Officer Candidate School (OCS) Class 14-22 Graduation Ceremony August 5, 2022

Transcript

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Commanding Officer Officer Training Command Newport Welcome to the graduation ceremony for officer candidate school class 14222 guests are encouraged to take photographs from the seating area at any time during the ceremony except during the playing of the national anthem. The order event for today’s ceremonies is as follows. At 1000 Captain Elkhorn, United States Navy Commanding Officer Training Command Newport’s and Rear Admiral Chatfield, United States Navy guest of honor for today’s ceremony will arrive, guests will be asked to rise for your arrival at the official party and remain standing for the playing of the national anthem and the invocation. The commanding officer and guest of honor will address the graduating class and administer the oath of office. The graduates will then be recognized through the presentation of the commission by the commanding officer and the guest of honor guests will be asked to rise to playing at the service songs in the final dismissal. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of the official party remain standing for the national anthem and invocation. Officer training Command. Newport arriving naval war cards arriving. Ladies and gentlemen chapman butts will now offer the invocation. Let us pray eternal Father, You have fashioned and created us as a people and called us as a nation to a place of trust and leadership in the world. We honor this day our newest naval officers. We ask for your special blessing upon them as they embark on their journey into the fleet. Father Today, our hearts rejoice in the day these graduates have dreamed of has finally arrived. So many are proud of their achievements. However, we are mindful that our achievements are possible only through the life you have given us to the parents who have loved and nourished us, to the host of peers and friends along life’s way. Who encouraged us and those here at Officer Training Command, who guided and molded each life, developing them into our nation’s newest naval leaders. No one person is an island and none are perfect and each is a witness to your watchful care and forgiving grace with every accomplishment and privilege. Came added responsibility And each one of these officers stands here today accepting the duty that our nation has entrusted to them. That’s all who stood by these. We honor and give them an extra portion of your love. Watch over and protect them as they head off to their new commands. Today they stand on the shoulders of the greatest naval leaders of history who have inspired generations to the fight for the freedoms that make our country great. Give them the strength and courage to carry on that legacy. Be with us today and forever. Amen. I. Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Everette Alcorn, Officer train Command Newport. Ladies and gentlemen, Admiral Chatfield. Distinguished guests. Officer Training, Command. Newport’s Staff, family members and friends. Most importantly, soon to be commissioned Officers of class 14 2020 14, 22. Good morning. I’m excited to welcome our 57 newest graduates into one of the most challenging and rewarding careers that of naval officer to the family and friends joining us. I applaud you for the great work you did preparing these impressive young leaders prior to their arrival here. Your love support and personal standards have produced the quality of individuals seated here. It has enabled them to make sound choices. And we are grateful to these graduates for their choice to serve. They could not have gotten to this point without careful guidance and support, family and friends on behalf of the Navy and a grateful nation. Please accept my most sincere thank you and well done to the graduates here. Today. It’s Commanding Officer of Officer Training, Command Nusport. I am proud of each and every one of you. You all had many options other than volunteering to serve your country. Yet you chose this path. I thank you for your patriotism and your willingness to serve. I assure you that a life of service holds many rewards and will bring you great fulfillment. You have completed rigorous military academic and physical training, You overcame obstacles, Nothing was handed to you except opportunity, opportunity to make something more of yourself to learn to grow and to lead. You’ve seized that opportunity and today your reports rewards. I congratulate each and every one of you for the significant and memorable achievement. It’s now time to embrace a new opportunity to lead sailors in the fleet in the years ahead. Your knowledge and leadership skills will be tested Often you’ll be standing watch and working alongside fellow officers and sailors around the world around the clock. Know that you’re gonna be doing significant and meaningful work for our country. Work hard, learn the warfare and professional skills of your designator, be the best and give your country your best efforts because nothing else will suffice. The nation. And the Navy expect the best from you. The highest standards of personal and professional conduct, Excellence and leadership and a strict adherence to the Navy’s core values. Honor, courage and commitment. I applaud your accomplishments and perseverance. You’re about to part embark upon a great adventure, an adventure in which I hope you find both professional success and personal fulfillment. It will be unlike any job you’ve ever had or will ever have. Regardless of how long you serve our nation, It will most assuredly be a time in your life upon which you will look back with much pride and satisfaction. Congratulations to each and every one of you. I wish you fair winds and following seas. It is now my honor and privilege. This morning to introduce you to our guest of honor were Admiral Shoshana Chatfield. President, The Naval War College. Admiral Chatfield is a native of garden grove California in 1987 graduate of Boston University with a Bachelor of Arts in international relations and French language and literature. She received her commission through Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1988 and earned her wings of gold in 1989. She was awarded the Navy’s political military scholarship and attended the Kennedy School of Government, receiving a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University in 1997. And in 2009, the University of San Diego conferred upon her a Doctor of Education. She was assigned to helicopter combat support squadron, serving in HC one, HC three, H C five and twice in HC 11 before transitioning to the helicopter sea combat community. Operationally, she flew the S. H three, the CH 46 delta, the MH 60 sierra and deployed helicopter detachment to the western pacific and Arabian gulf supporting carrier strike group, amphibious ready group operations ashore. She participated in the joint staff internship program augmenting the Joint Staff Plans and policy directorate. The central and Eastern European branch was assigned as deputy executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. She was a senior military assistant to the Supreme allied commander of Europe and the United States Deputy military representative to the NATO Military Committee. She served as Professor of Political Science at the United States Air Force Academy from 2001 to 2004, she was the 20th commanding officer of H. C five and upon its disestablishment the first Commanding officer of HSC 25 Island nights. She subsequently commanded a joint provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan in 2008. And she was the type wing commander of helicopter sea Combat wing U. S. Pacific fleet from 2011 to 2013. Most recently Chatfield commander. Joint region Marianas from January 37th to august 39th. She currently serves as the 57th president, the first woman and the first helicopter pilot of the Naval War College. Her leadership is essential to the continued success of the world’s greatest navy. We are truly fortunate to have her here with us today to share her thoughts. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our guest of honor today. Rear Admiral Shoshana Chatfield wow! Thank you captain for that. Very generous introduction dear audience, distinguished visitors uh and family members. I know that you have been very engaged in supporting all of these 57 new naval officers and I want to thank you for your continued support as they move forward. About a year ago, I stood in front of another O. C. S. Class and we were just coming out of the covid pandemic restrictions and family and friends were not allowed in this room and yet family and friends had assembled and they stood outside on the curb waiting to see and congratulate their new incense. And I know that that level of commitment and support is present here today as well. Your support of these individuals so that they may preserve through many long days and challenges situations in the future is a testament to your belief that their service to their country in the context of family and community is so much more rewarding than serving alone. Thank you so much for joining this navy family And to our officer candidates of Class 1422. Congratulations on achieving your first milestones as naval officers. There will no doubt be many more challenges and accomplishments in each of your futures. But officer candidate school has tested your commitment rigorously over the past 13 weeks and each of you has proved that you are up to the task ahead. I do remember being in your shoes as a new ensign. Now I came from naval ROTC but I remember how excited I was to join the fleet. I packed up everything I owned into my 1988 Ford GTT to drive down to Pensacola Florida to begin flight school. I was so resolved that my next training phase would be a resounding success. But you know, I had some trouble in flight school. That’s where it became very clear to me that I was not mechanically inclined. In fact, I remember sitting in one of those early classroom uh sessions and I remember specifically the instructor saying the engine oil pressure transducer resembles a spark plug. I got great. What does the spark plug look like? You know that’s when you know you’re in trouble. Right. I thought I am in serious trouble because I really wanted to graduate and I really wanted to be a naval aviator And so I thought about what I could do to ensure my success and I knew I needed to master that material. What could I do? Could I put my night ops manual under my pillow And I’ve heard that people did that and kind of get it through osmosis. No that didn’t work. I tried it so I did something which you might consider to be extraordinary. I tape recorded okay back in the day, yes cassette tape record, I tape recorded the entire standardization manual. Well almost I recorded the entire thing except for the chapter on air conditioning. I played it every time I got in my car, I played it when I was alone in my apartment. I listen to my voice reading the elements of standardization and the mechanical aspects of that helicopter. I got a 98 on the exam. It worked, I had done something extraordinary and it worked and I learned two things. Sometimes you have to do something extraordinary to succeed. And secondly when you take shortcuts it will come back to haunt you because the only question I missed was on the air conditioning system. So I want to really stress that to you as you prepare to depart for 13 weeks. You have known exactly what you needed to do to succeed. You knew which areas were going to cause you specifically trouble and you found ways to compensate for that and you ask for help when you needed it And now you enter the fleet. The first thing and the most important thing that you do is get qualified. There’s no time to waste. We are in an international security environment that will depend on each of you being operators and being excellent in your qualification standard. So primarily you will work on your warfare qualification. The second thing you will do is learn your job. You’ll be given an operational assignment or a standard for qualification and then you’ll be giving given a leadership and management task. So the second thing you have to do is learn your job. And the third thing is the hardest thing. The third thing is figuring out what each of you individually brings to this incredible organization and giving it and when you give of yourself, it’s kind of risky. But our organization and our community, this navy family will thrive from that decision. So I know some of you are prior enlisted members and you’ve been in the fleet for a long time. And so I hope that this sounds familiar to you and it reminds you of what you’ve seen some high performing individuals do that you’ve observed be aggressive in your pursuit of those qualifications run after it, mastering your works, administrative, technical and tactical aspects will challenge you immensely. Remember that learning can be a team sport and to help each other along the way. The fact that you are here today means that you have the skills and determination to succeed, focus intensely work vigorously and get qualified early. Now, second learning your assigned position within the organization is so important. You don’t necessarily need to master every minute detail of your role immediately. You can grow into it. Maybe you’re going to be the communications officer or the gunnery officer or the first lieutenant. The most critical aspect of what we aviators call the ground job is learning how to lead. You must exercise what you’ve already learned about leadership in your life and here. And plus commit to continuous self-development as a leader. Everything you know, today is not enough. You will continually monitor how you impact people, how others impact you, how you grow into leadership and how you enable high performing teams will be what the Navy counts on you for. You’ll listen to your senior enlisted leaders, you’ll learn all that you can and you will focus on developing and enabling people. And this is where you get to practice the values of officer professionalism that your instructors here have diligently instilled in you. Now third I mentioned that I believe that each of you has a unique talent or gift and whether it’s readily apparent to you or not, you have it, don’t copy anyone else, be yourself, that distinctive thing in you, every command has gaps and seams where things could run a little better and you might notice it and it might be you that can fix it. You have to choose to find those gaps and you have to choose to give of yourself. It’s risky. But that’s when you have the power to make a real difference in your organization and I assure you, your teammates and your commanding officer will notice. I still remember Lieutenant Gabe fills he was incredibly intelligent and his gift was in breaking down tough concepts so that people could understand how things worked. He could have chosen to do that or not chosen to do that. But he developed these sessions that were voluntary where people could come in and they could really get into the nuts and bolts of the technical aspect of our business. That was a long time ago. I remember it like it was yesterday. He didn’t have to do it, but he chose to do it and it made a big difference in our readiness and our professionalism. Now, I also ask you Whether your decision is to serve for four years or for 40 years don’t leave your time by saying I did everything the Navy asked of me. It’s not enough. You will notice what needs to be done, lean forward into it and give the Navy what it didn’t know it needed, figuring out what you’re good at and finding how that can benefit your team, your organization, your family and this broader community is what is going to make the biggest difference. You’ll make the Navy stronger as part of your service to this nation. So take a chance on you. That creativity, that passion, that ingenuity, every bit of that will make our Navy family better and we will thrive. And in that environment we will be able to outmatch any adversary and find ways to preserve the peace and prosperity that make this nation great. Now, throughout your career, you’ll be asked to write evaluations and contribute input to your own. And it’s not the categories on that report that you should focus on. It’s on these three things. Getting qualified, learning how to lead people and making a decision to give of yourself. So it’s warm today. I know that the very next thing is the thing that you are waiting for and I am just so honored to be here to share this day with you and to congratulate you on your achievement. It is my pleasure To welcome to the cadre of the finest naval officers in the finest navy in the world, you 57 individuals. And so as we prepare to take the oath of office, I want to wish you good luck and I want to again thank you for choosing to make the Navy a part of your life and the path that you are walking into and ready to assume is going to make a big difference for us and for our Navy and for our nation. Thank you. Mhm. The graduating class will now receive the oath of office with all military personnel in uniform. Please come to the position of attention. Class 1 4 tack to to raise your right hand. I state your name. Having been appointed an ensign in the United States Navy. Do hereby accept such appointment and do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me, God, Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. The distinguished graduates assembled when I’ll be recognized by the commanding officer for their achievements while undergoing training while here at Officer training Command. Newport ensign Dibble. Dibble has been awarded the Lieutenant Thomas E. Dewey Award for achieving the highest average in academics. Military training and physical fitness while attending officer candidate school as a whole has also been awarded the Chapel Claudie USMC Physical fitness award for obtaining the highest overall grade and physical fitness While attending officer candidate school. Dibble has been designated a cryptologic warfare officer has been assigned to Navy Information Operations Command Hawaii and Pearl Harbor Hawaii Row Row Row has been awarded the Real Admiral Stephen Be loose award for obtaining the highest academic average while attending officer candidate school and has been designated a supply corps officer and has been assigned to Naval Supply School. Newport Rhode island as in craft craft has been awarded the Commander Jack Levitt Award for having been chosen by his peers as the candidate who most inspired his class and personifies the higher standards of personal example. Sound management practice and roll responsibility. As in craft has been designated information professional officer has been assigned to Information Professional basic course Virginia Beach Virginia. We will now recognize the remaining graduates and to Norris. Norris has been designated an intelligence officer and has been assigned to Naval Intelligence Officer Basic course in Virginia Beach Virginia. And then Atienza Atienza has been designated Supply Corps officer, has been assigned a Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island, Ensign Howard. And then Howard has been designated a surface Warfare officer has been assigned to USS san Antonio in Norfolk Virginia. And himself and himself been designated a Supply Corps officer has been assigned to the Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode Island and synchro and synchro has been designated a cryptologic warfare officer has been assigned to Navy Information Operations Command Hawaii and Pearl Harbor Hawaii and john smith and john smith has been designated a Supply Corps officer has been assigned to Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island. And so Halston also has been designated a surface warfare officer has been assigned to the USS McCampbell in Everett Washington. It’s an amazon and amazon has been designated a supply corps officer has been assigned to Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island as a barrage barrage has been designated a supply corps officer has been assigned to Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island and Sam Bartlett. Bartlett has been designated a supply Corps officer, has been assigned to Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island and Sam Bartlett is a distinguished Naval graduate. It’s a Belmont. Belmont has been designated Cryptologic Warfare Officer has been assigned to Navy Information Operations Command in Hawaii Pearl Harbor. And so bracken bracken has been designated an intelligence officer has been assigned to Naval Intelligence Officer Basic course in Virginia beach Virginia as a boost area has been designated a supply Corps officer has been assigned to Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island. And then Chin Chin Chin has been designated as surface warfare officer has been assigned to the USS troupe in san Diego California gen gen gen has been designated as Supply Corps officer has been assigned to Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island. Colo colo has been designated a surface warfare officer has been assigned to USS Winston s Churchill in Mayport Florida John Cooney Cooney has been designated a cryptologic warfare officer and has been assigned to cryptologic warfare activity 66 and 14 Maryland. Ensign Davis. As in Davis of the designated service worker officer has been assigned to USS Princeton in san Diego California, Anthony Munday Anthony Mann has been designated Speicher officer has been assigned to Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island and Cinnamon is a distinguished naval graduate. As an esteban, esteban has been designated a surface warfare officer, has been assigned to USS Cowpens in san Diego California and sent. Gilbert Gilbert has been designated as supply. It should be a surface warfare officer and it’s been assigned USS new Orleans in Sasebo, japan as a group beck as a group that has been designated a surface warfare officer has been assigned to USS Bataan in Norfolk Virginia agent Guthrie Guthrie has been designated Information Professional Officer has been assigned USS information profession basic course in Virginia. Beach Florida Hansen Hambleton. Hambleton has been designated surface warfare Officer has been assigned USS Detroit and Mayport Florida Hansen Harbach Harbach has been designated a Spy Corps officer has been assigned to Naval Supply corps school in Newport Rhode island. Helfrich. Helfrich has been designated a submarine warfare officer has been assigned to nuclear power school in Goose creek. South Carolina wang wang has been designated a surface warfare officer and has been assigned to the USS New York and Norfolk Virginia and ST James and john James has been designated a service Worker officer has been assigned to USS Prebble in san Diego California Johnson, Johnson and Johnson has been designated a. Surface warfare officer has been assigned to the. USS carter hall in Norfolk Virginia. Kafka. Kafka has been designated a surface warfare officer, has been assigned to USS john s McCain in Everett Washington. And in law Hans Hans has been designated a surface warfare officer and has been assigned to USS Iwo Jima in Norfolk Virginia and only recently has been designated a Supply corps officer, has been assigned a Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island and finally, is a distinguished Naval graduate. Rivera Rivera has been designated as Supply Corps Officer, has been assigned to the Naval Supply Corps School in Newport Rhode island. And so the moose Rivera is a distinguished naval graduate. Hansen lily and lily has been designated a surface warfare officer and has been assigned to USS Winston S Churchill in Mayport Florida McConnell McConnell has been designated a cryptologic warfare officer and has been assigned to Navy Information Operations command, Hawaii and Pearl harbor. Hawaii. Hansen Molin Molin has been designated as surface warfare officer has been assigned to USS Mesa Verde in Norfolk Virginia and to Norwood. Norwood has been designated a surface warfare officer has been assigned USS san Antonio in Norfolk Virginia and Palacios Palacios has been designated as surface warfare officer and has been assigned to USS. Oak Hill in Norfolk Virginia and some parks and Parks has been designated information professional officer and has been assigned to Information Professional basic course in Virginia Beach Virginia. Ensign peacock, peacock has been designated an information Professional officer has been assigned to Information Professional Basic course in Virginia beach Virginia and some pits and some pits has been designated Information Professional Officer and has been assigned to Information Professional basic course in Virginia beach Virginia and jump eliska And simplicity has been designated a surface warfare officer and has been assigned to USS Ashland and Japan and Triple Axis and Axis has been designated surface warfare Officer has been assigned to USS America and Sasebo. Japan Hansen Rice and Rice is a cryptologic warfare officer and has been assigned to Navy Information Operations Command Hawaii and Pearl Harbor Hawaii Row row row has been designated a surface warfare officer and has been assigned to USS Donald Cook in Mayport Florida and then sand and has been designated a surface warfare officer has been assigned to USS Mesa Verde in Norfolk, Virginia sattar sattar has been designated a surface warfare officer has been assigned to USS boxer in san Diego California agent smith and smith has been designated a cryptologic warfare officer has been assigned to cryptologic warfare activity 66 force Meade Maryland. And since stocking stocking has been designated surface warfare officer has been assigned USS Arleigh Burke and Rhoda. Spain sn Teague. Teague has been designated cryptologic warfare officer has been assigned to cryptologic warfare activity 66. In Fort Meade Maryland and Tiger. Tiger has been designated Supply Corps Officer has been assigned to Naval spike or school. Newport Rhode island and Julio Julio has been designated a surface warfare officer has been assigned to USS boxer in san Diego California. Anson Wong Wong has been designated surface warfare officer has been assigned to USS Pickney in san Diego California. And so my niece and my niece has been designated a surface warfare officer has been assigned USS Sampson Everett Washington. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in recognizing the Navy’s newest sentence. We will now conclude the ceremony. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the service songs in the final dismissal, Please remain in your places until after the graduating class has taken their class photo and remember the only authorized visual locations are K. Hall and Nimitz. P. T. Field. Yeah. Huh. Mhm.