ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan delivered the commencement address this morning at to the 2019 graduates of the US Naval Academy this morning.
Bachelor of Science degrees were awarded to the more than 1,000 midshipmen who were also commissioned as either a Navy ensign or Marine 2nd lieutenant.
In his address, Shanahan told the midshipmen they should strive to change the status quo and “set the standard on preventing sexual harassment and assault.”
Reports of military sexual assaults jumped by 13% last year, but an anonymous survey of service members suggests the problem is vastly larger, according to the Associated Press. Read more on the report and actions being taken to address the issue within the US military and service academies.
West Point’s graduation ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday.
Next week, the cadets at the US Air Force Academy will hear a commencement address from President Donald Trump inside Falcon Stadium. LEARN MORE ABOUT GRADUATION WEEK AT USAFA
Graduating U.S Naval Academy midshipmen walk into the academy's graduation and commissioning ceremony, Friday, May 24, 2019, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Will Newton)
