{"id":33900,"date":"2019-05-26T15:46:28","date_gmt":"2019-05-26T15:46:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/26\/mike-pence-west-point-grads-should-expect-to-see-combat\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:51:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:51:51","slug":"mike-pence-west-point-grads-should-expect-to-see-combat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2019\/05\/26\/mike-pence-west-point-grads-should-expect-to-see-combat\/","title":{"rendered":"Mike Pence: West Point grads should expect to see combat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WEST POINT, N.Y. \u2014 Vice President Mike Pence told the most diverse graduating class in the history of the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday that the world is \u201ca dangerous place\u201d and they should expect to see combat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSome of you will join the fight against radical Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/13\/vice-president-pence-to-speak-at-west-points-graduation\/\" target=_blank>Pence congratulated the West Point graduates<\/a> on behalf of President Donald Trump, and told them, \u201cAs you accept the mantle of leadership I promise you, your commander in chief will always have your back. President Donald Trump is the best friend the men and women of our armed forces will ever have.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2018\/05\/27\/dunford-urges-west-point-graduates-to-embrace-change\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18146649791427.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Dunford urges West Point graduates to embrace change<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff urged graduating cadets at the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday to \u201cembrace the constant changes\u201d facing the military as the best route to success.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than 980 cadets became U.S. Army second lieutenants in the ceremony at West Point\u2019s football stadium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pence noted that Trump has proposed a $750 billion defense budget for 2020 and said the United States \u201cis once again embracing our role as the leader of the free world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is a virtual certainty that you will fight on a battlefield for America at some point in your life,\u201d Pence said. \u201cYou will lead soldiers in combat. It will happen. Some of you may even be called upon to serve in this hemisphere.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145630500181.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145630500181.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145630500181.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145630500181.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145630500181.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Vice President Mike Pence salutes a graduating cadet before handing him his diploma during graduation ceremonies at the United States Military Academy, Saturday, May 25, 2019, in West Point, N.Y. (Julius Constantine Motal\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pence spoke as the U.S. plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/05\/24\/about-1000-us-troops-will-head-to-mideast-as-tensions-with-iran-grow\/\" target=_blank>send another 1,500 troops<\/a> to the Middle East to counter what the Trump administration describes as threats from Iran; as the longest war in U.S. history churns on in Afghanistan; and as Washington considers its options amid political upheaval in Venezuela. The administration is also depending more heavily on the military to deter migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The class was the most diverse in West Point\u2019s history, and Pence said he wanted to acknowledge \u201cthe historic milestones that we\u2019re marking today.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145647676397.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-36980\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145647676397.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145647676397.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145647676397.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19145647676397.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">West Point cadets hug each other at the end of graduation ceremonies at the United States Military Academy, Saturday, May 25, 2019, in West Point, N.Y. (Julius Constantine Motal\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2019 cadets included 34 black women and 223 women, both all-time highs since the first female cadets graduated in 1980. The academy graduated its 5,000th woman Saturday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 110 African Americans who graduated were double the number from 2013. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pence said the graduates also included the academy\u2019s 1,000th Jewish cadet. <\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/23\/west-point-to-graduate-record-number-of-black-female-cadets\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19143561007433.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">West Point to graduate record number of black female cadets<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The class of cadets preparing to jubilantly toss their caps in the air at the U.S. Military Academy\u2019s graduation ceremony Saturday includes 34 black women, a record number that\u2019s a sign of concerted efforts to diversify West Point\u2019s Long Gray Line.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pence did not serve in the military but noted that his late father served with the Army in the Korean War. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd as I stand before you today here at West Point I can\u2019t help but think that First Lt. Edward J. Pence, looking down from glory, is finally impressed with his third son,\u201d Pence said. \u201cSo thank you for the honor.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ceremony was Pence\u2019s second visit to West Point and his first as commencement speaker. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vice President Mike Pence told the most diverse graduating class in the history of the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday that the world is \u201ca dangerous place\u201d and they should expect to see 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