General James T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, delivered the keynote address at the thirteenth Pearl Harbor Day Dinner, held each year by The Institute of World Politics. The dinner, intended to remind Americans of the importance of intellectual and strategic preparedness in our foreign policy, was held this year at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington.
Honorary Doctorate
The Institute of World Politics awarded a Doctor of Laws degree, Honoris Causa, to Gen. Conway in recognition of his extraordinary service to our country. In awarding the degree, Owen T. Smith, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute, remarked: “General Conway has in his heart… all the men and women in his command.”
A New Era of Surprise
Gen. Conway delivered a fitting and inspirational address that described how surprise at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels affects foreign policy. He contrasted the surprise of December 7, 1941 to the tactical surprises inherent in the war on terrorism, which he characterized as “fighting in and amongst the people.” The Commandant also discussed how various far-reaching geopolitical events, such as the rise of China and Russia’s resurgence, will affect the United States: “Will we still be important? Absolutely. Just as important? I think that’s controversial.”
He stressed the need for eternal vigilance and described in general terms the readiness of the Marine Corps and its contribution to overall U.S. preparedness for strategic surprises. He noted with pride that the Marine Corps strives to be “most ready when the nation is least ready.”
IWP Honors Joint Staff Awardees
Dr. John Lenczowski, Founder and President of the Institute, recognized the recipients of the Joint Staff Officer of the Year Award, Lt. Col. Scott E. McCulloch USA, Operations Officer in the Global Force Management Division of the Directorate of Regional Operations, and the Joint Staff Civilian of the Year Award, Mr. Mike Altomare, Chief of the studies and Analysis Management Division of the Directorate for Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment as well as other members of the United States armed forces.
At left, Gen. Conway addresses attendees of the thirteenth Pearl Harbor Day Dinner of The Institute of World Politics. At right, Gen. Conway greets IWP Master's degree candidate Timothy Stebbins as IWP professor and Trustee Thomas P. Melady looks on.