Remarks by the Vice President at the United States Coast Guard Academy Commencement Ceremony

Business Wire, May 21, 2008

NEW LONDON, Conn. -- United States Coast Guard Academy

11:33 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. Secretary Chertoff, Admiral Allen, Admiral Burhoe, Congressman Coble, Academy staff and faculty, distinguished guests, families, officers, cadets, and graduates:

I'm delighted to be with you today. In my final year as Vice President, it's an honor to visit this historic academy, to see the Corps of Cadets, and to meet the newest officers in the United States Coast Guard -- the Class of 2008.

I can't help being a little jealous of the graduates and cadets here today. After all, you'll still have a job eight months from now. (Laughter.)

Once again, the faculty and staff of this Academy have prepared an extraordinary group of first-class cadets. Today's graduates include three international students, and we congratulate the diploma recipients from Thailand, Lithuania, and Tunisia. Throughout the corps we have hundreds of impressive, gifted men and women from all across America. There's even a fourth-class cadet who comes from the same place I do, Casper, Wyoming. I'm told he's on board the Eagle today, but he's the only cadet from my home state in the entire Academy. Then again, I guess it's never taken much manpower to defend Wyoming's coastline. (Laughter.) We've never let enemy vessels get beyond Idaho. (Laughter.)

Today more than 200 men and women will receive their shoulder boards and go forth from New London. As a group you've spent these last four years together, and Lord willing you'll come back many times more for reunions in the decades to come. But the 21st of May, 2008, will always be your day of days. We're all very proud of you. And it's my honor to bring greetings and congratulations to each one of you from the Commander in Chief, President George W. Bush.

The President sent me here with some instructions. Apparently some members of the Corps of Cadets are wrapping up their year on restriction. You know who you are. (Laughter.) Your Commander in Chief took note and thought we should give you a break. Me -- I could go either way. (Laughter.) But on behalf of the President, in honor of the Class of 2008, I hereby absolve the cadets on restriction for minor conduct violations. (Applause.) Now for the meaning of the word "minor," you'll have to check with Admiral Burhoe. (Laughter.)

Very soon you'll be reporting to Afloat Units, Sector Units, or Flight School. And as you sit here today, with two silver dollars in your pocket, I know that each one of you is focused on all the duties that lie ahead. It's fitting, as well, to reflect on all the hard work that brought you to this moment -- and to remember the people who stood beside you every step of the way. On this special day, no one is prouder than the people who know you best and care about you the most. And I think we should acknowledge them as well with a hearty round of applause for the parents of the Class of 2008. (Applause.)

From this day forward, you will be America's lifesavers and guardians of the sea. You'll be there to provide maritime safety -- from search and rescue in moments of emergency, to the navigational aids that everyone on the waters depends upon.

You'll be there to provide security -- to defend our maritime sovereignty, to honor the agreements we've signed with other countries, and to enforce this nation's laws against drugs and human smuggling.

And you'll be there for the work of stewardship -- to watch over the marine environment, guard its resources, and look after protected species and the waters in which they live.

It's an immense set of duties, as all of you well understand. The United States has 95,000 miles of coastline, well over 300 ports -- and we're active across more than 3 million square miles of ocean. The vessels in this domain -- from commercial tankers to pleasure craft -- are literally millions in number.

As officers, you'll be responsible for the safety of the ships and crews under your command, and for completing every mission that comes your way. And in your careers you'll be leading a Coast Guard that is more capable, agile, and well equipped than ever before in its 217-year history. The fleet includes multi-mission helicopters, sophisticated surveillance aircraft, response boats capable of righting themselves, and ships that can break ice four-and-a-half feet thick when the thermometer reads 50 below.

For all the duties we've given to this branch of the service, and for all the good work it carries out around the clock, it's amazing to realize that the U.S. Coast Guard is about the size of the New York City Police Department. Your heritage of incident response is a story of small numbers of men and women who can move swiftly and take control of a situation. Virtually every day, someone in your ranks goes to sleep knowing to a moral certainty that he or she has saved a fellow human being from death or serious injury. And every night, a lot of people are thanking God for the United States Coast Guard.

During your own time at this Academy, the Coast Guard distinguished itself when Hurricane Katrina swept in from the Gulf of Mexico. The following is a quote: "The Coast Guard successfully executed multiple primary missions throughout the Gulf Coast in the wake of the worst natural disaster in United States history. Responding with more than 4,500 personnel, 130 small boats, four cutters, and 60 aircraft to devastation and despair across more than 90,000 square miles and 6,400 miles of coastline, the Coast Guard rescued more than 33,000 people, began cleanup operations of 9.4 million gallons of oil, replaced and repaired over 1,800 aids to navigation, and provided hope to hundreds of thousands of displaced citizens. (Applause.) This inspiring response is a direct result of the spirit and practice of operational initiative, positive leadership and courage of the total Coast Guard force." End quote. Those are the words of the Presidential Unit Citation -- and the ribbon for that citation is proudly worn by every member of the Class of 2008.