Acting Defense Sec. Shanahan To Speak At USNA Graduation

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The U.S. Naval Academy guest speaker for the upcoming graduation and commissioning ceremony will be U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan. He will address the graduating class during the ceremonies on May 24.

Shanahan previously served as an executive at Boeing where he worked for more than three decades. According to the U.S. Naval Academy, he filled the role of the Pentagon’s No. spot since July 2017 until he was appointed the acting secretary in January 2019. Shanahan served as a regent at the University of Washington for more than five years.

Approximately 1,000 midshipmen will be commissioned as either Navy ensigns or 2nd lieutenants in the Marine during the upcoming ceremony after spending four years at the Naval Academy. There will be a host of activities during Commissioning Week, including the Blue Angels Flight Demonstration, Color Parade and musical performances.