Do not be your own worst enemy. - Patrick Henry. Do not ever get into the mindset of there is no hope for that Seabeeyou cannot fail your troops.ever.. Your mannerism will be aped. Is there a doubt, whether a common government can embrace so large a sphere? I also managed special programs with our Dutch, Danish and German allies. I cannot believe the day has finally come for me to hang up this uniform and don my suit for the next chapter of life. Kevin B. Edwards upon retiring from the US Navy and being conferred with a Legion of Merit Medal. As already mentioned, I had repaid my debt to the Navy for the opportunities it had given me. This evening I come to you with a message of leave-taking and farewell, and to share a few final thoughts with you, my countrymen. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Think about itwhen you see that E-3 put in his/her Crow for the first time and you mentored him/her along the way.doesnt that make you feel good? But let there be no change by usurpation; for, though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. Hence, likewise, they will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. How far in the discharge of my official duties, I have been guided by the principles which have been delineated, the public records and other evidences of my conduct must witness to you and to the world. After over 3 years on COLUMBUS, I knew that one day the Navy would give me the opportunity to command a nuclear submarine. In looking forward to the moment, which is intended to terminate the career of my public life, my feelings do not permit me to suspend the deep acknowledgment of that debt of gratitude, which I owe to my beloved country for the many honors it has conferred upon me; still more for the steadfast confidence with which it has supported me; and for the opportunities I have thence enjoyed of manifesting my inviolable attachment, by services faithful and persevering, though in usefulness unequal to my zeal. The execution of these maxims belongs to your representatives, but it is necessary that public opinion should cooperate. Hass warmly welcomed me to his staff at the Trident Training Facility, and gave me the freedom to work on a few projects while recovering from the wounds inflicted by that deadly uncharted sea mount. remember the refrain of one of the most barracks ballads of that day which At Iowa Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue. We now stand ten years past the midpoint of a century that has witnessed four major wars among great nations. Best of luck Chief. Lastly.DREAM BIG AND BIG THINGS WILL HAPPEN! It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die" - G.K. Chesterton. Sometimes you have to take risks in life to achieve your ultimate dreams.do not be afraid to take that leap of faith Seabees! We are now embracing same sex partnerships and truly setting up an organization of Equal Opportunity for all. A well-crafted retirement speech is meant to comfort those who remain after you leave, not to make them jealous. In war there is no substitute for victory. After leaving COLUMBUS, I reported to the Pentagon, where I learned a new combat skill: powerpoint warfare. Your most casual remark will be remembered. Today I am not looking for votes. Now, on Friday noon, I am to become a private citizen. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. Good judgment seeks balance and progress; lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration. Others, to avoid Soviet intervention. There are many technicians in the civilian world who never get to lead people.I think they are missing out on a great satisfaction. If not, a speech writer can do the work for you. We persevered through numerous ships casualties including several major freon ruptures, a major electrical fire, two hydraulic ruptures, and on and on. They have met all tests there, and I can report to you without reservation that they are splendid in every way. The inducements of interest for observing that conduct will best be referred to your own reflections and experience. Maj. Russell A. Hamilton gives a speech April 6, 2019, during a retirement ceremony at the Peterson Air and Space Museum, Peterson Air Force Base. And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. A second Sample retirement speech. Throughout Americas adventure in free government, such basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among peoples and among nations. More . I pray that the coming years will be blessed with peace and prosperity for all. Sensible of this momentous truth, you have improved upon your first essay, by the adoption of a Constitution of Government better calculated than your former for an intimate Union, and for the efficacious management of your common concerns. Jan 8, 2017 - Discover and share Great Military Retirement Quotes. 3.3K views, 68 likes, 30 loves, 81 comments, 18 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from U.S. Army Fort Knox: Post Retirement Ceremony 25 June 2021 Humorous Retirement Speech. Yet today they are no doubt delighted to be here and looking forward to the future. So as my first sea tour came to a close, I was faced with the decision to either remain in the Navy or join the rank and file of everyday civilians. proffer hand retirement orders to <official party> <official party> present copy of retirement orders- photo oportunity - return orders ro proffer. The Nation, which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. Retirement Speech: Well, here we are23 years from the day I shipped to boot camp (well almost anyway, 13 August is when I actually started boot camp). I constantly hoped, that it would have been much earlier in my power, consistently with motives, which I was not at liberty to disregard, to return to that retirement, from which I had been reluctantly drawn. West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still Who can doubt, that, in the course of time and things, the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages, which might be lost by a steady adherence to it ? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice? For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers. However, there were more dues to pay before this would occur. As leaders and followers we must all embrace the change and move forward with it, it will only make our Navy better for future generations. Profoundly penetrated with this idea, I shall carry it with me to my grave, as a strong incitement to unceasing vows that Heaven may continue to you the choicest tokens of its beneficence; that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the free constitution, which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained; that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue; than, in fine, the happiness of the people of these States, under the auspices of liberty, may be made complete, by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing, as will acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause, the affection, and adoption of every nation, which is yet a stranger to it. As avenues to foreign influence in innumerable ways, such attachments are particularly alarming to the truly enlightened and independent Patriot. With men such as you our cause could not be lost; but the war would have been interminable; it would have been civil war, and that would have entailed deeper misfortunes on France. A military retirement speech focuses on a very special individual who put duty before self and safeguarded our freedoms. "A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." -- Joseph Campbell. "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. This Government, the offspring of our own choice, uninfluenced and unawed, adopted upon full investigation and mature deliberation, completely free in its principles, in the distribution of its powers, uniting security with energy, and containing within itself a provision for its own amendment, has a just claim to your confidence and your support. But I put my complete trust in God and took this leap of faith (much to the opposition of my wifeshe totally freaked out when I called her and said Im retiring). But, a lot can go wrong if you're not mindful. Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. Thats something that will Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite. Respect for its authority, compliance with its laws, acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of true Liberty. We could hold in Korea by constant maneuver and at an approximate area where our supply-line advantages were in balance with the supply-line disadvantages of the enemy, but we could hope at best for only an indecisive campaign with its terrible and constant attrition upon our forces if the enemy utilized his full military potential. Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. You will have in your charge loyal but untrained citizens, who look to you for instruction and guidance. You all have taught me more about life, leadership, and friendship than any others. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. Why, my soldiers asked of me, surrender military advantages to an enemy in the field? "You deserve thanks every day for your service.". In offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend, I dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting impression I could wish; that they will control the usual current of the passions, or prevent our nation from running the course, which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations. If we remain one people, under an efficient government, the period is not far off, when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality, we may at any time resolve upon, to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, our Armageddon will be at our door. Their last words to me were: Dont scuttle the Pacific.. But before you partake in your college endeavors, you need to first seriously think about what it is you really want to do in life post-military. Despite SAN FRANs recent troubles, it soon became clear that I had gotten a great deal. The magnificence of the courage and fortitude of the Korean people defies description. We intend to be active in our local community, and share our time and talents with those less fortunate than ourselves. Ladies and gentlemen, firstly I would like to say a massive thank-you to all of you for joining me at this great retirement party. Taking care always to keep ourselves, by suitable establishments, on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. But that jealousy, to be useful, must be impartial; else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defence against it. The considerations, which respect the right to hold this conduct, it is not necessary on this occasion to detail. Every one of you is a leader. There are a few more people who I must mention by name. Advertisement Tags Serious and inspirational military retirement quotes Land of the free because of the brave -- Bumper sticker Peace is our Profession -- Air Force saying Never was so much owed by so many to so few -- Winston Churchill. My own relations with Congress, which began on a remote and tenuous basis when, long ago, a member of the Senate appointed me to West Point, have since ranged to the intimate during the war and immediate post-war period, and finally to the mutually interdependent during these past eight years. Figure out what it is, then find the degree that will help you achieve your success. Often it is best to let a leader speak for himself. I soon had my best view of the Pentagon in my rear view mirror and Avril and I accomplished yet another cross country move this time to Bangor, Washington for my first exposure to the ballistic missile submarine community. For entertaining these views, all professionally designed to support our forces committed to Korea and to bring hostilities to an end with the least possible delay and at a saving of countless American and Allied lives, I have been severely criticized in lay circles, principally abroad, despite my understanding that from a military standpoint the above views have been fully shared in the past by practically every military leader concerned with the Korean campaign, including our own Joint Chiefs of Staff. My Dad, who has cheered my Navy career from the sidelines for the past twenty years. You cannot appease or otherwise surrender to communism in Asia without simultaneously undermining our efforts to halt its advance in Europe. Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors in peacetime, or indeed by the fighting men of World War II or Korea. Delivered 31 August 2011, Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall, Virginia. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquillity at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty, which you so highly prize. Retirement Speech. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened. In this final relationship, the Congress and the Administration have, on most vital issues, cooperated well, to serve the nation well rather than mere partisanship, and so have assured that the business of the nation should go forward. You have to know what it is you really want out of life and then set yourself up for success through education and networking. Thank you for sharing her with us and for helping mold her into the great person she's become. As you address your audience, focus on maintaining effective eye contact, particularly with the retiree in question - speak to your audience and retiree - not at them. Its growing bloodshed has caused me the deepest anguish and anxiety. To my fellow Veterans, I have reserved a special place in my heart for all of you. Sympathy for the favorite Nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest, in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter, without adequate inducement or justification. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another. You and I my fellow citizens need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice. The civilian job market is competitive as all hell, and being a veteran it is even that much harder to sell yourself to civilian management. Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen. Just after being ranked as the best submarine in the Force in engineering readiness, we set off from Guam to Brisbane, Australia in January 2005. Theres no place quite like a Navy shipyard. I hope you have a blessed 4th of July holiday. We were always very diligent and formal in our communications and operating procedures. General Colin Powell delivers remarks during his military retirement ceremony on 30 September 1993 in Arlington, Virginia. But as it is easy to foresee, that, from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment, that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion, that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. Unhappily the danger it poses promises to be of indefinite duration. 2). As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over thousands of years I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight. When I joined the company- (Say when you joined the company, how you felt about joining the company and what you aimed to achieve when you started. But, I can honestly say that thus far this has been the most stress-free transition I could have hoped for. The record of many decades stands as proof that our people and their Government have, in the main, understood these truths and have responded to them well in the face of threat and stress. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you write a farewell speech: 1. 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