WEBVTT 00:02.540 --> 00:04.760 Good evening , my name is Buddy Media 00:04.770 --> 00:06.548 and it is my honor to introduce 00:06.548 --> 00:08.548 tonight's keynote speaker . I would 00:08.548 --> 00:10.270 like to introduce you the 22nd 00:10.270 --> 00:12.326 Secretary of Defense Dr . Robert M . 00:12.326 --> 00:14.492 Gates , I could tell you about all his 00:14.492 --> 00:16.603 accomplishments and achievements that 00:16.603 --> 00:15.530 have occurred throughout his 00:15.540 --> 00:17.850 illustrious career . However , because 00:17.850 --> 00:20.072 you can easily find this information on 00:20.072 --> 00:22.072 the doj website , I thought I would 00:22.072 --> 00:21.950 tell you a few things you may not know . 00:22.640 --> 00:24.529 DR Gates is the only Secretary of 00:24.529 --> 00:26.696 Defense in U . S . History to be asked 00:26.696 --> 00:28.696 to remain in that office by a newly 00:28.696 --> 00:30.584 elected president and our current 00:30.584 --> 00:30.180 president , Barack Obama , is the 00:30.180 --> 00:32.458 eighth president . DR Gates has served . 00:32.458 --> 00:34.458 You may know a few things about him 00:34.458 --> 00:36.624 already , such as before directing the 00:36.624 --> 00:38.736 CIA and becoming president of texas A 00:38.736 --> 00:40.958 and M . He was commissioned as a second 00:40.958 --> 00:43.180 lieutenant in the U . S . Air force and 00:43.180 --> 00:43.050 served as an intelligence intelligence 00:43.050 --> 00:45.161 officer at Whiteman Air Force Base in 00:45.161 --> 00:46.994 Missouri . What you may not know 00:46.994 --> 00:48.994 however , is that he hold education 00:48.994 --> 00:51.106 very dear to his heart . He graduated 00:51.106 --> 00:53.272 from Wichita High School East and went 00:53.272 --> 00:55.383 on to receive a scholarship to attend 00:55.383 --> 00:57.606 the College of William and mary . There 00:57.606 --> 00:57.580 he graduated with a bachelor's in 00:57.580 --> 01:00.020 history and at a graduation ceremony he 01:00.020 --> 01:02.131 received the Algernon Sidney Sullivan 01:02.131 --> 01:04.298 award naming him the graduate that has 01:04.298 --> 01:06.409 made the greatest contribution to his 01:06.409 --> 01:08.631 fellow man . He then pursued a master's 01:08.631 --> 01:10.687 in history from indiana University . 01:10.687 --> 01:12.909 Finally , he completed his doctorate in 01:12.909 --> 01:11.830 Russian and soviet history from 01:11.830 --> 01:13.740 Georgetown University . I have 01:13.740 --> 01:15.796 emphasized his focus on education in 01:15.796 --> 01:17.740 order to show why the senior class 01:17.740 --> 01:19.796 officers invited him to speak at our 01:19.796 --> 01:21.629 graduation dr robert M Gates was 01:21.629 --> 01:23.851 invited here today because he serves as 01:23.851 --> 01:26.073 an inspiration not only to the students 01:26.073 --> 01:28.129 of Kaiser star in high school but to 01:28.129 --> 01:30.240 students across the world . We are so 01:30.240 --> 01:32.462 pleased you came to this side of town . 01:33.840 --> 01:34.840 Okay . 01:42.040 --> 01:44.151 And it is my pleasure to introduce to 01:44.151 --> 01:46.373 you the honourable secretary of Defense 01:46.373 --> 01:48.651 of the United States . Dr robert Gates . 01:50.640 --> 01:51.640 Mhm . 02:01.240 --> 02:02.796 Thank you Brittany for that 02:02.796 --> 02:05.610 introduction and I'm grateful for the 02:05.610 --> 02:07.443 opportunity to be here tonight , 02:08.340 --> 02:11.300 believe or not nearly half a century 02:11.300 --> 02:13.950 ago . Yes , I am that old . 02:15.540 --> 02:17.596 I was in a similar position to where 02:17.596 --> 02:20.940 you are now waiting indeed begging for 02:20.940 --> 02:24.560 the graduation speech to end . So I'll 02:24.560 --> 02:26.800 keep my remarks brief , keenly aware 02:26.800 --> 02:29.022 that I am the main obstacle between you 02:29.022 --> 02:32.180 and a great party . First of the 02:32.180 --> 02:34.710 parents , you serve your country here 02:34.710 --> 02:37.700 in various capacities , military and 02:37.700 --> 02:40.860 civilian , but most importantly tonight , 02:41.640 --> 02:44.540 you're all proud parents . I know that 02:44.540 --> 02:46.750 moving your family to another country 02:46.750 --> 02:49.630 and culture can be challenging . Many 02:49.630 --> 02:51.840 long days and nights at work , compete 02:51.840 --> 02:54.062 with the time you would rather spend at 02:54.062 --> 02:56.960 home with your child . The dual role of 02:56.970 --> 02:59.026 parents and public servant is not an 02:59.026 --> 03:01.960 easy one . I can attest to that myself , 03:03.240 --> 03:05.407 some of the uniform parents of today's 03:05.407 --> 03:07.780 graduates are deployed and cannot be 03:07.780 --> 03:10.550 here today while some of you have just 03:10.550 --> 03:12.950 returned or getting ready to leave . 03:13.940 --> 03:16.051 We're all grateful for the sacrifices 03:16.051 --> 03:18.218 that you make on behalf of all of us . 03:19.140 --> 03:21.362 I'd also like to say a few words to the 03:21.362 --> 03:23.600 teachers , much of what I've 03:23.600 --> 03:25.710 accomplished . I traced back to high 03:25.710 --> 03:28.290 school teachers whose names and faces I 03:28.290 --> 03:31.220 have never forgotten . They opened my 03:31.220 --> 03:33.276 eyes to the world and to the life of 03:33.276 --> 03:36.150 the mind and they were role models of 03:36.150 --> 03:39.980 decency and character . And I only hope 03:39.980 --> 03:42.180 that half a century from now these 03:42.180 --> 03:44.347 graduates will look back on their time 03:44.347 --> 03:46.950 here with such fond memories And above 03:46.950 --> 03:49.190 all remember the role you teachers 03:49.190 --> 03:52.810 played in their lives . The 03:52.810 --> 03:55.290 wider cowser slot slaughtering 03:55.290 --> 03:57.840 community saying it takes a village 03:57.840 --> 03:59.896 rings true when it comes to military 03:59.896 --> 04:02.130 families , especially those far from 04:02.130 --> 04:05.760 home . Everyone does their part and no 04:05.760 --> 04:08.460 one should be taken for granted from 04:08.460 --> 04:10.404 its humble origins . More than six 04:10.404 --> 04:12.349 decades ago , this institution has 04:12.349 --> 04:15.040 grown and evolved , reflecting the 04:15.040 --> 04:17.207 strong and enduring bonds between this 04:17.207 --> 04:20.040 school and the community and between 04:20.040 --> 04:22.660 the United States and Germany . So 04:22.660 --> 04:25.160 thanks to all in K town and to our 04:25.160 --> 04:27.104 german friends for your support of 04:27.104 --> 04:29.271 these kids and their families over the 04:29.271 --> 04:32.750 years . And finally the class of 2010 , 04:33.140 --> 04:36.240 congratulations . You've all shown that 04:36.240 --> 04:39.070 you're a truly remarkable bunch . The 04:39.070 --> 04:41.014 challenges associated with being a 04:41.014 --> 04:42.848 child of the military or foreign 04:42.848 --> 04:45.930 service are considerable . Some of your 04:45.930 --> 04:47.986 parents have been gone over extended 04:47.986 --> 04:50.380 periods . Many have moved multiple 04:50.380 --> 04:54.100 times , New faces , new curriculums , 04:54.220 --> 04:57.010 new teachers , new friends . None of 04:57.010 --> 05:00.310 this is easy . I'm impressed by the way 05:00.310 --> 05:02.310 that you all much like your parents 05:02.310 --> 05:04.088 have risen to the challenge and 05:04.088 --> 05:05.699 excelled . You have exceeded 05:05.699 --> 05:07.850 expectations and academic performance 05:07.850 --> 05:10.140 with an extraordinary 90% of you going 05:10.140 --> 05:13.100 on to college . Your community service 05:13.100 --> 05:15.340 programs such as soles for souls in 05:15.340 --> 05:17.630 your Haitian fundraisers , put others 05:17.630 --> 05:20.100 before yourselves in their time of 05:20.100 --> 05:23.420 utmost needs through your travels and 05:23.420 --> 05:25.642 experiences . You've learned about your 05:25.642 --> 05:27.860 host country and familiarized yourself 05:28.240 --> 05:30.990 with its culture and the whole while 05:30.990 --> 05:33.157 you're sports teams , the Raiders have 05:33.157 --> 05:35.930 competed with the best . We have all 05:35.930 --> 05:38.770 come to represent Kaiserslautern's high 05:38.780 --> 05:41.820 counter sliders , highs mission of 05:41.820 --> 05:44.450 model citizens in a diverse society 05:45.640 --> 05:48.350 for all of this and for everything else 05:48.410 --> 05:50.550 you have and will accomplish . I 05:50.550 --> 05:53.860 congratulate you . I should also add 05:53.860 --> 05:55.971 that I'm traveling here with a former 05:55.971 --> 05:59.060 Kaiserslautern student , dr john Baxter , 05:59.100 --> 06:00.989 now retired Colonel in the United 06:00.989 --> 06:03.156 States Air Force . He spent a year and 06:03.156 --> 06:05.350 a half here though , he didn't want me 06:05.350 --> 06:07.340 to mention his name since he still 06:07.340 --> 06:09.396 thinks he may be on a detention list 06:09.396 --> 06:13.160 somewhere . So what I'd like to do for 06:13.160 --> 06:15.160 the next seven or eight minutes and 06:15.160 --> 06:17.190 that's a promise before the well 06:17.190 --> 06:19.350 deserved celebration begins to share 06:19.350 --> 06:21.517 some of the experiences I have learned 06:21.517 --> 06:23.720 over the years and some lessons that I 06:23.720 --> 06:26.440 hope will be useful to you 1st . For 06:26.440 --> 06:28.440 those of you on your way to college 06:28.440 --> 06:31.140 later this year , Don't be intimidated 06:31.140 --> 06:33.196 or frustrated if you find yourselves 06:33.196 --> 06:35.280 not doing so well at first in your 06:35.280 --> 06:39.230 classes back in Kansas , I had gotten 06:39.240 --> 06:41.129 good grades in high school . So I 06:41.129 --> 06:44.200 thought I was pretty smart . Well first 06:44.200 --> 06:46.256 semester my freshman year of college 06:46.256 --> 06:48.810 women marry , I got a D . In calculus . 06:49.940 --> 06:52.170 My father called me to ask how such a 06:52.170 --> 06:55.080 thing could possibly happen and I told 06:55.080 --> 06:57.260 him dad the D . Was a gift 07:01.540 --> 07:04.060 many years later as president of texas 07:04.060 --> 07:05.949 A and M . I would tell university 07:05.949 --> 07:07.949 freshman that I learned two lessons 07:07.949 --> 07:10.620 from that D . 1st . Even if you're 07:10.620 --> 07:13.320 fairly smart , you will not succeed if 07:13.320 --> 07:16.370 you don't work hard . Second I am 07:16.370 --> 07:18.703 standing proof that you can survive a D . 07:18.703 --> 07:20.592 As a freshman still going to make 07:20.592 --> 07:23.320 something of yourself . So if you run 07:23.320 --> 07:25.209 into tough sledding early in your 07:25.209 --> 07:27.264 college days , just remember to work 07:27.264 --> 07:29.460 harder , learn better , how to learn 07:29.940 --> 07:32.051 and don't let the challenges stop you 07:32.051 --> 07:34.273 from reaching outside your comfort zone 07:34.273 --> 07:36.273 to consider new subjects or try new 07:36.273 --> 07:39.910 things . Statistically most of you who 07:39.910 --> 07:42.400 go on to college will change your major 07:42.400 --> 07:45.860 at least once I started out in pre med 07:46.440 --> 07:49.700 wanted to be a neurosurgeon . God only 07:49.700 --> 07:51.922 knows how many lives have been saved by 07:51.922 --> 07:55.000 my becoming director of CIA and 07:55.000 --> 07:57.222 Secretary of defense instead of a brain 07:57.222 --> 08:01.070 surgeon . All of 08:01.070 --> 08:03.181 you , whether you go on to college or 08:03.181 --> 08:05.403 take another pass should be prepared to 08:05.403 --> 08:07.403 take your life in a direction . You 08:07.403 --> 08:09.626 hadn't necessarily planned for . When I 08:09.626 --> 08:11.792 went to graduate school , I ran into a 08:11.792 --> 08:14.014 recruiter from the Central Intelligence 08:14.014 --> 08:16.181 agency , an organization . I had never 08:16.181 --> 08:18.292 considered working form . After all . 08:18.292 --> 08:20.403 By then I thought I was going to be a 08:20.403 --> 08:23.070 history professor . At first , CIA 08:23.070 --> 08:26.560 tried to train me to be a spy . However , 08:26.570 --> 08:29.250 my efforts were less James bond and 08:29.250 --> 08:32.650 more Austin powers . I don't mean that 08:32.650 --> 08:35.750 in a good way . One of my first 08:35.750 --> 08:37.806 training assignments was to practice 08:37.806 --> 08:39.694 secret surveillance with the team 08:39.694 --> 08:41.750 following a woman CIA officer around 08:41.750 --> 08:44.340 downtown Richmond Virginia . Our team 08:44.340 --> 08:46.990 wasn't very stealthy and someone 08:46.990 --> 08:49.270 reported to the Richmond police that 08:49.270 --> 08:51.420 some disreputable looking men that 08:51.420 --> 08:54.150 would be me and my fellow CIA trainees 08:54.440 --> 08:58.200 were stalking this poor woman . My two 08:58.200 --> 09:00.033 colleagues were picked up by the 09:00.033 --> 09:02.270 Richmond police and the only reason I 09:02.270 --> 09:04.270 didn't get arrested was because I'd 09:04.270 --> 09:07.740 lost sight ever so early . I . N . C . 09:07.740 --> 09:09.851 I . A concluded pretty quickly that I 09:09.851 --> 09:11.962 wasn't cut out to be doing operations 09:11.962 --> 09:14.184 in the field and instead I became a CIA 09:14.184 --> 09:16.540 analyst , one of the people who assess 09:16.540 --> 09:18.484 and interpret the information that 09:18.484 --> 09:21.340 comes in and that led me into a career 09:21.340 --> 09:23.284 that allowed me to witness amazing 09:23.284 --> 09:25.710 moments in american history . So it may 09:25.710 --> 09:28.010 take you a few missteps and even 09:28.010 --> 09:29.954 embarrassments before you find the 09:29.954 --> 09:32.121 thing you're really good at . But keep 09:32.121 --> 09:36.030 at it In the 45 years , nearly 09:36.030 --> 09:38.252 45 years since joining the government . 09:38.630 --> 09:40.797 I've been privileged to work for eight 09:40.797 --> 09:42.686 presidents and I've learned a few 09:42.686 --> 09:44.797 things about service and a few things 09:44.797 --> 09:47.480 about leadership . Many of you have 09:47.480 --> 09:49.536 probably already found opportunities 09:49.536 --> 09:51.760 even at your young age to exercise 09:51.760 --> 09:53.630 leadership in different ways in 09:53.630 --> 09:56.190 athletics , extracurricular activities , 09:56.190 --> 09:58.190 student government , your church or 09:58.190 --> 10:00.190 wherever you might happen to have a 10:00.190 --> 10:02.410 part time job . These opportunities 10:02.410 --> 10:04.521 have placed you in a position to show 10:04.521 --> 10:06.466 responsibility or influence others 10:07.440 --> 10:09.740 above all . You're fortunate to have 10:09.740 --> 10:11.629 parents who in carrying out their 10:11.629 --> 10:13.980 duties , provides sterling examples of 10:13.980 --> 10:16.350 leadership and service on a daily basis . 10:17.740 --> 10:19.573 There are few basic qualities of 10:19.573 --> 10:22.540 leadership and long term success . The 10:22.540 --> 10:24.707 whole true . No matter what career you 10:24.707 --> 10:27.660 pursue . one of those is integrity . 10:28.740 --> 10:30.962 I'm talking about honesty , telling the 10:30.962 --> 10:33.720 truth , being straight with others and 10:33.720 --> 10:36.740 with yourself and the movie the Alamo 10:36.740 --> 10:38.518 john wayne , one of my favorite 10:38.518 --> 10:41.620 american philosophers , it says there's 10:41.620 --> 10:43.970 right and there's wrong . You've got to 10:43.970 --> 10:46.770 do one or the other , you do the one 10:46.780 --> 10:49.200 and you're living , you do the other 10:49.200 --> 10:51.120 and you may be walking around but 10:51.120 --> 10:54.910 you're as dead as a beaver hat . Second 10:54.920 --> 10:57.410 courage , The courage to do what is 10:57.410 --> 10:59.660 right and not just what is popular 11:00.540 --> 11:02.850 educational institutions and business 11:02.850 --> 11:04.961 and government experts all talk a lot 11:04.961 --> 11:06.794 these days about teamwork , team 11:06.794 --> 11:09.900 building and collaborative efforts and 11:09.900 --> 11:12.760 that's important . However , the time 11:12.760 --> 11:16.250 likely will come someday when you see 11:16.250 --> 11:18.250 something going on that you know is 11:18.250 --> 11:20.550 wrong and you may be called to stand 11:20.550 --> 11:22.950 along and say , I disagree with all of 11:22.950 --> 11:25.770 you . This cannot be allowed . Don't 11:25.770 --> 11:27.770 kid yourself . That takes courage . 11:29.440 --> 11:31.607 3rd . And finally , real leaders treat 11:31.607 --> 11:33.662 other people with common decency and 11:33.662 --> 11:35.760 respect too often those who are in 11:35.760 --> 11:37.649 charge demonstrate their power by 11:37.649 --> 11:39.427 making life miserable for their 11:39.427 --> 11:41.482 subordinates just to show they can . 11:42.440 --> 11:44.551 President Truman had it right when he 11:44.551 --> 11:46.662 said always be nice to all the people 11:46.662 --> 11:50.170 who can't talk back to you in America 11:50.170 --> 11:52.290 today we badly need leaders in every 11:52.290 --> 11:54.660 walk of life with these three traits , 11:54.860 --> 11:58.250 integrity , courage and common decency . 11:59.540 --> 12:01.651 We also need people to step up and be 12:01.651 --> 12:03.930 of service to others . It has been the 12:03.930 --> 12:05.874 sacrifice of those willing to step 12:05.874 --> 12:08.660 forward at times of crisis and conflict . 12:09.240 --> 12:11.462 Men and women like so many present here 12:11.462 --> 12:13.960 tonight that have made it possible for 12:13.960 --> 12:17.100 us to live free and secure to be able 12:17.100 --> 12:19.322 to make the choices about our own lives 12:19.322 --> 12:21.830 that I've been talking about . Those of 12:21.830 --> 12:23.941 you who will follow your parents into 12:23.941 --> 12:25.886 the armed services or other public 12:25.886 --> 12:28.052 service will sustain a noble tradition 12:28.052 --> 12:30.108 that often spans several generations 12:31.240 --> 12:33.129 that there are many ways to serve 12:33.129 --> 12:35.240 beyond the military or the government 12:35.340 --> 12:37.490 at school in your community and 12:37.490 --> 12:39.712 elsewhere as so many of you are already 12:39.712 --> 12:43.400 doing . I think this work service 12:43.400 --> 12:46.300 beyond self is so important because 12:46.300 --> 12:48.356 when all is said and done , american 12:48.356 --> 12:50.633 democracy is not just about our rights , 12:50.633 --> 12:52.810 it's also about our responsibilities 12:52.920 --> 12:55.990 and our obligations , which brings me 12:55.990 --> 12:58.740 to my final point , I've noticed that 12:58.740 --> 13:00.740 too often people back in the United 13:00.740 --> 13:02.740 States get so absorbed in their own 13:02.740 --> 13:05.130 needs and their own problems that they 13:05.130 --> 13:07.130 lose sight how blessed we are to be 13:07.130 --> 13:08.963 citizens of the United States of 13:08.963 --> 13:11.810 America . It is the goodness and the 13:11.810 --> 13:14.350 opportunity of America that made all 13:14.350 --> 13:16.950 things possible for me that made 13:16.950 --> 13:20.570 possible my junior , my journey from a 13:20.570 --> 13:23.050 public high school grad in Kansas to 13:23.050 --> 13:25.106 the corridors of power in Washington 13:25.106 --> 13:27.430 and around the world . It has been my 13:27.430 --> 13:29.750 privilege and the honor of my life 13:31.540 --> 13:34.350 to give something back in service . So 13:34.350 --> 13:36.294 for all of you tonight , with this 13:36.294 --> 13:39.000 graduation , the door to opportunity 13:39.000 --> 13:42.460 opens for you to serve and to leave 13:43.240 --> 13:46.880 good luck and God bless . Okay . Yeah .