COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Vice President JD Vance delivered the commencement address at the Air Force Academy graduation at Falcon Stadium, telling more than 900 graduating cadets to apply adaptability and innovation to an entirely new era of warfare.
Vance's appearance marked his only commencement speech this year. His message centered on preparing the new second lieutenants for the future of warfare, hitting on artificial intelligence and technology advancements they must be ready to face.
"So the class of 2026, Congratulations. Your country is asking a great deal from you," Vance said.
Watch Vice President JD Vance's Speech in the Video Player Below
Vance told the future military leaders that the new era of warfare includes autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and cyber operations.
"AI will inevitably change warfare, and of course as you've learned over the last four years, it already has," Vance said.
Vance, who is Catholic, called on the new second lieutenants to wage war more justly, referencing Pope Leo XIV's recent papal text encouraging humanity not to outsource moral decisions to digital technology.
"If the warfare of the future is to live up to the moral values of our ancestors, decisions over life and death must be made by humans and not machines," Vance said.
Vance also pressed on current issues like the ongoing war in Iran, where modern drone warfare has played a role in injuring and killing U.S. troops. He recounted the rescue of downed American pilots in Iran and the role the Air Force played in their rescue.
"I've never told anybody this before. I was sitting in a secure conference room on the phone with our military leadership and our civilian leadership and that operation hit a bit of a snag," Vance said.
"It was an Air Force General who said 'Mr. President. Mr. Vice President, we've hit some snags, but I promise you, we're still gonna get everyone out alive. And that was our great chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Dan Caine," Vance said.
The story drew applause from the crowd. Vance highlighted it to show the ingenuity of the Air Force and Space Force. He spoke for about 30 minutes, helping send the commissioned officers into their service commitments.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Family and friends making vacation while in town for Air Force Academy graduation
Most cadets who attend the Air Force Academy come here from out of state. It means family and friends travel long distances for graduation day. While here, they also make it a vacation.
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