Archive for the ‘Chairman's Corner’ Category:
Written on July 2nd, 2010 by Jose de LeonView Comments
This Independence Day we celebrate our Nation’s 234th birthday. As this holiday weekend approaches and we enjoy parades, picnics and fireworks, I hope we also take a moment to remember the generations of Americans who have safeguarded our independence.
Today, there are more than 200,000 uniformed American men and women deployed in harm’s way, protecting us. Their steady lives of dedication remind us that our Nation’s promise must be tended to everyday. I won’t forget the gifts of their service far away from home or the sacrifices of the families who wait for their return.
Another way we tend to America’s promise is through our care and acknowledgment of our wounded warriors, their families, and the families of our fallen and our missing in action. For many, their healing will last a lifetime, and our commitment to them should be equally enduring.
President Dwight Eisenhower once observed that freedom resides in “the hearts, the actions and the spirit” of our people. Today, especially, we celebrate everything that Americans do – in both action and in spirit – to render that freedom inviolate.
The Joint Chiefs, their families, Deborah and I wish every citizen a happy and safe Independence Day. Happy Birthday America!
- Adm. Mike Mullen
Stay Connected:
Visit the Chairman’s Facebook page, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Twitter account, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Channel, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Flickr account, click here.
Not long after the Civil War, Americans pledged to honor those who, as Abraham Lincoln put it, gave the last full measure of devotion. Be they from Lexington and Concord; Gettysburg and Antietam; the Argonnes Forest or the beaches of Normandy; Chosin and Inchon; Saigon and the Mekong Delta; Baghdad or Kandahar — we have kept that pledge every Memorial Day, and rightfully so.
Today, a new generation of American heroes is fighting for freedom all across the globe. Some of them have given that last full measure … losing their lives to make a better life for all of us. It is the hardest currency of all, once spent never to be recouped, a debt we can never truly, fully repay.
This weekend is marked by events, large and small, across our nation to honor their memory and recognize the sacrifices of those family members and children they left behind. Please join me this Memorial Day in remembering, on behalf of present and coming generations, the deep and abiding debt we owe to our fallen and to their loved ones.
- Adm. Mike Mullen
Stay Connected:
Visit the Chairman’s Facebook page, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Twitter account, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Channel, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Flickr account, click here.
I had the honor today of addressing the graduating class of 2010 from the United States Air Force Academy. They and a select group of college graduates throughout the country are receiving a diploma this month and then raising their hand to defend our nation. As I fly back home to Washington now, it is to these young men and women entering our military that I wish to impart some of the same time-tested advice I gave our newest Air Force officers.
In a word, it’s about duty.
Your first duty is to learn your jobs, and learn them well. Know them cold. Know them better than your peers, better even than your superiors. Stay ahead of the technology and the trends, because you are going to be on the leading edge of that change.
You are going to be responsible for making sure those you command and those you serve are informed and able to make the best decisions they can, often with little or no notice. You can’t do that if you don’t know what you’re talking about. Become an expert. That is the most meaningful way a junior officer can contribute to the mission.
Your second duty is to lead. And there’s a lot that goes into that, I know. Let me just tell you a little of what it means to me. It means loyalty. And loyalty must be demonstrated to seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. It must never be blind. Few things are more important to an organization than people who have the moral courage to question the direction in which the organization is headed and then the strength of character to support whatever final decisions are made.
Leadership also requires integrity. You may, at times, prove better than your word, but you will rarely prove better than your actions. The high standards by which you measure your own personal behavior and that of others, say more about you and your potential than any statements you make or guidance you give. You should strive to conduct yourself always in such a manner that it can never be said that you demanded less of yourself or of the men and women in your charge than that which is expected of you by your families or your countrymen.
A leader today must likewise think creatively. She should be able to place herself outside the problems immediately before her and look at them from a fresh perspective. While great decisions can be made in the heat of battle, great ideas are usually born in the ease of quiet. You must find the quiet to let your imaginations soar.
And that brings me to your final duty — to listen. You must listen to yourselves, to your instincts. You must also prove capable of listening to others, of trying to see problems through the perspectives of our allies, our partners, and our friends all over the world. No one military, no one nation, can do it alone anymore. It’s why I sat cross-legged in a shura with tribal elders in Afghanistan. It’s why our troops in that war-torn country are working so hard to speak the language and understand the culture.
Finally, remember that graduation and commissioning represent only the end of the beginning of your education. The world is now your classroom. Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines are now your teachers. They and their families are the best they’ve ever been: talented, eager, and proud of what they are doing.
Take full advantage of their knowledge to improve yours. Show them your loyalty, and they will show you theirs. Demonstrate integrity in everything you do, and they will respect you. You represent the values they have — throughout our history — struggled to defend. Only by earning the support of those you lead can you ever truly hope to become a leader yourself.
Only by doing your duty — straight and true — can you hope to prove worthy of the trust this nation places in you today.
Best of luck to you all, God bless and congratulations.
– Adm. Mike Mullen
To view remarks from the graduation, click here.
Read the AFPS story “Mullen Offers Leadership Challenges to AF Academy Grads,” here
Stay Connected:
Visit the Chairman’s Facebook page, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Twitter account, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Channel, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Flickr account, click here.
I had the privilege to reiterate my strong support of the new START Treaty in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today. As I laid out in my previous blog entry on this topic, the treaty has the full support of your uniformed military. The Joint Chiefs and I also had time to review the analytic work done in the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) regarding the shape of future U.S. strategic nuclear forces. Its recommendations were transmitted as guidance to the negotiating team in Geneva.
Some of you have expressed concern to me through Facebook and Twitter about Russian intent. I can tell you that I met with my Russian counterpart, General Makarov, several times during this process. These meetings not only provided a better understanding of our common challenges, but reaffirmed my belief that the Russian military is as committed to this treaty and the reduction of nuclear stockpiles as we are.
The new START Treaty achieves an important and necessary balance between three critical aims. It allows us to retain a strong and flexible American nuclear deterrent. It helps strengthen openness and transparency in our relationship with Russia. It also demonstrates our national commitment to reducing the worldwide risk of nuclear incident resulting from the continuing proliferation of nuclear weapons.
A far as capability, we will retain our triad of bombers, ballistic missile submarines, and land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles in sufficient diversity and numbers to assure strategic stability between ourselves and the Russian Federation. We will also maintain sufficient capability to deter other nuclear states. In addition, the agreement provides for an array of important verification measures that are critical to both sides in monitoring compliance and ensuring transparency.
I encourage the Senate to fully study the treaty and ratify it.
– Adm. Mike Mullen
To view the transcript from the SFRC Hearing, click here.
To view the photos from the SFRC Hearing, click here.
Stay Connected:
Visit the Chairman’s Facebook page, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Twitter account, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Channel, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Flickr account, click here.
Since I was a midshipman, I have always believed physical fitness is at the core of a military career. From those very first push-ups in boot camp right up to combat in the field, fitness builds teamwork and enhances readiness.
But physical fitness takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to the recovery and rehabilitation of our wounded, ill, and injured troops. It can mean re-learning to walk, to run, to swim – all with the ultimate goal of getting back to an active life of independence.
This week, in Colorado Springs, 200 of our wounded warriors are competing in Warrior Games – a joint effort between the U.S. Olympic committee and the defense department. They will demonstrate not only the benefits of fitness to recovery, but the finest sense of courage after fire.
These brave warrior athletes will compete in nine different sports over four days. As I have repeatedly expressed during my Conversations with the Country, please support the first of hopefully many such games that showcases the astounding ability and spirit of our nation’s wounded warriors.
To those competing in Warrior Games, congratulations on what you’ve already accomplished and I look forward to following your exploits over the next few days.
Good luck out there!
– Adm. Mike Mullen
Stay Connected:
Visit the Chairman’s Facebook page, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Twitter account, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Channel, click here.
Visit the Chairman’s Flickr account, click here.
U.S. Paralympics
Warrior Games Fact Sheet
Older Posts »
Recent Comments