Latest news with #U.S.NavalAcademy
Nikkei Asia
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
In memory of Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye Jr.
WASHINGTON/SYDNEY -- Perhaps no two individuals in recent history have had a more enduring impact on American strategic engagement with Asia -- and particularly U.S. engagement with key allies and partners, notably Japan -- than Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye. We were brought up and initiated into their orbit -- inspired by their examples, motivated by their dedication, and nurtured by them in our own careers and personal lives, as were many others. We lost Rich in March and Joe this month. Their passing leaves a yawning chasm in American foreign policy, but their legacy and examples will endure for many years to come. Rich Armitage and Joe Nye had very different backgrounds. Rich graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1967 and after a tour in Vietnam working with riverine forces, left the Navy so that he could stay alongside his South Vietnamese comrades in the fight. When Communist forces overran Saigon in 1975, a young Rich Armitage organized the South Vietnamese Navy with their families and rescued thousands in a ragtag flotilla of ships that made it to the Philippines. He went on to work as a congressional staffer and rose within Republican administrations to be deputy secretary of state.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
JD Vance's shocking confession: 'Uncontested US dominance era is over, now we've China, Russia…'
US Vice President JD Vance issued a stark warning at the U.S. Naval Academy, declaring the 'era of uncontested U.S. dominance is over.' Addressing the graduating class, Vance pointed to growing threats from China, Russia, and other nations challenging American power across military, space, tech, and economic domains. Show more Show less
The Hill
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Vance promises no more ‘open-ended' wars to Naval Academy
The Big Story Vice President Vance on Friday promised U.S. Naval Academy graduates that President Trump would not send U.S. forces into 'undefined missions' or 'open-ended conflicts.' © Stephanie Scarbrough, Associated Press Speaking during a commencement address at the academy, Vance said the second Trump administration marks the end of policies geared toward meddling in other nations and against focusing on hard power. That 'doesn't mean that we ignore threats but means that we approach them with discipline and if we send you to war, we do it with a very specific set of goals in mind,' Vance told the 1,049 graduates in the Naval Academy's class of 2025. 'No more undefined missions. No more open-ended conflicts,' Vance said, adding that he and Trump would 'never ask you to do anything without a clear mission and a clear path home.' He pointed to the U.S. military's airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen – launched in March as an effort to stop the rebels from attacking American vessels in the Red Sea to questionable effect – as an example of the type of targeted and limited mission Trump would seek. 'We pursued that goal through overwhelming force,' Vance said. 'That's how military power should be used: Decisively with a clear objective.' He also praised Trump's Middle East trip last week while bashing the foreign policy decisions of previous presidents. 'We had a long experiment in our foreign policy that traded national defense and the maintenance of our alliances for nation-building and meddling in foreign countries' affairs,' Vance said. 'Even when those foreign countries had very little to do with poor American interests. What we're seeing from President Trump is a generational shift in policy with profound implications for the job that each and every one of you will be asked to do.' Vance, a former senator from Ohio, joined the Marine Corps and served in Iraq as a military journalist, later attending Ohio State University and Yale Law School. Watch the full address at Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. We will be off Monday for the Memorial Day holiday but will return Tuesday. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future: Pentagon denies US considering withdrawing troops from South Korea The Pentagon pushed back Friday on a Wall Street Journal report that the Trump administration is considering withdrawing thousands of American troops from South Korea, calling the news 'not true.' The Journal first reported Thursday that the Defense Department [DOD] was developing an option to pull out roughly 4,500 troops and move them to other locations in the Indo-Pacific region, including to Guam, citing Defense officials … US, Iran say they're moving closer to nuclear deal after fifth round of talks Both the U.S. and Iran indicated Friday that the two countries are moving closer to reaching a new deal regarding Tehran's expanding nuclear program. Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, who is the acting mediator, said the fifth round of talks in Rome ended with 'some but not conclusive progress.' 'We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days, to allow us to proceed towards the common … Trump, Netanyahu talk after 2 Israeli Embassy staffers killed President Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, after two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed Wednesday night outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. The suspect walked into the museum, where he was apprehended, and yelled, 'Free, free Palestine' once he was arrested, police officials said. The two victims have been identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah … On Our Radar Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Trump administration moves to end protections for child migrants in custody McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration is seeking to end an immigration policy cornerstone that since the 1990s has offered protections to child migrants in federal custody, a move that will be challenged by advocates, according to a court filing Thursday. The protections in place, known … On Tap Tuesday Events in and around the defense world: What We're Reading News we've flagged from other outlets: Trending Today Two key stories on The Hill right now: Chief Justice Roberts temporarily halts discovery in DOGE case Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily halted discovery Friday in a lawsuit seeking access to documents and information about the Department of Government … Read more Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' faces a swarm of Senate GOP objections The 1,116-page bill the House passed early Thursday morning to enact President Trump's ambitious legislative agenda faces a swarm of objections from … Read more You're all caught up. See you next week! Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here
UPI
23-05-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Vance to Naval Academy grads: 'Country needs you now more than ever'
1 of 3 | Vice President JD Vance shakes hands with midshipmen as they receive their diplomas at the Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on Friday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo May 23 (UPI) -- Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday addressed the 1,048 graduates of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., telling them, "Your country needs you now more than ever." During the ceremony, Marine 2 circled Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, and there was Blue Angels flyover. During the ceremony, Vance, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed to the Iraq War, watched as 786 men and women received Navy assignments and 262 went to graduates who now will serve in the Marines. On a sunny day, the graduates raised their right hands and swore to protect the Constitution as they were officially commissioned. In unison, they shouted "I do" when the oath was finished. They walked up to the stage to shake Vance's hand and receive their diploma. Divided into 36 companies, they later tossed caps into the air, a Naval tradition. "It will be you, the graduates gathered here today, who will lead the way for the rest of us," Vance said. "Your service will bring new challenges and environments, including ones unfamiliar even to those who served before you. You will deploy new equipment, new systems, and new technology. And, through those experiences, it is you who will learn, who will teach others and will help our services and our entire country adapt to the future we're confronting." This was Vance's first remarks to service academy's graduates as vice president. "The extraordinary education you received is an investment by the American people, an investment not only in your courage, but in the strength of your minds and the promise of your leadership because your nation rests easier knowing that we have the most brilliant strategists and tacticians standing guard," Vance added. Vance noted that they would be leading troops in regions with military powers, including China and Russia. To the graduates, guests and military personnel, he touted the Trump administration's policies. He described President Donald Trump's visit last week to the Middle East as "historic." Vance told the crowd how his administration's foreign policy is different from predecessors by moving away from nation-building and prioritizing American interests. "No more undefined missions. No more open-ended conflicts," Vance said. He voted that Trump and himself would "never ask you to do anything without a clear mission and a clear path home." The vice president described the military's targeted and limited airstrikes this spring against the Houthis in Yemen as the type of mission the Trump administration would prioritize. The goal was to stop Houthi militants from attacking American ships in the Red Sea. "We pursued that goal through overwhelming force," Vance said. "That's how military power should be used: Decisively." Earlier he was greeted by demonstrators protesting the Trump administration's policies Several groups advocating for racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights rallied across the street on the grounds of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. From a distance, they protested deep cuts to social services in the proposed budget. The Naval Academy stopped considering race, ethnicity or sex in admissions. Nearly 400 books exploring White supremacy, race and racism in America; gender identity; and sexuality and diversity were removed from the academy's library after an executive order by Trump. Many have since been returned to the library's shelves. "I'm sure some of you share my politics and some of you don't," Vance said, "but I know today I speak for a grateful nation when I say, 'We are rooting for you, Naval Academy Class of 2025, we are proud of you and we depend on you. Congratulations. Godspeed.' " The U.S. Naval Academy's Class of 2025 includes 751 men and 298 women from all 50 states. Fourteen international students from 13 countries will return home to serve in their respective armed forces. The class began with 1,186 candidates: 838 men and 348 women. Midshipmen said the graduation of four challenging years at the academy was surreal. "After today, I'm a commissioned officer in the greatest fighting force. There's a little bit of nerves," political science major Lucas Merritt, 23, of Georgia, who is going into the Marine Corps, told The Baltimore Banner. "I feel ready." "Our sailors and Marines' lives are literally in our hands," Rebecca Wiley, 21, of Houston, who will work on submarines in Charleston, S.C., said after studying naval architecture and mechanical engineering. "I'm nervous to do a good job, but that just shows that I care." Joseph Lee, a 22-year-old from Kansas, studied chemistry and will go to medical school. They will join approximately 92,000 Naval Academy alumni who have graduated since 1845. Naval Academy holds graduation ceremony A flyover by the Navy's Blue Angels takes place at the beginning of the Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., on May 23, 2025. Photo by Ken Cedeno | License Photo
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
VP Vance says use of military force under Trump will be careful, decisive
By Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Friday that the United States under President Donald Trump will choose carefully when to use military force and will avoid involvement in open-ended conflicts in what he called a break from recent U.S. policies. Vance, delivering the commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, also said that the United States faces serious threats from China, Russia and other nations and will have to maintain its technological edge. "The era of uncontested U.S. dominance is over," Vance said to the graduates, who will become officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. Vance said Trump's order to use force against Houthi rebels in Yemen ultimately led to a ceasefire as part of a deal in which the group agreed to halt attacks on American shipping targets in the Gulf. "We ought to be cautious in deciding to throw a punch, but when we throw a punch, we throw a punch hard, and we do it decisively," Vance said. Vance, a former Ohio senator who served in the Marine Corps, said some recent presidents got the United States involved in conflicts that were not essential to American national security. Vance did not identify past presidents for criticism. But his comments suggested he was talking about former President George W. Bush, a Republican who launched U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his successor Barack Obama, a Democrat who kept up the war in Afghanistan. A chaotic U.S. withdrawal in 2021 after Joe Biden became president continues to be sharply criticized by Trump. "We had a long experiment in our foreign policy that traded national defense and the maintenance of our alliances for nation building and meddling in foreign countries' affairs, even if those foreign countries had very little to do with core American interests," Vance said. "No more undefined missions, no more open-ended conflicts," he said. Vance said the United States enjoyed a period of dominance after the fall of the old Russian-led Soviet empire and that American policies aimed at the economic integration of U.S. competitors had backfired. Vance's sharp rhetoric echoed the isolationist tendencies of Trump, who has badgered NATO nations to spend more on their own defense to ease the burden on the United States. Trump has called for increased U.S. military spending and this week ordered the construction of the Golden Dome missile defense system, a vast network of satellites and weapons in Earth's orbit set to cost $175 billion. Trump will speak to graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, on Saturday.
