Hardisty, Huntington

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Calhoun: The NPS Institutional ArchiveDSpace RepositoryInstitutional Publications Institutional Publications (Other)1988-06-16Admiral Huntington Hardisty, USN NavalPostgraduate School Graduation AddressMonterey California 16 June 1988Hardisty, Huntingtonhttp://hdl.handle.net/10945/63931This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, UnitedStates Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in theUnited States.Downloaded from NPS Archive: Calhoun.. ,.. ;, ADMIRAL HUNTINGTON HARDISTY, USN NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL GRADUATION ADDRESS MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA 16 JUNE 1988 ADMIRAL AUSTIN, GENERAL DAVIDSON, DEAN MARSHALL, MAYOR 1W HONORED GUESTS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HOUR, THOSE GRADUATING TODAY FROM THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL. I'M FULLY AWARE THAT MY TALK AND THE BALANCE OF THIS GRADUATION CEREMONY ARE THE LAST THING STAND-ING BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GRADUATION. I SUSPECT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF YOU ARE EAGERLY PLANNING TO "TAKE CHARGE AND MOVE OUT" ON COMPLETION OF THESE FESTIVITIES, ENROUTE TO YOUR NEW ASSIGNMENTS. SINCE MY POSITION IS, THEREFORE, ONLY SLIGHTLY LESS PRECARIOUS THAN THAT OF A NAVAL AVIATOR WALKING INTO AN AIR FORCE OFFICER'S CLUB WITH A TOP GUN BALLCAP ON, I'LL TRY TO GET RIGHT TO THE POINT. THESE PROCEEDINGS FORMALLY MARK THE COMPLETION OF TREMENDOUS EFFORT ON YOUR PART AND YOU ARE TO BE . ~ . ' CONGRATULATED FOR NOT ONLY FULFILLING THE RIGOROUS REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR DEGREES, BUT ALSO IN INCREAS-ING THE TOTAL BODY OF KNOWLEDGE IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELDS, IN THIS FINE INSTITUTION, AND WITHIN THE PROFES-SIONAL MILITARY COMMUNITY. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPRESSIVE TO LOOK OUT AND SEE THE WIDE SPAN OF EXPERIENCE IN YOUR GRADUATING CLASS. I AM TOLD THAT OF THE MORE THAN 225 GRADUATES WE HONOR TODAY, 81 ARE FROM OTHER SERVICES. THAT IS A CROSS-SECTION WHICH THE NA VY WILL CONTINUE TO NUR-TURE AS WE WORK AT GAINING INSIGHTS AT ALL LEVELS INTO THE THINKING AND OPERATIONS OF OUR SISTER SER-VICES. AND I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU LEAVE WITH A BET-TER UNDERSTANDING OF THE NAVY AND ITS PEOPLE. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SPECIAL NOTE THAT WE ARE HONOR-ING NOT ONLY THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT ALSO 21 OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST FROM FRIENDLY NATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. I AM DELIGHTED YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL. I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED YOU~ TIME HERE AND HAVE LEARNED AS MUCH ABOUT OUR --2--. " . ' COUNTRY AND OUR PEOPLE AS I AM SURE YOUR CLASSMATES HAVE LEARNED OF YOUR COUNTRIES FROM YOU. FOR THOSE OF YOU FROM NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES, I AM DOUBLY IMPRESSED IN YOUR ACHIEVING YOUR GRADUATE EDUCATION IN A SECOND LANGUAGE. ALTHOUGH I MUST SAY, AS A NATIVE OF GEORGIA WHO HAD SOME GRADUATE TRAINING IN THE NORTHEAST, I AM SURE YOU COULD FIND CLASSMATES OF MINE WHO THOUGHT I WAS GET-TING MY GRADUATE EDUCATION IN A SECOND LANGUAGE. YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE MAINSTREAM OF YOUR CHOSEN PROFESSION ONCE AGAIN, AND YOU DO SO SMARTER, WITH FAR MORE MATURITY AND SELF-DISCIPLINE, AND WITH A GREATER ABILITY TO CONTRIBUTE. YOU HAVE, AS A RESULT OF THE CHALLENGE OF THE CURRICULUM YOU'VE JUST COMPLETED, ESTABLISHED A LIFESTYLE OF ACCOMPLISH-MENT WHICH CAN SERVE YOU WELL FOR THE BALANCE OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE. I OFFER THE HEARTIEST OF CON-GRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACHIEVEMENT. --3--I. • a. I'M TOLD THERE IS A PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS HERE AT MONTEREY WHO HAS BEEN KNOWN, FROM TIME TO TIME, TO LECTURE HIS STUDENTS THAT AS CANDIDATES FOR MASTER'S DEGREES, THEY WERE CHARGED TO "MASTER" THEIR STUDIES AND, THEREFORE, THEIR FIELD OF ENDEAVOR. I THINK PROFESSOR WEIR HAS HIT THE NAIL SQUARELY ON THE.HEAD. IT IS HERE, AT PLACES LIKE THE "PG" SCHOOL, WHERE YOU, OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST MILITARY PROFESSIONALS, ARE AF-FORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ BOOKS, TO THINK INDE-PENDENTLY, TO TEST VIEWS AGAINST OTHERS, AND TO PAR-TICIPATE IN DISCIPLINED INQUIRIES WHICH DEEPEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND "MASTERY" OF OUR ART. REMEMBERING AT EVERY TURN, I HOPE, THAT EDUCATION IS NOT, AS ONE PUNDIT DESCRIBED IT, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEMORY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE IMAGINATION. IT IS, IN FACT, THAT IMAGINATION, THAT ABILITY TO LOOK OUTSIDE THE NORMALLY FIXED BOUNDARIES OF THOUGHT WHICH MAY LEAD YOU TO SOME TOTALLY UNFORSEEN BREAKTHROUGH IN YOUR FIELD. THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR GRADUATE EDUCATION TO YOUR NATION'S FUTURE CANNOT POSSIBLY BE OVERSTATED. IN --4--. ~ . .. LOOKING TOWARDS THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, IT IS CLEAR THAT ALL COUNTRIES WILL REQUIRE CAREER MILITARY OFFICERS WHO COMBINE THAT DELICATE MIXTURE OF OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND SOLID INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE HAD A GOAL OF TRAINING 20 PER-CENT OF OUR OFFICER CORPS WITH A SUBSPECIALTY SUP-PORTED BY GRADUATE EDUCATION. WE STILL HAVE NOT REACHED OUR GOAL, BUT, AT 17 PERCENT WE ARE GETTING VERY CLOSE AND WILL NOT REST UNTIL WE HA VE REACHED IT. IT DOESN'T TAKE A VISION TO CONCLUDE THAT MILITARY SERVICES WILL BE REQUIRED TO FUNCTION IN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX TECHNICAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL EN-VIRONMENTS. THE REQUIREMENT CAN BE SATISFIED BEST BY OFFICERS CAPABLE OF ORIGINAL THOUGHT AND WITH A CAPACITY TO SYNTHESIZE COMPLICATED, AND OFfEN CON-FLICTING, DATA. YOUR GRADUATION TODAY IS AN IMPOR-TANT STEP TOWARDS SATISFYING THIS REALITY. --5--, ~ . J BUT YOU MUST BE SURE THE LEARNING PROCESS DOES NOT STOP. YOU MAY HAVE FOLLOWED PROFESSOR WEIR'S GUIDANCE AND "MASTERED" YOUR FIELD TODAY, BUT WHAT OF TOMORROW? EDUCATION IS ENDLESS. THE CHINESE HAVE A PROVERB WHICH SAYS LEARNING IS LIKE ROWING UPSTREAM, NOT TO ADVANCE IS TO DROP BACK. IF THAT IS TRUE, THEN DURING YOUR YEARS HERE YOU HAVE BEEN ROWING AT A FEVERISH CLIP, BUT NOW IT IS TIME TO SETTLE IN TO A LONG DISTANCE RHYfHM FOR A TRANS-OCEANIC ROW. THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL FILLS A UNIQUE NICHE IN THE EDUCATION OF MILITARY OFFICERS. ITS OFFICIAL MIS-SION IS: "(QUOTE) TO CONDUCT AND DIRECT ADVANCED EDUCATION OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND TO PROVIDE SUCH OTHER TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCfION AS MAY BE PRESCRIBED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE NAVAL SERVICE, AND IN SUPPORT OF THE FOREGOING, TO FOSTER AND EN-COURAGE A PROGRAM OF RESEARCH IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE. (UNQUOTE)" --6--I. • &. THAT IS A RATHER BROAD CHARTER, BUT TWO YEARS AGO, THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, IN ARTICULATING POLICIES REGARDING THE SCHOOL, PUT IT A BIT MORE SUCCINCTLY, WHEN HE SAID: "(QUOTE) THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL EXISTS FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE COMBAT EFFECTIVE-NESS OF THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS. (UNQUOTE)" I THINK THAT GETS RIGHT TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER. WE HAVE AN ACTIVE GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM WITH ACCESS TO SOME OF THE FINEST CIVILIAN EDUCATION IN-STITUTIONS IN THE COUNTRY. IF SO, THEN WHY DOES THE "PG" SCHOOL EXIST? IT EXISTS TO PROVIDE THAT SUBTLE, BUT CRUCIAL, INSIGHT INTO MILITARY OPERATIONS PROVIDED BY THE UNIQUE COMBINATION OF SUPERB FACULTY, FINE FACILITIES, AND AGGRESSIVE, OPERATIONALLY ORIENTED STU-DENTS RESIDENT HERE AT MONTEREY. HENRY WARD BEECHER ONCE SAID: "(QUOTE) MANY MEN ARE STORED FULL OF UNUSED KNOWLEDGE. LIKE LOADED GUNS THAT ARE NEVER FIRED --7--. ~ . ' OFF, OR MILITARY MAGAZINES IN TIMES OF PEACE, THEY ARE STUFFED WITH USELESS AMMUNITION. (UNQUOTE)" HERE AT THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, YOU NEED NOT WORRY THAT YOU ARE STUFFED WITH USELESS AMMUNI-TION. THE NA VY HAS BROUGHT YOU TO A PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE BUILT ON YOUR OPERATIONAL BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPED THOSE KEY CHARACTERISTICS IN YOUR PROFES-SIONAL MAKEUP WHICH FILL IN THE GAPS LEFf BY SOLELY OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE. YOUR PROFESSORS HAVE FILLED YOU WITH THE AMMUNITION OF KNOWLEDGE, AND Yilll PROVIDED YOUR OWN TARGETS FROM THE EXPERIENCE YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH EARLIER TODAY TO SEE REPRE-SENTATIVE PRESENTATIONS OF YOUR THESES WORK DONE BY FOUR OF YOUR CONTEMPORARIES, AND I CAME AWAY THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED. THEIR WORK TELLS ME WE HAVE SUCCEEDED REMARKABLY WELL IN BLENDING THE OPTIMUM MIX OF THEORY AND OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO PROVIDE THE SORTS OF QUALITY INSIGHTS WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN OUR GRADUATE TRAINED OFFICERS. --8--' \ . t IN OUR MODERN WORLD, IDEAS ARE EXPLOSIVE AND IDEAS ARE SURE TO COME FROM THE PROCESS YOU GO THROUGH HERE, WHICH MIXES THE OPERATIONAL REALITY OF OUR PROFESSION WITH THE INTELLECfUAL RIGOR OF A GREAT CEN-TER OF LEARNING. AS YOU WATCH THE SURGE OF ADVANCING TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS CENTURY, CONSIDER THE IDEAS WHICH ACfED AS THE SEED CORN OF THAT TECHNOLOGY. IT IS THOSE FIRST GLIM-MERS OF SOMETHING REALLY NEW WHICH ARE SO CRUCIAL IN SETTING THE COURSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY TO FOLLOW. NOWHERE IS THIS MORE OBVIOUS THAN IN MODERN WAR-FARE. WE'VE SEEN THE TANK REVOLUTIONIZE LAND WAR-FARE; THE AIRCRAFf CARRIER REVOLUTIONIZE SEA WARFARE; FIRST THE AIRPLANE, AND NOW THE GUIDED MISSILE, REVOLUTIONIZEALL WARFARE. AND THOUGH THE HARDWARE IS IMPORTANT, THE IDEAS SUPPORTING THE OPERATIONAL USE OF THAT NEW HARDWARE ARE REALLY THE KEY TO ITS SUCCESSFUL EMPLOYMENT. WHEN WE TALK OF WARFARE, YOU OFTEN HEAR THE TERM "FORCE MULTIPLIER" APPLIED TO A SPECIFIC WEAPON OR SYS---9--TEM. BUT PERHAPS THE GREATEST FORCE MULTIPLIERS OF ALL ARE THE IDEAS WHICH SUPPORT THOSE WEAPONS AND SYSTEMS, AND THE IDEAS WHICH GUIDE THEIR EMPLOYMENT. THE SEARCH FOR THOSE IDEAS IS EXACTLY WHY THE CNO IS SUCH A STRONG PROPONENT OF GRADUATE EDUCATION OVER-ALL, AND THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL IN PAR-TICULAR. LONG STANDING CNO POLICY UNDERSCORES THE RE-QUIREMENT THAT INVESTMENT IN GRADUATE EDUCATION MUST BE PURSUED AS A PRIORITY, EVEN IN THE FACE OF FIS-CAL AUSTERITY AND COMPETING DEMANDS FOR OUR JUNIOR OFFICERS. ADDING EMPHASIS TO THAT PRIORITY IS CNO'S RECENT DECISION TO FENCE THE OFFICER BILLETS AT THE "PG" SCHOOL FROM ANY OF THE CUTS ASSOCIATED WITH CONGRES-SIONALLY MANDATED END STRENGTH REDUCfIONS. NOW THAT MAY NOT SOUND VERY SIGNIFICANT TO YOU, AND THE NUMBER OF BILLETS INVOLVED MAY BE SMALL, BUT HAVING WATCHED THE DIFFICULTIES WITH WHICH SOME OF THOSE OF-FICER BILLET CUTS WERE MADE AROUND THE NA VY, I AS-SURE YOU HIS ACTION IN FENCING THE BILLETS AT MONTEREY IS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT. --10--• ' • • THE CNO IS ALSO A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE MILITARY CONSTRUCTION REQUIRED HERE AT THE SCHOOL. IT'S AN AW-FULLY TOUGH BATTLE WE WAGE OVER CONSTRUCTION FUNDS, BOTH WITHIN THE NAVY AND ON CAPITOL HILL, BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURED WE RECOGNIZE THE REQUIREMENTS HERE AND ARE DOING EVERYfHING WE CAN TO SUPPO~T THEM. ATTAINMENT OF GRADUATE EDUCATION HAS NOT ONLY BROADENED YOUR PERSPECTIVES AND PROVIDED BEDROCK FOR A MORE SATISFYING LIFE, IT HAS ENHANCED TREMEN-DOUSLY YOUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR UPWARD MOBILITY. TO SEE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, YOU NEED LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE LAST SELECTION BOARD RESULTS WHERE OF-FICERS WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE RANKED AS MUCH AS 11 PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER THAN THEIR CONTEMPORARIES IN PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY. THAT IS A DIRECT PAY-OFF TO YOU AT THE PERSONAL LEVEL FOR THE LONG HOURS YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING IN WHILE YOU WERE HERE. TO THE WIVES AND FAMILIES OF THE GRADUATES '1VHO ARE JOINING US TODAY, I SINCERELY HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED --11--1 \ • ~ YOUR TIME HERE IN MONTEREY. THERE ARE CERTAINLY FEW, IF ANY, PRETTIER LOCALES AND I'M SURE, AS WITH ANY TOUR. THAT THE FRIENDSHIPS YOU HAVE HADE AND THE GROWTH YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED WHILE YOU WERE HERE WILL REMAIN WITH YOU. I KNOW THE PACE HAS BEEN HECTIC, AND IN SOME CASES BREAKNECK. WE HAVE ASKED A LOT OF BOTH SPOUSES AND FAMILIES. I HOPE THAT EN OR TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW, YOU ARE ALL ABLE TO LOOK BACK AT WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED BECAUSE OF YOUR TIHE AT THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL. FOR T~E GRADUATES, AS YOU PREPARE TO TRANSITION BACK TO THE WORLD OF YOUR P OFESSION: TO ASSUME SIGNIFICANT D CONTINUING LEADERSHIP ROLES; I'D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH THE WORDS OFTHE GREAT STATESMAN, TEDDY ROOSEVELT. HIS GREAT FFECTION AND LONGSTANDING . ~ . ~ TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES NAVY WERE WELL KNOWN. HE APTLY DESCRIBED THETRAITS OF A LEADER, TRAITS WHICH HE POSSESSED IN AMPLE QUANTITY, AND TRAITS WE WOULD ALL DO WELL _TO SEEK: ·caUOTE) THE CREDIT BELONGS TO THE MAN WHO IS ACTUALLY IN THE ARENA -- WHOSE FACE IS MARRED BY UST AND SWEAT ND BLOOD I I I A LEADER WHO KNOWS THE GREAT ENTHUSIASMS, THE GREAT DEVOTIONS, AND SPENDS HIMSELF INA WORTHY CAUSE -- WHO, AT BEST IF HE WINS, KNOWS THE THRILLS OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENT -- AND IF HE FAILS, FAILS WHILE DARING GREATLY -- SO THAT HIS PLACE SHALL NEVER BE WITH THOSE COLD AND TIMED SOULS WHO KNOW NEITHER VICTORY NOR DEFEAT. (UNQUOTE)" AS YOU JO IN THE ARENA AND I KNOW ALL OF YOU WILL, I BID YOU FAREWELL AND WISH YOU GODSPEED ON YOUR JOURNEY FROM ONTEREY, AGAIN CONGRATULATIONS ON Y UR MAGNIFICENT ACCOMPLISHMENT. THANK YOU. ~ . ' 

Admiral Huntington Hardisty, USN Naval Postgraduate School Graduation Address Monterey California 16 June 1988

https://calhoun.nps.edu/bitstream/handle/10945/63931/grad_speech_1988_ocr.pdf?sequence=1

Admiral Huntington Hardisty, USN Naval Postgraduate School Graduation Address Monterey California 16 June 1988

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