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>> ladies and gentlemen, thank you portending, and please enjoy the rest of your day -- for attending, and please enjoy the rest of your day. >> you can watch the memorial day ceremonies, including the wreath laying at the tomb of the unknown from here at arlington

national cemetery this afternoon right here on c-span. some of theing memorials around the national mall in washington dc. this is part of the vietnam veterans memorial. the three soldiers statue. it also includes the vietnam women's memorial and the be a non-veterans memorial wall. of more thanmes 58,000 americans who lost their lives in service to their country. it gets about 3 million visitors a year, and there are also moving walls which are replicas, half the size of the wall here in washington, which are transported to sites around the country. we will take a look at some of the people gathered on this memorial day holiday.

taking a look at the vietnam veterans wall getting ready for an event taking place here. later today on c-span, coverage of commitmen -- commencement addresses from around the country. we have remarks from the supreme scalia come a here's what he had to say. ? in more than a few law schools, including some of the most prestigious, the university of chicago for example, it is possible to graduate without ever having studied the first amendment. talk about citizen lawyers. someone really call themselves an american lawyer

who has that gap in is compendious knowledge of the law? can a society that depends a much on lawyers for shaping public receptions and preserving american traditions regarding freedom of speech and religion afford such an ignorant bar? justice malia and other commencement addresses starting this afternoon at 235 p.m. eastern time. >> thank you for your service. glad you're here. you're going to have a very nice surprise when you go in the memorial. it is beautiful. get my wife in here. where is she? [laughter] >> how are you doing?

>> thank you. >> are you in the navy? >> i was in the marine corps. >> that is tough. easy.ad it [laughter] >> thank you for being here today. >> thank you. thank you for all the service you do. >> senator bob dole regularly greets visitors of the world where to memorial in washington. this is part of the three-day weekend on american history tv. next on this memorial day, former president george w. bush biden speaking to transitioning post-9/11 veterans. >> good morning. thank you.

[applause] good morning and welcome to the bush center, we are thrilled you're here. we are here this morning to examine the unique needs of our military service personnel and what we can do to more effect only help them during their transition from active duty. thank you for being here. before i go any further i would like to ask everyone in the audience who is currently serving, or has served in our military to stand so that we can recognize and thank you you for country'sng your uniform and protecting our freedoms that we cherish. please stand. [applause] while. -- wow. you also to your family members for caring for you when

you come home from battle. for their service at our provides. let's give them a round of applause as well. [applause] as we just saw in the opening video, the bush institute there are military service initiative, president bush aborts all of our nation service members, especially those wounded in post 9/11 military service. ours a big year for military service initiative. under the president's leadership we are asking how we can best serve our veterans. thank you president bush for your leadership. looking around this room it is clear that we have a high-powered who is assembled here today, and that we are thrilled to have such participants on the panels. i know we're are all going to learn a lot. you forpace, thank being here this morning and for your leadership of our advisory committee. achingen, thank you for the trip to texas, we look forward to hearing from you, and the kernel for your

leadership in this tremendous leadership. i also want to recognize the good work of our corporate and private partners here today. thank you for the companies and citizens who fund these organizations, they could not do it without you. our two organizing principles are leadership and freedom. we are always in need of the first command at risk of losing the chance for the second. thataudience understands that her than anybody. data better than anybody. you have a deeply held commitment to freedom. each of our nation of the -- of our initiatives is involved to help our leaders at home and abroad. our education initiative is mining educative ways -- finding help studentss to

during particularly challenging when years of middle school. our global health initiative is helping save the lives of those in africa by bringing vital health care to those most in need. mostuman freedom work posted a chinese activist, and in north million -- a north korean political cap survivor. the afghan women's project, and a special partnership program with first ladies around the world to help advance education, health, and opportunities for women and children worldwide. finally, of course the reason we are here today, the goal of our military services but to empower our veterans to live active, fulfilling lives when they leave military service. now it is my honor to introduce

the man who's doing just that. justin constantine. lieutenant colonel justin constantine joined the united states marine corps after completing his figure of law school. while on active duty he served the judge advocate. after recovering from an injury in iraq, he worked with the u.s. department of justice, the --ate veterans khmers can be affairs committee, and with the fbi. in our warrior open golf tournament last september, that is how we got to know him go and you will recognize them from the video. thank you for your service, and for being such a powerful example, thank you for your leadership and for being here today. justin? [applause] >> well it is truly an honor to

be here on such an important day. as a wooded warrior and opposed the 11 veteran who made the transition to the private sector during a top economic time i think i'm a good representative of today's newest and greatest generation. today we are going to hear from a number of expert on issues all related to veteran transition. at the end of the day, it really does take a village. howpe you realize complicated a successful transition actually can be, and what an important role each of you plays in it. after i was airlifted to a medical hospital, my wife was housed in a nearby home and treated like royalty. that, the wooded warrior project came to visit me, and i was getting a surgery but he left a t-shirt for me on my bed which reminded me that

america cared about my recovery. as an outpatient i learned to play golf with jim estes, which is how i ended up here at the warrior open which is truly an variants --nd experience for everyone involved. i developed the courage to open my own business. have worked with a lot of corporation, including a handful of blackstone companies thanks to the likes of steve schwarzman, and others. now i continue to get my counseling for posttraumatic frees, which provides mental health care for post-9/11 veterans and their families across the country. i'm part of the chamber of commerce's hiring of heroes campaign. s program, i am

pursuing a law degree. my transition goes on and on, and every veteran in this room has their own list. i hope that by showing you my quick snapshot of a demonstrates that america is now truly up to the challenges of supporting today's bets in a unprecedented manner. when you look at me i hope you see the other post 9/11 veterans and their families. aday's veterans do not need handout, but a handout, and all of your coordinated efforts are critical to our successful transition. are facing some very tough obstacles right now. but we all want to be productive members of society. we all want to take care of our families, just like each one of you. often, when given the opportunity, we end up being the leaders in our communities. the skills we bring to the unmatched.re

president bush is committed to the troops, while he was in office, and has not changed since he left. i have seen his personal impact on a number of individual veterans, and it is nothing short of inspiring. today's issues need to be discussed, because their growth for all of america. i'm incredibly proud to stand behind president bush and what he is doing today, and i'm equally proud to introduce you to the 47th president of the united states, george w. bush. [applause] >> thank you. dustin, thank you for those kind remarks. you're a better speaker than you are a golfer. [laughter]

laura and i are thrilled you're here, and we are particularly thankful that dr. jill biden came. it means a lot that you have come. i want to thank you and what the first lady do to help our vets. [laughter] give margaret a shout out about our president of the bush center, she is doing a great job you're the bush center, we thank you very much. i do want to say hello to the chairman of the joint chiefs while i was president. the first marine ever to do so. [laughter] looks like the last marine ever to do so. [laughter] and miguel, and awesome guy, use running our military service initiative. i want to thank you for your work. i do want to thank the sponsors of and the supporters, it

requires money to run these and appreciate your generosity. be her with the military service organizations, and i want to thank our panelists. a lot of people ask me do i miss much about being president? the answer is really, no. [laughter] i miss the people i served with, i missed air force one. [laughter] in eight years they have never lost my baggage. [laughter] i do miss saluting minimum and volunteered to defend our nation during war. many are coming home and preparing for new missions at civilians. i intend to salute these men and women of for the rest of my life. [applause]

enter the military service initiative, the bush institute is going to help. we are focused, and we will be relentless in serving our vets. since 9/11, more than 2.5 million americans have worn the uniform. they have faced down an e nemy, they show the compassion of our nation and they are the one percent to cap the 99 safe -- who cap to the 99% save. fe. we owe them a debt of gratitude. repay our debts, but we ought to try. as abraham lincoln put it, to care for him who shall born the battle, and for his widow and orphan. when the continental congress met in 1776, 1 of the first pieces of legislation created

pensions for the veterans of the revolutionary war. since then our government has rightly made supporting our veterans a high priority. private citizens have also played an important role in supporting our veterans. the service organizations, the college presidents who overdesigned their curriculums for returning warriors, to employers who have taken a chance on a veteran looking to learn a new trade. as a world war ii generation demonstrates, veterans tend to theythe skills of values learn in the military and use them in constructive ways when they come home. veterans have been some of the countries most successful leaders. some in public service, the oval office, including an 18-year-old kid who join the military, 41. [applause]

unfortunately not every generation of veterans as enjoyed a warm welcome home. maybe you remember what i about to say. when americans in uniform returned from the annan, many were shouted at, spit upon, called names, and shunned. no matter what you may think about that war, the treatment of our veterans then was shameful and wrong, it should never be repeated. of the next five years more than one million americans will complete their military service. like those before them they will face challenges as they readjust to civilian life. the bush center believes that after everything they have done for us, we have a duty to make their transition as successful as possible. ourecognize that in helping veterans we can unleash the potential of a generation of

resourceful, determined, and experienced leaders. doing, we will show the next generation of americans that military service is noble and worthwhile. and that when you sacrifice for your fellow citizen, you will find a strong support when you come home. many organizations have taken up the cause. has partneredr with military service organizations to honor and encourage veterans. ride, thentain bike , those efforts are important, but they are not enough. they are not transformative enough. a goal of the military service initiative is to help americans understand how they can support our veterans and empower them to succeed. support for our troops since 9/11 has been overwhelming.

but until now we really have not asked important questions, like who are these veterans, and what do they need? with thegether institute for veterans and military families in syracuse university, a fine university, and a vital program, the bush institute has completed one of the most comparable studies ever conducted of post-9/11 veterans. this spring we are going to publish the complete results, so others can use this information to inform and to enhance their work on behalf of veterans. here is a sneak review. post-9/11 million veterans, more than one million served in afghanistan or iraq. they spent three years overseers. -- overseas. 82% said that they would recommend service to someone

considering signing up. when i asked if they were proud of their service, 94% said yes. here is one of the more troubling statistics. 84% of the veterans say that that the american public is little awareness of the challenges facing them and their families. entering that the most americans great, 71% said that they do not understand the problems facing our veterans. you might call this a civilian, military divide. the divide is exacerbated by public perceptions that the veteran is either a hero, or to be pitied. must veterans do not consider elves heroes or victims. they see themselves as someone who took on a tough job and did it well. they do not want lavish

celebrations or expressions of condolence is very well it never hurts to say thank you, it is not the point. what most veterans want is to have their service understood and appreciated for what it is, a woman of experience in their formative experience in their lives. our veterans have defended the american people, and now they want to experience the american dream. thattudy also shows post-9/11 veterans face higher rates of unlimited in their civilian counterpoints, and that this is their top concern. is significantly veterans,r younger veterans with disabilities, and women. the problems are not only morecial, they are susceptible to other problems like depression, addiction, and

homelessness, and suicide. another goal of the military service initiative is to help more veterans put their skills to work in rewarding civilian jobs. know oneresearch we problem is that veterans and employers both have a hard time translating military experience . that is not surprising. you do not see many job say wanted, hunting insurgents, willing to or coworkers. job experience, writing down that my last office with a humvee. we want to send a broader message, it is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. i've employed a lot of people during my career, and i have learned that you can always teach skills, what matters most

is quality like character and probably is. work ethic and response ability. -- responsibility, and that is what our veterans bring. you can count on the applicant to be loyal, have good leadership, teamwork skills, and discipline. 2:00 a.m. employer, that should mean a lot. two and employer, that should mean a lot. many companies have started programs to seek out veterans them.gher than -- hire we are proud to partner with them here. these employers are leading the way, but there is a long way to go before the employment gap is closed.

part of our initiative, we're going to learn from these company's efforts, and we will share best practices, and use our platform to spotlight program's that work. employerslp more understand how they can improve their businesses, by placing veterans and military spouses in meaningful careers. and now i'm going to point the spotlight. in our audience today is ginger collins. thank you for coming. here's the thing about ginger. quintarted work at la and 10 suites as a manager in the front desk in savannah, georgia. she married a guy named curtis. he received orders for his third deployment, he leaves, she proves to her ring, texas, good choice. texas,moves to irving, good choice.

[laughter] her, when theyd could not find her a management job, they put her in the front desk and paint her as a manager -- paint her as a manager. she is now the general manager in san antonio, texas. showing flexibility and care for our military veterans and their spouses, la quinta has retained a loyal and experienced manager, and has showed great preacher to them for america. we think la quinta, and we are glad you are here. [applause] some veterans are ready to enter the workforce immediately, some need to update their skills. this is true for younger veterans who entered right after i school or after a short stint in college. we believe it is never too late to learn a new skill. just ask laura.

use ago she did not think she was marrying an oil painter. [laughter] our country has a proud citizen of ongoing veterans back to -- welcoming veterans back to school. i was pleased to sign and to law bill.st-9/11 june g.i. too many veterans are still having a tough time making it to graduation. some dropout rates for veterans exceed 50%. money, the is not problem is fitting in. veterans account for about three percent of the higher education population, and many report feeling isolated from their classmates and professors. there are some great institutions that are doing good

work, and attracting veterans and making them feel at home. smu is one. third shot out for syracuse in a brief. time. [laughter] and then there's texas tech, i have lost one political race in my life and that is to the chancellor of texas tech. he is not here, but he would've gotten good accolades for whipping the. me. [laughter] love to haveities a diverse student body, and that is important. but it is hard to imagine a more valuable observation to give us diversity than a group of people who spent the first part of their lives serving others.

they need to develop programs to worker, retain, and graduate veterans. to introduce you to marine who got , butree in accounting after he got a job he did not quite work. it is hard to go to from liberating people from bad guys to an account. ant. [laughter] so he went back to syracuse university and founded a business. ranked as one of the fastest-growing private companies in america. he is not only providing for his family, but some of his employees are fellow veterans. where are you? are you here?

thank you, welcome, we are glad you are here. [applause] his is an important story of how a university committed to veterans can facilitate a meaningful and productive transition to civilian life. but his story also highlights another challenge facing veterans today. when he returned from iraq he was diagnosed with the condition known as ptsd. a problem with post-traumatic stress is not the condition itself, the problem is the stigma surrounding the condition. partly because it is mislabeled as a disorder, and partly because many people are not aware of treatment options. some veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress are reluctant to seek help. as a result of public misunderstanding among employers sometimes cited as a reason for not hiring veterans.

one of the missions of the military service initiative is to help end the false stigma surrounding post-traumatic stress, and about veterans get the treatment they need. as most doctors today will tell you, post-traumatic stress is manic --order, poster post-traumatic stress is an injury that can result from the experience of war. like other injuries, it is treatable. the military and medical communities have made great strides in developing effective ways to overcome this. it can be controlled by medication, therapy, and other treatments. like most serious injury, it really goes away on its own. those affected must get help. platform tothis make clear that veterans receiving treatment for post traumatic stress are not managements -- damaged goods,

mentally shattered, but people who got hurt vending our country and our coming wounds -- defending our country and our overcoming wounds. employers would not hesitate to hire veterans with high blood pressure, or diabetes, and they should not hesitate to hire those with less dramatic stress. [applause] -- with posttraumatic stress. [applause] it has been his mission to spread the word behind the and theof behind pts, treatments. the center for brain health in dallas, address the challenges i got a brain injury and other wounds of war. in helping connect and wounded veterans to the care they need we hope to eliminate pts as a

barrier to employment and to empower veterans to reach their full potential. dave smith, i got to know him the near amarillo when we rode the mountain bike race. it two team leader, and employments to the rack -- and dated two deployments to iraq. supper came home he severe post-traumatic stress. in front of the amarillo cowboys and told the story. ,ne night he came home drunk and he pulled out a shotgun and look right down the barrel. fortunately he put the gone into another room, locked the closet, and went and got therapy. graduated from u cal berkeley with honors.

he earned earned at the new york stock exchange, i do not know at he did that -- interned the new york stock exchange, i do not know why. [laughter] we invited him to join us today, s inhe isn't swaddling -- i swaziland. he has gone to 11 countries and bibleths to build schools, to teaching this, math, and build water well. that pts doesroof not have to be an obstacle to a successful life. his story also highlights one of uplifting aspects of them returning home. they have devoted themselves to helping other veterans. those who've not worn the uniform are equally as passionate. 46,000 organizations

have a mission probably related to serving veterans. that is a huge number, and is a great testament to our country is strong support for veterans, but it can be overwhelming to those returning and looking for help. while these organizations have good intentions, i suspect some deliver better the results than others. the bush institute is undertaking a project to help measure their effectiveness. like going to look at data numbers of veterans served and quality and consistency of outcomes produced. we will conduct case studies on some of the leading, most effective organizations. our goal is not to pit one group o's against another, our goal is to improve effectiveness. to help our veterans. we are going to share measures

of effectiveness, and create a roadmap and assessment tool that all organizations can use to hold themselves to higher standards, to be able to match good intentions with good results. we will lay out this tool next fall at our next military initiative summit. the military service initiative is meant to empower veterans, to make a smooth and successful transition to a successful life. we will do that by spreading information to reduce the civilian-military divide, and write down barriers and open new opportunities for employment. and help organizations deliver better results for veterans. there's no doubt in my mind that this generation of veterans is just as good as any group of veterans before. there's no doubt in my mind it will be the leaders in the years to come for our nation, and there's no doubt in my mind that

as a result of their leadership, we will continue to be the greatest nation in the earth. thank you for coming. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please guel.me colonel mi [applause] >> good morning. bush has charged us to empower veterans to make a smooth transition to veteran life. seamlessly,ntegrate some feel disconnected or

isolated with the very people they serve in uniform. many post light 11 veterans and military families returned home to pay transition challenges that include unemployment, education, housing, health and wellness, family, or unique women's veterans issues. and so the george w. bush institute seeks to bridge these and empowering the work of communities, nonprofits, businesses, academia, the lancer p, and individual citizens. with presidential leadership, convening power and leading resources. our work is grounded in the research that the president mentioned. this year our work will include resources. framework to cover the needs of the post-9/11 veterans and felamilies./ we will perform meta-analysis to

praye -- that analysis to identify how we close that implement gap -- that employment gap and start meaningful careers. we will assess nonprofits and help funders align the resources to organizations that are having impacts, and to provide information for veterans to help them assess which organizations to turn to for assistance. also informs today's summit, empowering our nations warriors. the convening of the distinguished leaders from across the private, nonprofit, and public sectors at the national and local level, on the stage them in the audience, and those watching online. coming together to examine our warriorspport and their families. and/or agenda that -- and so our agenda includes conversation

with two prominent national leaders, a distinguished veteran and business leader who rose to the top of their profession and represent those who need human capital to flourish and a profession that has leverage that talent to ensure freedom and security. after a short break we will hear from two the fingers panels, the first will address transition and reintegration issues for this generation of veterans and military families, and set the conditions for how the private and nonprofit or can help. addressnd panel will how the private and nonprofit sectors can effectively support those transitioning warriors and their families on the perspective of communities, nonprofit for my business, education, and the length of the -- and philanthropy. glad that we will be monitored by distinguished panelists, the senior foreign

affairs correspondent for abc. we will include questions from the audience. as we heard from president bush, our government has rightly made supporting our veterans a top priority. the department of defense or the department of veterans affairs, the department of labor and others, all of whom are represented in this room today, make herculean efforts to support this population. and commitment of our government is also embodied in the leadership and work of drone -- joining forces out of the white house. at second lady, dr. jill biden works to ring attention to the sacrifices made by our military families, she is a military mom, and so dr. biden also understands firsthand how hard it can be to have a loved one deployed overseas. book speakn's directly to military family issues. through the joining forces initiative about dr. jill biden and michelle obama have provided

a national challenge to all americans to take action to find ways to support and engage our military families in their own communities. ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the second lady of the united states, dr. jill biden. [applause] >> good morning everyone. being hererful to in dallas. is my first time to visit this incident, and it is truly beautiful. thank you for that kind introduction and for all you do for military families, our servicemen and women, and for your service to your country.

president, and mrs. bush, thank you for your leadership and the discussion about how we can best empower our nation's post-9/11 momrans as and military -- post-9/11 veterans. as a military mom, that is something that is close to my heart. you can probably tell i am a military mom because of my camo cast, if you could see it, because it is camo. [laughter] general pace, thank you for being here. one of my role the second lady is to spend time with military veterans and military families. and the travel across the country and the world i am always inspired by the strengthen and resilience of their military families. while the troops serving our nation may be only one percent of our population, we want to make sure that 99% of

americans are supporting them. our military families have done so much for our country, and each of us can do something in return. that is why nearly three years ago the first lady michelle obama and i created joining forces, to encourage all americans to support and honor our military families. since that time, america has workplaces,n our our school, and our communities, and what we have seen has been truly inspiring. businesses are making it a priority to hire veterans and their spouses, like the president said, from mcdonald's more than 50,000 veterans have launching joine forces, to citibank, to at&t, companies are entering the nation's call. just last week of the first navy announced that more than 100

companies in the construction industry have committed to hiring more than 100,000 of americans veterans over the next five years into high-paying, long-term careers. companies big and small are stepping up to my not just because it is the patriotic thing to do, but because it is the smart thing to do. they know that our servicemen and women are some of the highest yield, -- highest skilled, hardest working they will ever have. ors are stepping up to help our kids. often, teachers, counselors, and other students really have no idea that these children have a parent who is serving in the military. that is why efforts like operation educate the educators is so important. it is the joining forces commitment, signed by more than

100 colleges to train future teachers on the unique needs of military kids in schools. and i'm sure martha of you know this, military children attend 6-9 different school systems. through each transition may have to leave their friends, adjust to a new school, and once again try out for a new sports team. that is why raising awareness on the impact on children is so important. ease some of the challenges military children face when transferring schools due to a parent refinement -- eassignment. giving the children a month from the time of enrollment to get the immunization that they need.

this is about making sure that the return to campus communities succeed. as an educator, it is so providet to me that we the tools and resources our service members and their families need in order to succeed on campus. importantly, we all need to tell the story of what they bring to the classroom. i have seen it in my own classroom, veterans bring the same determination and focus to their studies that they did that they brought to serving our country. i have seen, when i met with student veterans during my visits to campuses over the past to months, that we need highlight what is working for our service members on campus, and make sure that all schools

understand the tremendous value that veterans bring to the classroom. doctors, nation's nurses, and social workers have stepped up to make sure that they are prepared to meet the unique needs of our returning men and servicewomen. nursing colleges, medical schools, and family physicians have all pledged their support to enhance the preparation of our nation's medical providers to support veterans and their families. that i haveefforts mentioned are not always in the headlines, they are offering support in real and meaningful ways. thisamily experienced firsthand when my son deployed to iraq for your. -- a year. that year was very tough, and i do not need to tell anyone in

this audience what that feels like. it was tough for me and jo, but it was especially tough on his wife and their two small children. i learned just how much it means when members of the community reach out to support a family with loved ones overseas. sometimes, it is the littlest things that matter most. like a neighbor shoveling your driveway, a friend dropping off a warm meal, or your church putting your name in the bulletin and praying for your family. that is what joining forces is all about. commitments that might reach thousands of veterans, two canle acts of kindness that make all the difference to military family. as we continue to wind down more of ournd troops return home, many have served multiple the claimant -- deployments.

dealing with wounds both seen and unseen, we have and will continue to have, much more work to do in the years to come. in my role as second lady, there are so many stories that stand out. there is one in particular that i will never forget. husband and i visited iraq. we were visiting the troops on the fourth of july, and while we were there a general told me a -- i will really never forget. he told me the story of his six-year-old daughter who was attending a christmas play. one of her classmates burst into tears, and the teacher ran over, asking what was wrong. they were playing off a maria -- is maria, and she said that the song they played at my daddy's funeral, he died fighting in a rack. iraq.

her teacher was unaware that she was a military child. that is heartbreaking to anyone who hears it. it was the moment for me as a teacher that crystallized what i knew that we had to do to ensure a greater understanding of the military child experience. the morning after i heard that story i talked to my staff about how we had to find -- what we had to do, we had to find a way to raise awareness both inside and outside the classroom about what military children experience. shortly after we returned home from iraq, we began to work on what is known as operation educate the educators. it is the commitment made by teaching colleges to prepare future teachers. that type of effort is exactly what we were trying to do across

every pillar of joining forces. as more and more americans have a real understanding of what it means to serve, the more that they are ready to step up and do their part. we are also doing our part to reach out to military children, and also to the many caregivers who give so much love and support to our wounded soldiers. advances in our care for wooded warriors have significantly impact of this generation returning home. and teach in books my classroom, it is called better. he describes how there has been such a tremendous remarkable drops in the number of deaths of wounded soldiers. now there are entire surgical teams who travel in humvees directly behind the troops,

right out onto the battlefield. immediate trauma care is given before wooded soldiers make the org trip to germany facilities like walter reed. these advances in care also mean we have a new challenge. het is to have the best lp recovering warriors over a lifetime. young spouses, siblings, parents caring for their loved ones, which brings me to the story of two brothers in michigan. hi, aden army specialist was injured during his first deployment to afghanistan, sustaining multiple pelvis fractures and nerve damage to most of his right leg. came to the white house, he was in a wheelchair.

just a came to our home few months later, he was walking. he will tell you that much of his progress was due to the fact that his older brother brent was able to help serve as his caregiver. was able to help his brother because of the va caregiver rule. training,s counseling, supportive services, and a living stipend to post 9/11 veteran caregivers. rule,e of the caregiver he kept his job open so he could fill this important role for his brother. now he is back in chicago at his e is doing great, and they both credit the caregiver rule to his recovery.

that gives us the entire picture. government doing its part, business doing its part, and one doing his or her part. that is what this is all about, americans stepping up to do their part. there is no greater priority that we as a country have been to fill what my husband joe calls our nation's most sacred ourgation -- serving returning troops and their families as well as they have served us. so for wounded warriors and their caregivers, for the returning servicemen and women trying to complete their college education, or embark on a new career, and most of all for the families of those like the six-year-old girl that i told you about, whose loved ones are never coming home, there is so much that we can do as a country

, as americans to support them. that is why all of you are here today. thank you for for dissipating in this -- are dissipating in this participating in this important discussion. thank you. may god bless our troops, and their families. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chief noble affairs correspondent from abc news. [applause] general pace, united states

marine corps, retired. [applause] and the chairman and ceo and cofounder of blackstone. [applause] >> hello everyone, i am so proud to be here. aknow i am announced as reporter, but when the subject is our veterans, i am not object if about service and sacrifice andbjective about service sacrifice. pick apart the president's speech. he buried the lead. ptsd.pped the d from thank you, president bush. it is a great start to have the

president say that, thank you president bush. these men are representative of can ben be done, what done to employ veterans, to help them make that transition. we have supply, and we have [laughter] steve schwarzman employs one million people in blackstone. as armor chairman of the joint chiefs, 2.5 million returning veterans, already, and one million more to come yet i want to start with you. who are the veterans and what do they have you offer? -- to offer? >> thank you for being here today. this is terrific. thank you. dr. biden, god bless you are joining us. all of you in the audience, i know many of you. each of you love your fellow

countrymen serving the country right now. who are the veterans we are trying to empower? they are patriots, first of all. every single one of them. enlisted or reenlisted multiple times as 9/11. they know what they were doing. they volunteered to enter the united states while their nation was at work area they are incredible patriots. to row -- god where they planted. they had personal desires but these are men and women whose to whatde themselves the organization needs pyramid ever you ask them to do, they will do to the best of their ability. they are the engine makers. plan theand generals

battles, but the generals are the ones who make the decisions on the fly. they take commander's intense and turn it to opportunity. they have a great moral compass. you do not go into the ugliness of war and come out here on the other side without a measure of yourself. women know what they will do in the military and what they will do in business. they are certainly courageous. clearly, the valor kind of courageous. he leaned important, as ashley

as they transition, is the courage to speak their mind, to know who they are, to question authority when it should he questioned, and to help the leaders understand how best to lead in the direction in which they should lead. they are very comfortable with uncertainty. that is what the battle is about. are men and women of incredible integrity. if you have said, integrity, nothing else matters. you do not have integrity, nothing else matters. these men and women have integrity area they are team builders. there are team players and team builders and they are leaders of the worst order. and they know how to take care of their people.

i do not care if they are in .usiness or military service all of us want to work for a caring leader. that is what these young men and women are. caring leaders. to great imperatives for our nation area imperative number one is moral and ocean. we have a discussion about one percent defending the 1990's, but more important for where we're going and where is how they fit into the social structure of united dates. they are the next best generation, the leaders of the isfuture tom of the option endures, the io's, the men and who our great-grandchildren will look to for leadership and who will take

the country on the path the president describes, which will remain the best nation on and it. a national security imperative, we have the world's front -- finest armed forces, not just because we have incredible machines, which we do, but more importantly, because we have incredible young men and women who volunteer to serve. that the knowledge fellow countrymen respect what they do, the knowledge that when they do serve, that all of you who serve and watch this on television now are out that thee ready to watch them at home. empowers our best and brightest to volunteer for a military service. a last imperative is that of global competitiveness. since i'm sitting next to next him and take it.

>> you set a goal at blackstone to hire 50 house and veterans. tell us how that is going and what you have seen in these veterans, including the transition and whether there is difficulty in the transition area class it is an interesting house --i was at the the white house. i never saw two husbands fall in love faster. was a terrific introduction of the initiative. herion you have heard from and from mrs. obama and from the president and vice resident, it is really since and from mrs. obama and from the president and vice resident, it is really since year and important. my hat is off. before i answer your question, i would like to congratulate .resident bush bush

we have known each other for 47 years even though we look like we are in our 30's. [laughter] it is good to talk about such important things in a great way. with laura as well, a wonderful facility doing great rings. of veteran, that is an interesting and. we would not have gotten involved with the program without the white house initiative. we like leading our own normal lives. i was at a business round table meeting. the first lady came by and laid , to have really high unemployment for this group

of people. suicidesaving 20 today. i was sitting here leading -- listening to this. saying, what is this, what is here? she asked, like any good sales person, can you people help us? we would like to get commitments from you. to hire veterans. i remember reading the meeting and there are others ethers and i flew back to new york and was sitting in my car doing my normal reading. i got to my apartment. i did not go up because i was making pretend i would relax when i got home. i kept aching about. worldy, in the business homily do is with operation, not just one person rule. one, i decided to change

the decision-making process. i was sitting in my car, and i am not good technologically, so i wasi was sitting in my car, ai am not good technologically, so i dictated ang and note to the first lady and i dia note to the first lady and said, we have a lot of people who work for us. just doing some numbers in my head, we could easily hire 50,000 people so why shouldn't we? , i sentdo -- yesterday myself to work. see that look and said, are you doing this? this is just the moral rain to do. back.ome not be able to

get jobs? he talked to me about what it was like to get back here he said come i want to kill people sometimes heard it is not what i do. i just did the those in the military. i find the trees and shot bad guys. i do not want to be in swat teams. i want to reenter society. look, we will just do it. sandy, put your hand up. sandy is the head of our human this is group. quite ast accomplished. we committed. even in politics, you cannot round up to one million. like that. we looked at it and said, ok. this? we organize

the people are not trained -- i guess i should say in the civilian world. the first thing we encountered is, what do you do here? how do we increase the probability of success? what we said to the forces that be, look, we have got to have people before we get dumped out into the real world. this is why i say to this group of people who work on this, there really terrific here and basically giving us act that's the military people a year before they arewhat we did is b. that is amazingly good. you can help train them and now we have gone back to the

government and said, why don't we use the g.i. ill to get and -- and affect -- an effect. i still generalize unless they happen to be's civic. how do you know what the right is? they're just like humans. they may be smart and have all the characteristics you say. what you need is some kind of -- internal tatian rotation. gotten is, we committed for 50,000 over five years. in the first nine months, the commitments were very pacific. as soon as we sent

the letter in. we hired 10,000 people in nine our commitmentow . companiesree dallas who are here today. that is half of our commitment for our companies. the companies themselves are really enjoying this. it is helping to bring culture. it is the in people who are really terrific. classless talk about companies. briefly, before we talk about that, would you both talk about what the issues are we have to view,from your point of

from the companies who are not doing this, the people who want to reach out and hire veterans. >> the biggest problem for on one side of the got millions of veterans and you have great companies who want to hire them. understandably, we cannot share databases from the military side of the corporate side. versa.e a suspecting the privacy, but the able, for those who elect to, to have their names furnished to american corporations that want to hire them though that we can do this.

jobs in got 3 million the united states now that are vacant. those jobs are, where they are, and individuals who are capable and have the capacity and want to fill them, tissues no connective there. and if we could do that i think we could go a long way. not 50,000, but 100,000 over time. folks who will do great for his is. is not about veterans who are victims. we have veterans with national resources. if you want to be selfish about it as avictims. we have veterans with national resources. business leader, why credit --not hire the why wouldn't you hire these

people? is sensitivity to how you do the match. i think it was something like 12 needs who happen to be bigger and then you have. the construction, these that look like they were hiring 1000 people, over a five-year time. why every reason sickness in- of size in the country is not doing this. if they were the people who run the company sickness in size in the country is not doing this. , a reader here in the press, they are actually pretty nice people. they are well-intentioned. little door to door sales would not the a that hang.

you could get in and talk to these people, they will help you. there is no net costs of -- absent theause 10th will stuff of ms. massive -- mismatches and evil let out in one state, [indiscernible] i think we just need more people stepping up. >> and talking about it in a dialogue like you're having today. >> if we're just talking to ourselves, it is interesting. an important here it but, you really have got to be talking to the people who are not in the church. >> i want to open it up for questions. we have about 10 minutes for

isquestions. if you will wait r the microphone, raise your hands first, and date your name and lee h and please. -- state your name please. wait for the microphone unless you have a really loud voice. >> i am an army window and partner for a company moving manufacturing the mainland, china him about the united date. -- united states. [applause] thank you very much. right thing to do. we manufacture golf products. when everything is said and done, there will be very few golf. us made in the usa. we -- what we found is very valuable. i know everyone of my local recruiters in the houston area. i have gone recruiting and asked

am too asked to their -- to ask their compute -- recruiters. the biggest thing i think is a cap as an employer and veteran is that these young men and women need to continue to go good about the fact that they made the decision to get out because they are very worried about what her future brings. >> let's have general pace talk about that. thank you. >> thank you for what you're doing. there is uncertainty for the military families transitioning. they are proud of their service. they made the decision to return but they are nervous. guy -- nally a young

. they have never had the experience in corporate life in corporate america. it makes you nervous. listen. i was nervous about that in 18 six -- 1962 when i was transitioning. i get that. applaud what you are doing. would it not be great if you see patient's coming out, if you to the institution, i will leave next year, i will go , and i'mew jersey interested in these tanks. if that could be put into a database, then the corporate world could go into that and say, we are looking for x number of people in new jersey.

you see where i'm going. if we could just break down the one major barrier between the normal supply of the people and the median for very talented people i must that you get mored together much efficiently. >> that link starts early. another question. over there. >> thank you. i'm with the navy league. workerteran and then a in the defense industry, my is even in the defense industry, we wanted to hire veterans and had veterans still side jobs. we had other type jobs. from an industry point of view, my biggest problem as a manager there, or division director, was that my hr recognize the skills in.he people coming

when he got into an advertisement, a corporation, hr control the industry. my question is, how do we educate hr in. when he got into an people to recognize the skills veterans bring and the underlying capabilities a have your they are not in the strict. i believe they are somewhere else, thank you. class i want to congratulate the ladies. if i had a voice like yours, god knows what would've happened. i think the hr question, hr companies, work for and actually want to please the ceo. they basically do what they're

told. you have to do this from the top. this is not a level upper. the ceo of the company has got thisy, this is a priority, is what we're doing, this is why i ache it is a good ring. it sounds like a big waste, but it is a small race and it is focused. you could have somebody come out and talk. you have to have a meeting. you cannot just do it yourself. have to be from the top, with the coordination, and then you asld use other companies references. will. up the hr we have meetings to generally function among our companies.

one meeting with the ceo. one meeting -- this is not the --e time during the year one meeting with hr people. where has the country come to that you need a separate meeting. this is like a subject at that meeting. way, itere to nice that will happen for you. if you are just a free-floating malik you'll trying to make it happen, it is just too hard. there is a support system the white house has put in place. if you see sandy later thomas a tall guy with white hair, he can tell you how we're doing it and looping in. it really works. it really works. but you have to be part of the system. press one more question. >> if i could just chime in.

clock. in see that live by that clock. impact.can have a major the intent is to share best ideas and publish them so that over time, trafford leigh, just using your example, have a manual,, that is aimed at hr personnel. is about military people, so the millet -- the military can they they want that done but the photos can go to. that is what the initiative can really help with, i think. >>. >> i am with the foundation for the advancement of medicine. you have's open about the need to break down barriers, to be able to connect the data from the dod to the v.a. to the civilians died.

sir, you mentioned you were actually able to get in a year prior to separation. i'm wondering how you did that and what we need to do to break the barriers down. >> great question. sandy so ihone for stop talking generally and you actually learn a thing? do you have a microphone we can use in the on? -- in the front? >> i think exactly what steve said about the different parts of the government. we have the conversation with the dod. we expressed a need and they were on it. anyone has access to it. any and we are, we're doing on behalf of anyone. we are not doing things just on behalf of lack on. -- blackstone. >> they will hire him in the budget.

>> [indiscernible] they coordinate with? >> he is running the program on behalf of the first lady. >> standups of evil can see you. [laughter] [applause] -- stand up so people can see you. [laughter] [applause] is importanty it for him to stand up is because he is the coordination point. stuffl get us -- this done. not take a position publicly, but i would say, i would say in this area come a they are perfect. should really use them. what i would also say as long as i am free worming up here, which is, i guess, what you are allowed to doing these things,

is to make the sale to companies who can hire a lot of justice. has got to come from authority , as well.rom the top it is hard for me imagining resident which in france and talk like this is clearly a major rarity here. it should be. talk to them and say, i would -- see what you can do. not pressure. just laying it out. he is a good salesman. he has gotten a lot of votes in his life. he is totally persuasive. he could do that. in the same way, the bidens and the obama's, if they actually met with people, with people group, if youarge

do it with small groups and are and later case out for 15 minutes, the chance of you making that sale is if the percent. every one of the big companies, they can do do 50,000.they can make 20 of those successful calls, you have one million people hired. it is really pretty amazing area there is a capability, whether in the front row or others in the immunity to be able to help do that. about doingtic this. >> a final quick thought and then we will take a break. >> thank you.

to the men and women in the audience who are military members, and is actually those watching on a broad test, inc. you for your service. proud.e done us as you look at a transition and he, embraceon and this like you would any other mission. take response billy for the transition. your responsibility. you and your family's. transfer your life to a life you wanted to be very there are many organizations that are willing and april to help you and to the organizations, that are here in the room, this is about being globally competitive. this is to remain the best nation on the planet to live and work. we have 2.5 million post-9/11 civilians already transitioned and one more is about to transition over the next five years. we have incredible national resource

that we should empower and take advantage for our good and they're good. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. thank you. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] on this memorial day, c-span is visiting a memorial around the national mall in washington d c. i world war ii memorial. thatmemorial has 56 it is set herea between the lincoln memorial and the washington monument.

earlier this memorial day we were at the national commentary on where president obama took ceremony of two of the unknowns. he delivered the annual memorial day address. watch the entire ceremony i here on these than area just before today's ceremony, c-span's coverage and in use with remarks by the supreme court justice scalia and scott walker starting at 2, 45 -- 2:45 eastern. return to women and the with anties they face admiral who spoke earlier this year at a business college in rockville, said -- rock hill, south carolina. speaker is the superintendent of the united eight coast guard academy and is

the first female leader of any of our nation's five academies. --iral sandra stosz search-and-rescue, domestic icebreaking, and law enforcement. she previous leak served as director of reserves in leadership and as a manning office or of this heiresses recruit training center in cape may, new jersey. she earned a bachelor of science degree in government from the bachelor academy and is the worst e-mail ratchet with of the coast guard academy to make admiral. she earned an mba from northwestern university's andord school of management a second degree in national security strategy from the admirable -- out. andral stosz was a swimmer

part of a man's team before they had a women's team. we are eager to learn about herbs. is so please join me in admiral sandra stosz. [applause] >> thank you for the kind introduction. the morning, everybody. i am used to talking to groups or students. i know how important it is. today.in here on campus

i was shown around your amazing campus and i was thrilled to have a chance to engage with students. it is a beautiful campus. i'm honest -- honored to address today.up it is a privilege to be here and a wonderful forum. it is beautiful, small, and intimate. today. it is a privilege to be here and a wonderfuli know at the end, yt a chance to ask the questions. it is a good form. i was reasoning -- reading a newspaper the dean's list in their and i congratulate all the students who made the dean's list on the president's list and all those who are varsity asked its as well. a lot to be proud of here. i also want to ask a question about veterans in the group here and i know i just met the coast

guard, number 26 here. what is this group here? onboard program that is two years old. i'm really proud of winter get never said he for starting our program. way to it is a great develop the military relationships so valuable to us. we know that is one of the key today, thehe top civic. on board for the first time here and has in here for two years. any other veterans in the adience? a show of hands? number, that is great to see. anyone from reads here? shout -- from marines here? shout it out. army? air force? at least a couple. coast guard? who am i forgetting?

i am just kidding. the navy. they are the others the service. the navy. who is navy here? going to lete not me forget the navy. to celebrate that real diversity of perspectives and these periods is here at winthrop -- experiences here at winthrop. today, i will talk about leadership, breaking through the ranks to leave at all levels your that will be the team of my talk. , i am ayou may think student and i cannot be a leader. that is the wrong way to think. i am talking to you students who are leaders whether you know it or not. student byve as a being a role model. you can role model specific --ior and intervene, behavior and intervene, not the a bystander. make sure you are leaving -- leading your peers to do the right thing.

i am excited to speak here at the west forum. governor west is a perfect example. civic engagement. by definition, is active engagement. that is why i talk about intervening and not being a bystander. in your daily lives, you can do that. ofrecognize the importance mobilization and localization. those two themes are themes that governor west wanted to make sure he left a legacy here with the form. i will touch on both of those today. as i looked into the differences and similarities between winthrop university and the coast guard academy, i was struck by how similar they are. you may not at. a small, military academy. stateum i've -- sized college. amazing similarities. we have shared values. our

mission is to develop character. it really equates to civic engagements. it is what your school is all about urine coast guard academy, and locally relevant and prominent that models right after localization. it is interesting our two schools are connected and it makes you feel like i am able to connect with you as an audience as i discussed this talk on leadership at all levels. both schools are preparing the next generation of leaders to lead the nation in uncertain times. that is a burden and an opportunity on the audience. you are going to class every day learning from your fences. we are training you so you can agar plates monday. it is your time you need to learn in class and realize you will be the leaders of tomorrow. you students and my cadets. inan ever-changing world, which there is a lot of uncertainty, that can lead to stress and pessimism about the juror.

it is our job as leaders at all levels, including you young leaders, to take the challenge on as an opportunity. we owe it to you all around us to take that responsibility on. pave the way for people. people will never achieve the full potential to engage leadership. meet them where they are. leaving at all levels and reaching out a hand. haveto others as you would them do unto you. that means reaching out your hand to understand where somebody is. it especially applies to we more

senior people, reaching out our hand to meet cadets where they are as opposed to dig hating a message down. you students would probably agree. you want to be engaged where you so and brought up to learn you can internalize that learning. you will hear me talk today on a positive outlook, grounded in pride and passion. those are the two words i will talk about in a minute. pride and passion for the coast guard, for winthrop university, the armed forces, and our great nation. i believe pride and passion are keys to being successful and rising to the top in any organization and not just the military one. you have these positive qualities any look at what drop you can add to help fill that, where you can make a difference. students in the room want to make a difference. andhinking as i talk, work you make a difference to fill

the glass? you want to make sure you have glass full ors -- than when you found it at the command and. the coast guard academy, you can see and feel the pride entering the front eight. the cadets are standing proud. when i came in the gate yesterday, to winthrop yesterday and took a tour, your architecture here, you have your full old links and lovely new buildings like this one we are pride andis a lot of passion reflected right here in the university and to nobody and faculty and staff. we are committed to a right future through education. it is a great place to talk about pride and passion and leaving at all levels. we also .ave a lot of pride where we have come here at minorities,men and

we learned this morning, i learned in 1964 we admitted our first minority students and in 1974, the minutemen, it used to be an all women college. i am proud to be here. come forfar winter has the and 50 years of integrating minorities, becoming a diverse student body and the admiralty you are today or a lot of tried and passion there. our ride and passion is reflected through the coast developing civic leaders. these are noble missions and it made me route to be a part of the coast guard and standing here today. i will go through history because you cannot have tried and passion without a firm down -- firm foundation of where you came from. i talked with one of your history professors and there is a lot to learn from where we

have been as a society and where we need to go. let me talk a little about organizational history from my perspective here that will set the foundation for leading at all levels. this is where we developed passion and pride. we have got to reflect that on the history that has shaped us and inspired passion. the coast guard has a rich history that appealed to me from the day that i looked at where i want to go as a young students that made a difference. when i first raised my hand, i knew i was in the right place or me. everyone is got to find that personal journey. we have amazing missions ranging from humanitarian services like search-and-rescue, and a year ago, the bounty sank and it was those guard rescue helicopter that did save some people on the crew. we do law enforcement to

preserve our national resources and did her against illegal incursions in our country. in addition, we secure the .aterways against threats we were front and center at the hurricane katrina disaster. helped it or not, we defend nations overseas. we have trolled boats as we speak. lieutenant,a young sponsored only 26 or seven years old in the persian gulf. right here in south carolina, to sectorck home come a charleston, south carolina, not far from here, and that is almost all the missions, except the national defense is the water. right here him a you have a strong and proud those guard

presence in south carolina. that is a lot to be proud of and that makes us you're in the colts guard -- coast guard part of south carolina. it is not just me coming down here in london from the coast inrd academy. locally charleston here in south airliner. -- south carolina. it is more than just missions for whatever company you go with or whatever service you go into. our core values -- that was not the right thing to do. let me take a drink real quick. i need to have that break. way to take aging point you're giving a talk. in a clear make sure voice, honor and respect.

.e live by those core values that is really the glue that bonds you together as an organization. by ourcharacterized motto at the coast guard. always ready. motto, our core values, and our mission, we have got a lot of pride and passion in our service and it is evident in our those guard, men and women. in order to help me build my foundation of ride and passion to share with you how i got where i am, i want to talk about women's history and the importance of that to my foundation here at my story is from a woman's perspective there that is why i was asked to come down here. i am thankful to see the men in the audience because we are all in it together. it is not just women or men or one or the other. we are all a team and we are all a group yet winthrop and back of the those guard academy.

looking at women's history, we stand on the shoulders of those who paved the way before us here and i might your as is e-mail superintendent, but women for generations ago paved the way before me. i want to start with a little bit of history. it is a good context and it is interesting to think back on. we tend to forget our history quickly. three generations ago, this world war i generation. i will start with that. it backs up a little leading up to that. in 1920, the 19th amendment was signed. until 1920 that women got the right to vote in this country. they were denied opportunities open to men until they got that average area women spent well over 50 years fighting for the before it actually happened in 1920. african-american men the vote way before white women or women

of any kind. 1920, that is back to civil war times that women started to organize with the right to vote. in 1872, i will tell a short little story or a woman by the name of my raw, who i never heard of. we talk about euros and all the women we heard of. you do not hear about mira. she challenged illinois law, which restricted membership in a a bar to men and she wanted to be in a state are and be a lawyer. the supreme court upheld illinois state law. just as radley, delivering the opinion for the majority, that in his opinion, and remember , 100 years before title ix, which i will get to in it is true many" women are unmarried and not

affected by any of the duties, complications, and incapacities arriving out of the married state. to there exceptions general rule. the destiny and mission of women is to fulfill the noble and benign offices of life and mutter -- mother. this is the law of the creator and the rules of civil society must be adapted to the general constitution of things and cannot be based on exceptions. that was worth sharing with you today. it is important to reflect back on history. you're probably thinking, i cannot believe i'm hearing that. it is well over 100 years ago but this is what women in our positions, ladies out there in the audience, were dealing with 140 years ago. this kind of mindset. we have come a long way, but it is amazing we were even there and we and to forget we were at one time. let's go forward to two generations ago. world were two women. auxiliary reserves.

it goes through all those different branches of service. when men went off to fight, there was a large drive for women to join and do the other kinds of work behind the men. actually flying and delivering those lanes and doing a manner of operational job, oft gets back to the days the amazing women who led the way for people like me. one of those women was grace hopper, an admiral in the navy reserves. she was truly a woman who understood how to lead at all levels. she had a quote that was very interesting. you do not manage. you manage things. you lead people. we are talking about leaving at all levels. many people tend to think of our lives as managing. we manage, governance, it is all management. but there is an element of

leadership, what can make you stand out become successful. that is what i want to talk about today. grace hopper is that women. who here has heard of her? very few. that is why i wanted to have his verbal onset here. very few third of admiral hopper. she is truly one who met people where they are. she was in information technologies -- list ahead of her time. -- aad a particular piece particular prop she would use to talk to audiences. does anyone remember what that was? anyone want to take a guess? it was a nano second. a 12 inch piece of wire. she would use it as a prop. his is a nano second. that is one billionth of one second there that is how far an election signal travels in 12

inches. she held that up as a way to meet people where they are, young people, to help them interested in computer technology and science and math. i thought that was a great model .o use as art of our historical people like admiral hopper in the 1940's and 1950's for years were leading the way. one generation that sent my to just set my generation back and 1970'ss --, equal rights movements. have heard of women's rights activist. is interesting because i lived or he met time and i met both of those women out there it i met byria when i was invited secretary clinton when she was secretary of date. i was invited to the state

department a couple years ago i took a job to appear as part of a women in public service project. meeting female leaders all around the world. she noticed there was less conflict. she wanted us women to talk about leadership is that this and i ended up eating paired -- this woman. i did not know it until i got there, but i was introduced and i was paired with her for the day for those talks for the panel experience. it was interesting, likely -- meeting a legend for me. that name was everywhere in the 1970's. billie jean king, and in a meeting when i was testifying ix.ront of congress, title

i was down in washington dc. the next person who walked in the door was billie jean king, also pairing. olympicean king, an swimmer. and the first african-american astronaut. does anyone know that? all you african-american women should know her. she was the first female at an american astronaut. withoutlineup of people whom, i would not be standing where i am. you have not all necessarily heard of these women. i would not be standing here and you and i have the opportunities you have that these women. it is in and to reflect back on that. does anyone in the audience know what title ix was? have you heard of it?

a few more, but mostly it is the hands in the front, usually the more senior people. students usually sit in the back. i'm not seeing many hands on title ix. a couple? i -- it is interesting. i'm not sure if that is good or bad. to d.c. and testify in front of the senate health panel on the impact of title ix on my success, i asked my cadets if they had heard of title ix and they had not. i was wondering if that was good or bad. good that young people now have the opportunity so they do not have to think about it, or it is that that they do not know the history and how hard other women work toupees -- to pave the way. i came under my conclusion that his book. i'm glad women to not have to worry about it and do not have doors close, but i also think it is that they do not understand the history of women who suffered and struggled to get us

where we are. that is why i wanted to mention that. my story, that i told at that hearing, goes long alliance of 19 76, women were allowed to enter the united dates service academies by act of law and the authorization act required the service the open to women. before that, it was men only. i was living outside of baltimore, maryland. the baltimore sun ran an article on the naval academy opening its doors to women. i was tomboy at the time. i wanted to something exciting with my life and i did not know what it was. a neighbor walked the baltimore sun over to my mother and knew it -- i was a tomboy and said that i might be interested in this. i was.

an exciting education and a chance to serve your country. it was free and they gave you a stipend. atad to run back to look stipend in the dictionary. it was money to pay there was not a cat. five years of service. anywhere you go after you graduate, you will serve somewhere. i was told a lot of students that jobs in the health-care care sector. you will be serving a lot in the i ended up sector. choosing the coast guard over the navy because when i looked at those schools and the naval academy, it is women who were serve.owed to

such title 14, we had no combat exclusion laws. we still have a 308 foot -- , some ofh the missiles those for a while. those ads were open to women. there were no jobs women were looted from serving when they graduated. so i wanted to have equal, somef those for a while. access for putting in the same artwork. i came into the coast guard academy and the third class of women. women made up five percent of posture -- population in those days there it there were not sports started. imagine going and you have to start your basketball teams and start everything up. i could not of course compete. i was not that good. it was a young female cadet and had been a swimmer in high