Vice President Joe Biden told the U.S. Military Academy’s 2016 class at commencement that greater diversity, such as including more women and gays in battle, makes our military forces stronger.
“Having men and women together in the battlefield is an incredible asset, particularly when they’re asked to lead teams in parts of the world with fundamentally different expectations and norms,” Biden said at West Point.
Biden also congratulated class president Eugene “E.J.” Coleman, who recently announced he was gay. Referencing the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, Biden said, “E.J. would have been discharged from the Army, and we would have lost an incredible talent. Thanks for your courage, E.J., and I expect we’re going to hear big things from you, pal.”
The vice president also warned the graduates about all the challenges they will face, including Islamic extremism and cyberattacks.
“Whenever the stakes are highest, we turn to the United States Army,” he said. “Whether it’s fighting terrorism, training our partners, reassuring our allies or providing humanitarian relief, we call on you,” he said. “And right now, the stakes could not be higher.”
“The bad thing about advanced technology is that it gives immense powers to stateless actors,” Biden said.
He added: “You’ll need to dominate the cyber realm as you do the physical one.”
