Obama Addresses Class of 2016

President Barack Obama on Thursday offered words of advice to the Air Force Academy class of 2016, in what he said was his last time addressing a graduating class of military officers. “As you look at the world, be guided by an honest and clear-eyed assessment,” Obama said, stressing the importance of “evidence and facts and judgment.” America “cannot shirk the mantle of leadership” and be isolationist, he warned, and while the military is strong, America must remember “that many of the threats to our security cannot be solved by military force alone.” The challenge of the cadets’ generation, he said, will be to address the threats against the country while also “seizing the incredible opportunities of this moment in history.” But “as long as you keep strong that Long Blue Line, stay true to the values you’ve learned here… I’m confident that we will always remain one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” Obama said.