History must be interrogated, examined, and challenged in order to apply it successfully to the lessons of today.
You have been given the tools to make tough decisions when knowledge is incomplete and the risks are high.Īlfred Thayer Mahan – who sat in that corner office - said that “The study of history lies at the foundation of all sound military conclusions and practice.”īut as you have learned at this institution, you cannot study passively. They made the best decisions they could with incomplete information.Ībove all, they focused on the big picture, the strategy, finding a way to deter a malign adversary while at the same time maintaining the communication that provided the Soviet Union with a peaceful way out. They considered the lessons of history, including the escalations of World War I that haunted President Kennedy as he read from Barbara Tuckman’s The Guns of August. They challenged multiple aspects of warfighting doctrine, from first strike timelines, to the minimum effective range of a naval blockade. President Kennedy’s team worked around the clock to take the world back from the brink of nuclear war. It precipitated what is now known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sixty years ago, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev began preparations to place nuclear missiles on the island of my birth, Cuba.
My challenge to you is this: Use the strong grounding you’ve received from this institution to deter and prevent conflicts, not just win them. The intellectual acumen and personal drive you’ve demonstrated marks you as a leader, capable of the analytic, and more importantly strategic, problem solving that our world requires. So to all of the spouses, parents, children, and loved ones here today, thank you for your support and encouragement of these distinguished graduates!Īnd now, I want to congratulate the Naval War College Class of 20, 21, and 22! To this day, we both look on that Naval War College degree on the wall as a shared accomplishment.Īnd I hope that is true for every family here. I couldn’t have done it without her, and I thank her from afar. I have great memories of studying here as a young naval officer, in my small closet office under the stairs at 134 Jones Street, while my wife Betty cared for our four small children. President Chatfield, thank you for your leadership of this magnificent institution – our beloved Naval War College. Good morning Naval War College! Is there a more beautiful view on earth?
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