Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan challenged the U.S. Naval Academy’s 2019 graduating class to embrace failure, think creatively, and become the vanguard of a new class of officers dedicated to eliminating sexual misconduct in the ranks.
In his commencement address Friday, Shanahan urged the roughly 1,000 newly minted Navy ensigns and Marine Corps second lieutenants to uphold the highest ethical standards, even when it means confronting a friend.
“When you see ethical failure — in uniform or out, by military members or others — you must become gravity. You and your commitment must be unshakable, regardless of the circumstances,” Shanahan told the Annapolis graduates. “The easiest person to stand against is the enemy. The toughest person to stand against is your teammate.”
Lacking military experience, Shanahan drew heavily on his career as a rising star at Boeing to pass along lessons for success, including a decision to take over a failing plant, an assignment he said ultimately led to an embarrassing black mark on his record.
“If you ever studied the samurai culture in feudal Japan, you know the most feared, most dangerous of all samurai were those who had felt the cut of their opponent’s sword and lived to fight the next battle,” Shanahan said. “If you have never experienced failure, if you have not felt the cut of the blade, then when failure finds you, you won’t know how to recover.”
Shanahan had three pieces of advice for the young officers who will soon be getting their first assignments in a dangerous world: Don’t fear failure, don’t simply do what has worked before, and uphold the highest ethical standards.
“When the project or mission appears slated for failure, stay the course, find a better path, and don’t you dare quit,” he said. “Think, don’t copy.”
Rapid technological advances, from artificial intelligence to hypersonic weapons to space capabilities, mean the next generation of leaders will face completely new challenges, he argued, situations for which they have never trained.
“You are going to be asked to do jobs for which there will be no instruction manual, no precedent,” he said. “We will need you to come up with innovative solutions to complex, rapidly evolving problems with no one to call who knows how to do it any better than you.”
Shanahan closed with an appeal to the midshipmen to change the culture of the Navy and Marine Corps, which have seen a rise in reports of sexual harassment and assault.
“I need you young lieutenants and ensigns to set the standard on preventing sexual harassment and assault in our ranks. The status quo won’t cut it,” he said.
“You are perfectly postured to make that impact: You are parachuting into the front lines. Set the climate. Model and teach the right behaviors of respect, good order, and discipline. Call it out. Lead. Motivate. Inspire. Coach up. Transform our Navy and Marine Corps. “
And Shanahan had one final marching order: “Soothe our allies and partners. Frighten the hell out of our foes.”
