Vice President JD Vance told the graduating class at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Friday that the era of "undefended missions" and "open-ended conflicts" is over.

"You're not just graduates of some random university about to embark on careers in the private sector. And I'm not just giving another political speech. I'm your vice president, and the minute you walk off this stage with your diploma and your commission, you will be officers in the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, and that is an incredible thing," Vance said.

Speaking to the newest Naval and Marine Corps officers in the class of 2025, Vance affirmed that his approach, and that of President Donald Trump, is that it "doesn't mean that we ignore threats but means that we approach them with discipline and if we send you to war, we do it with a very specific set of goals in mind."

"People will look at you as graduates of the Naval Academy in a different way," Vance said. "More often than not, you will be giving them orders, and just as I see you as our most precious resource, so you must see the men and women who call you 'sir' and 'ma'am' as your most sacred charge."

Vance told the 1,049 graduates about his own service in the Marine Corps when he enlisted straight of high school and did a tour in Iraq as a military journalist. Vance gave a slight to previous Democrat and Republican administrations who attempted to nation-build in Iraq and Afghanistan saying, "How hard could it be to build a few democracies in the Middle East? Well, almost impossibly hard, it turns out. And unbelievably costly."

The vice president also took issue with the handling of the conflict in Gaza noting how the Biden administration spent hundreds of millions on a humanitarian relief pier that was doomed to failure. The Trump administration has also promised to avoid the mistakes of both parties by sending young men and women to foreign wars without a clear objective.

"The Trump administration has reversed course," Vance said. "No more undefined missions. No more open-ended conflicts." He added, "We ought to be cautious in deciding to throw a punch, but when we throw a punch, we throw a punch hard, and we do it decisively. And that's exactly what we may ask you to do."

The vice president's speech was not without some protest elements. Nearly 150 protesters assembled near the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to voice their displeasure at Vance. Annapolis Pride, the Caucus of African American Leaders and Veterans for Peace, were among the groups in attendance according to the Baltimore Sun.

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