Obama Speaks at Naval Academy Commencement

The President of the United States paid a visit to Annapolis on Friday, both to congratulate the U.S. Naval Academy’s graduates of the Class of 2013, and to issue them a charge—to uphold high standards in trying times.

An estimated 35,000 of the graduates' family and friends came to cheer on their achievement at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. At about 9:45 a.m., a cheer erupted from the audience, as a video was shown of President Barack Obama landing in a helicopter near the stadium.

Obama was there to give the keynote speech for the ceremony—for his second time as president. The president called the class the most diverse in the academy's history, and urged them to continue a legacy of integrity and character in a time when many have lost faith in government institutions.

Read Obama's full speech at Whitehouse.gov.

Obama started with a joke—absolving midshipmen for enjoying themselves at "other local institutions," including Armadillo's. He also joked about poor the weather. It rained throughout most of the ceremony.

"I know it's a little wet, but the superintendent told me the Marines and folks in the Navy don't mind a little water," he said.

But quickly, Obama’s speech turned to what he called threats to the integrity of the government, and the strong example the military must set to uphold virtue.

"It's no accident that our military is the most respected institution in America, and one of the most diverse institutions in America," Obama said. "It's no secret that in recent decades, many Americans have lost confidence in many of the institutions that help shape and serve our society."

These institutions do not fail in a vacuum, Obama said. He referenced how, "a single image from the battlefield of troops falling short of their standards," can go viral, and how sexual assaults damage an institution’s integrity.

In closing, Obama told the grads that they were the pinnacle of virtue.

“You embody the highest virtues of this venerable institution,” he said.

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View photos from Friday's ceremony.