ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- President Bush opened the Memorial Day weekend Friday by promising graduating midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy that the military they enter will be a place where "intelligent risk-taking and forward thinking are rewarded, not dreaded."
In an address to the academy's class of 2001, Bush praised those who have served in the military through the years and cautioned graduates that they face a different challenge as a result of a changed international landscape.
Bush called for building a military force that allows for keeping peace by "redefining war on our terms."
"I am committed to building a future force that is defined less by size and more by mobility and swiftness," Bush said. "One that is easy to deploy and sustain. One that relies more on stealth, precision weaponry and information technology."
Bush said building that force will not be a simple task, and government must commit to the necessary research and development.
"Changing the direction of our military is like changing the direction of a mighty ship," Bush said. "All the more reason for more research and development, and all the more reason to get started right away."
Bush noted military accomplishments of luminaries such as Adm. Arleigh Burke, the father of the modern Navy, and encouraged the graduates to think outside of the "old bureaucratic mindset" of the past.
Bush renewed his pledge to improve quality of life in the military - what he has called his administration's first order of business as it conducts a top-to-bottom review of the armed services.
An example of the challenge Bush faces in providing an improved quality of life for troops is shown in the results of an Army study that asked more than 13,000 officers about job satisfaction.
The Army said Friday that its survey showed that 69 percent of officers believe military housing is inadequate, and nearly 73 percent say they cannot achieve a proper balance between work and family life. Junior officers said they are not getting adequate training to be leaders and that there is "friction between Army beliefs and practices," prompting some to quit their Army career early.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, leading the review, has been meeting with lawmakers this week.
Bush steered clear of the specifics on how he might transform the military. Instead, he spoke in generalities about challenges and opportunities the graduating midshipmen face and to pay tribute to the Navy, its traditions and its heroes.
"As president I am committed to fostering a military culture where intelligent risk-taking and forward thinking are rewarded, not dreaded," Bush said. "I call upon you to seize and to join the history of creativity and innovation. New ideas don't always work. If you pick up the mantle, some of your ideas may fail. But we must give you the freedom, and we will."
Bush conferred degrees on the graduates and jokingly said that he was upholding the tradition as commander in chief, of absolving all midshipmen who had been on restriction for minor conduct offenses.
Kevin Terrell Young, 23, of Shadyside, Md., ran up on stage and grabbed Bush in a bear hug as the president gave him his baccalaureate degree in general science.
Rumsfeld is grappling with whether the United States should abandon the principle that the military must be prepared to fight two major regional wars at the same time.
He said this week he would like Congress to hold hearings on the question, suggesting an unveiling of the Bush administration's strategy is weeks or months away.
From Annapolis, Bush was heading to Camp David until Sunday.
He will lead a series of Memorial Day events Monday at the White House, Arlington Cemetery and in Mesa, Ariz., before going on to California for two days.
