Ceremony of Basic Special Agent Class 84

Good afternoon, graduates, ladies and gentlemen, family and friends.  Thank you Ambassador Pearson, Director General of the Foreign Service, for joining us.  And on behalf of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, welcome to the State Department’s Ben Franklin Room, one of America’s distinguished places for honoring citizens of the country and the world. 

It’s a pleasure to be here today as the men and women of Basic Special Agent Class 84 begin their careers as special agents of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.  To all the graduates, I say congratulations!  You have successfully completed Special Agent training.  I know you worked long and hard to make it to this very important day.  

I also want to offer a warm welcome to all the family members and friends who have joined us here today.  We thank you for all you have done to shape the lives of the fine men and women who are now part of our team.  Parents, especially, please know that this is an organization that cares deeply about your sons and daughters.    

As you heard, I am just starting my service with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.  I can assure you, it is an honor to lead such a prestigious organization.  And I am pleased that my first public-speaking engagement since being sworn into office is before our newest class of special agents.

While I have had occasion in my professional career to preside at other special agent graduations, I must tell you, never before have I been the junior person in the room!

It’s really wonderful to see so many family members here with us today, because a successful career in Diplomatic Security is almost impossible without the support and understanding of one’s family.  Sometimes this support and understanding is demonstrated in unexpected ways.  I recall in my previous career, in 1988, I was transferred from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, California, where I served as Special Agent-in-Charge of an extremely busy field office.  I found myself putting in some rather long hours trying to get a handle on everything that was going on in my district.  During this time frame, my wife told me that my 4-year-old son asked why I was getting home from work so late.  Well, my wife explained to him, “Your father has so much work to do that he can’t get through it all by 7 o’clock.”

After scratching his head, my son replied, “Maybe they should put him in a slower group!”

Graduates, it will take a strong support network to allow you to succeed.  Never forget that at the end of the day, your friends and family members are the ones who remember you and pray for your safety.  They are sacrificing, too, in support of your dreams. You can never say thank you enough.

From this day forward, you are part of an impressive team.  Diplomatic Security is an organization made up of 32,000 agents, engineers, couriers, security specialists, civil servants, and other professionals.  Working together, we are a global force.  Our mission is to protect and secure American diplomacy—and to help protect our homeland from terrorists and other criminals.   

These are extraordinary times. Our country faces threats from elements around the world opposed to the United States of America and all we represent. But as a member of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, you have an opportunity to make a tremendous difference in countering those threats.  Diplomatic Security protects America’s embassies, diplomats, and classified information.  We solve passport fraud cases that are often linked to international criminals and terrorists.  And we provide protection in some of the world’s most politically volatile places, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti.

As a DS special agent, you will be counted as one of the finest law enforcement officers in the world.  Our dedicated special agents regularly delve into dangerous crisis situations to save others. In just the past few months, DS agents have stepped right into the middle of angry mobs in Sierra Leone and Togo in Africa—at grave risk to themselves—to rescue American citizens.   

There will likely be life and death situations in the course of your career, as well.  Others might very well live or die depending on your judgment, alertness, and — yes—your bravery. 

Though you will face difficulties and crises, you are well prepared.  Your fine training, your skill, your perseverance, and your good judgment will enable you to make all the difference. I challenge you to continue to learn, to become an expert at your profession, and to excel at every opportunity.

Our mission is not an easy one.  The threats we face domestically and abroad are real and growing.  But our mission is an extremely important one.  So as you do your job every day, it is essential that you always do your best.  Every day, you should strive for nothing less than excellence.

In a few moments, you will receive your badges and credentials.  Treat them with respect and honor.  During your career as a Diplomatic Security special agent, act with integrity and ingenuity, pride and humility, patience and persistence.  As you become members of this elite organization, you are called upon to uphold the highest ethical standards and traditions.  You must know, from this day forward, all of your actions, on and off the job, will be evaluated from the perspective of you being a special agent in one of the pre-eminent security and law enforcement organizations in the world.  Welcome to the State Department family and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.  Welcome to our team.