces have met every mission we have given to them.

when others are distracted, our men and women come together as one american team. even in our military, we have seen how the misconduct of some can have an effect that ripples far and wide. a single image from the battlefield of troops falling short of the standard candle viral and in danger our forces. likewise, those who commit sexual assaults are committing a crime but they threaten the trust and discipline that makes our military strong. that is why we have to be determined to stop these crimes. they have no place in the greatest military on earth. i say all this because you're about to assume the burden of leadership.

as officers, you'll be trusted with the most awesome of responsibilities -- the lives of the men and women under your command. when is service is complete, many will want to help lead your communities, america's companies. you lead this country. if we want to restore the trust the american people deserve to have, all of us have to do our part. we have to strive to remain were the of the public trust. as you go forward, we need you to carry forth the values you have learned at this institution. our nation needs them now more than ever. we need your honor, that inner compass that guides you when it is hard and uncertain, that

tells you the difference between that which is right and that which is wrong. perhaps it will be the moment when you think nobody is watching, but never forget that honor, like character, is what you do when nobody is looking. more likely it will be when you're in the spotlight, leading others, the men and women but not seem to set an example. never ask them to do what you did not ask of yourself. live with integrity and speak with honesty and take responsibility and demand accountability. we need your honor. it tells you to move towards danger. we need your moral courage, the strength to do what is right.

at the end of your day, you want to look in the mirror and say with confidence and pride, "i filled my oath. i did my duty." we need your honor and courage and we need your commitment, the sense of purpose that says i will do even better in what i expect of myself and the way i interact with others including those of different backgrounds. it is no action at our military is the most respected institutions of america and one of the most diverse. treat one another with respect. when we harness the talents of every man and woman from every race and religion and creed, no nation can never match us. we need your resolve.

the same spirit reflected in your class motto, "surrender to nothing." not long ago, two midshipmen sat where you sat in a class 2006 and they inspire us today. brad snyder was the captain of the swim team. while rushing to his teammates, he stepped on an ied and lost both of his eyes. with support, brad learned to feel his way and move again and was back in the swimming pool or

where he said, "i am free." he competed in the london parable olympics. he joined us standing tall of the white house and said, "overcoming adversity is a decision. you can let that beat you or you can make the decision to move forward." matt lampert was on the rowing team here at the academy. as his team entered a compound, matt lost both of his legs after an ied exploded. he passed his physical test and deployed to afghanistan again. he is back home and looking ahead to many years of service. reflecting on his mission he

said he was determined however long it was going to take. so i cannot promise you a life of life and ease. you have chosen the profession of arms. just as classes before you could not know that they would find themselves at helmuth, we will know where your service will carry you. as you say farewell to bancroft hall, you're becoming the newest link in a storied chain. as a look into your eyes today, i see the same confidence and professionalism, the fidelity to our values as those who served before you, jones, nimitz and

snyder and lampert, americans who surrendered to nothing. i am confident you will uphold the highest standards and your courage and commitment will see it through annual all see yourself worthy of the trust our nation is placing in you today. congratulations, class of 2013. god bless our navy and marine corps and god bless our armed services and god bless the united states of america. [applause]

>> the academic dean and provost, dr. andrew phillips. >> candidates, please rise. admiral miller, i present these candidates for the degree and recommend that this degree be conferred. >> as you have completed your course of steady in the united states naval academy and a point recommended by the academic board, by virtue of the authority vested in me, i confer upon each review the decree with all rights and privileges there [applause]ining.

>> please be seated. the assistant commandant of the marine corps, general john paxton jr., will administer the oath of office to those being commissioned in the united states marine corps. i proudly present 263 midshipmen to be commissioned in the united states marine corps. [applause] >> i can see you out there. let me hear you. very good. mr. president, governor malloy,

secretary mavis, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to recognize the accomplishments of 263 of the finest americans we know and of your fellow classmates. my friend, my shipmate, our cno, this is part of a great team and has been for 237 years. i assure you that there will be for more than another 237 years. to captain clark and admiral miller, to the faculty and staff, thank you for your hard work, your unwavering commitment to make them better lieutenants, better ensigns. to the mothers and fathers, congratulations and thank you for your unwavering support. do not give up the ship.

they will need you just as much in the days ahead as they had for the last four years. to the classmates who will become ensigns, we look for to see you around the world. you'll find out soon despite the "beat army, beat navy, beat airforce," whatever, it is one team, one fight. congratulations to the ensigns. [applause] and finally to those 263 soon to be second lieutenants of marines, on behalf of the general, sergeant michael barracks and 197,000 other

marines, i salute you and i welcome you to our ranks. we are ready to have you. you have earned the title, a title always earned and never given. once earned, never taken away. i would council you about honor, courage, and commitment. a vmi graduate, five navy crosses, he promised that in addition to demonstrating character, you needed to show those marines entrusted to your care four other c's. you owed them your courage,

your candor, your compassion, and your commitment. as graduates of this great institution, you are more than prepared to do that. and and with that, will the 263 midshipmen please rise. if you will raise your right hand and repeat after me. i'm graduating from the united states naval academy and being duly sworn as a second lieutenant in the marine corps on this 24th day of may, 2013. 2013. i do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united

states of america against all enemies foreign and domestic and bear true faith and allegiance to the same and i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which i am about to enter, so help me god. >> i do! >> congratulations, marines. [applause] >> the chief of naval operations, united states navy will administer the oath of

office to those being commissioned in the united states navy. i present 764 midshipmen to the commission into our united states navy. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, captain clark. you're flying now. that is not in osprey. thank you for being here. mr. president, admiral miller, dean phillips. it is an honor for me to be bringing in the future here today. i would like to congratulate the new second lieutenants. for those about to become

ensigns, i want to ask you to remember what we talked about a few weeks ago. look, i like odd-numbered classes. i want to give you an executive summary of a few things. as the president mentioned to you earlier, i want you to guard your integrity. no one can take your integrity away from you. it is uniquely yours. do not lose it. your allegiance is to the institution, to the country, to the constitution. not your buddies. it is in your oath today. think about it when you take your oath. be kind to everybody. treat everyone with unity and with respect. and trust your shipmates, because your life is going depend on them.

learn your heritage. that is what we're about. know who you are about. and wear sunscreen because, trust me, it takes about 20 years to take effect. wear sunscreen. [laughter] and perhaps the most important thing you can remember today, i want you to call or e-mail or write your mothers every week. [cheers and applause] that is what i am talking about. because they are the wind underneath any wings you have, and they got you here. i am honored to commission you. graduates to be commissioned to the united states navy, please rise. alleers and applause]

midshipmen, please raise your right hand. ensignseen appointed as to rank from 24 may 2013, do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and that you take this obligation freely without moral resolution or purpose of evasion, so help you god? >> i do. >> welcome aboard, shipmates. [applause] you may be seated.

>> the one, ladies and gentlemen. today we will graduate 1047 men and women who have met the many challenges of four years at the naval academy. in addition to those who just brought commission into the navy and marine corps, three midshipmen will be mentioned through the united states air force. includes of 2013 also 16 graduates from 13 nations around the world. at this time, we invite these international graduating midshipmen to stand when her name is called along with members of the national delegations who are in attendance today. these graduates, whose national flag are flying above the memorial arch is at the north end of the stadium, will return to their countries and serve with distinction in their armed forces or enter other government services. belizelieves -- from

-- from georgia -- from georgia -- from georgia -- fromwater mullah -- guatemala -- from korea -- from lebanon -- from montenegro -- from panama -- from the philippines -- poland -- from south africa -- from singapore --

from taiwan -- and from tunisia -- congratulations. [applause] joining moreates than 79,000 men and women who have graduated from the naval academy since its founding in 1845. as part of our graduation ceremony today, members of the naval academy class that preceded this year's graduates by 50 years will honor this continuing chain of naval academy graduates by presenting uniform devices and the link in the chain going to the class of 2013. december -- several members of the class of 1963 are listed in your program and are here today to participate in this special recognition of naval academy

contributions across the decade. lease join me in recognizing and applying these distinguished right to its. [applause] -- these distinguished graduates. [applause] finally, before we begin individual introductions, i should remind you of an important naval academy tradition. the parents of each graduate are when i graduate is called that way we can acknowledge your contribution to the achievement of these fine men and women. the president of the united states will present to those individuals right wing with distinction. those members of the class of 2013) with distinction, please rise. [applause]

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> ensign christopher galvin stands first in the class. [applause] p. christian. c. --

--ert e. .rendan p. hanlon -- shawn h.illed in jackson -- benjamin -- --c jonathan s. poole. m. -- .obert m. crutcher kyle a. elam.

katie d. -- micah d. -- quinn. r. lasalle. linemiller. zachary him. patrick. -- zachary m. patrick. william r. herron. kirsten a. -- jones.r l.

b. mcgee. edward j. butler. gruber.. jeffrey s. -- j. -- timothy j cadigan. --rew c. 1levin. graves. r. >> noext, live on "washington

journal," ben bernanke. after that, the first speech on the summit -- on the senate floor. after president grover cleveland live -- loses the bid for reelection in 1888, his wife tell the staff went what i wait to take the care of all the furniture and ornaments and not let any of them get lost or broken for i want to find everything just as it now when we come back again watcher years from today. thend they did return to white house, winning the election of 1882. the life of francis cleveland as we continue our series on first ladies on c-span, c-span3, c-span radio and c-span.org. >> this morning, cindy schild from the american petroleum into two discusses the keystone xl pipeline. then kurt zimmer of the newspaper association of america discusses the proposed shield law. and later, environment and

energy publishing reporter emily yehle looks at how automatic budget cuts are impacting national parks. "washington journal" is next. ♪ good morning and welcome to "washington journal" on this saturday, may 25, 2013. it's the start of the memorial day weekend. monday is the federal holiday honoring men and women who have died serving in america's military. as we reflect on the meaning of memorial day, we'd like to hear from you, what would inspire you to serve in the military. here are the numbers to call --