Joining An Impressive And Courageous Team

Gregory B. Starr
Acting Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security and Director for the Office of Foreign Missions
Remarks at Graduation Ceremony of Basic Special Agent Class # 97
Washington, D.C.
June 5, 2008
(as prepared for delivery)

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the State Department, and the graduation ceremony for Basic Special Agent Class #97. It’s wonderful to have you all here. Rest assured, I am not going to deliver a lengthy speech. As a matter of fact, I’ve always thought that graduation remarks should have a good beginning, a good ending – and the two should be as close together as possible!

I do want to offer a special welcome to all the family members and friends who are with us. Parents, thank you for all you have done to shape the lives of these fine men and women who are now part of our team. I would like you to know that DS is an organization that cares deeply about your sons and daughters.

It is wonderful to see so many family members with us here today, because without your support and understanding, a successful career in Diplomatic Security is almost impossible.

Today we welcome these 26 men and women to our Diplomatic Security Service family. As DSS special agents, they are joining the ranks of one of the pre-eminent security and law enforcement organizations in the world.

Today’s graduates are a remarkable group of young Americans, between the ages of 23 and 37, who hail from 14 states, the U.S. territory of Guam, and from Austria as well. They already have achieved some impressive milestones in their lives.

This group includes an attorney, a police officer, an English instructor, a U.S. Air Force navigator, a Park Ranger, intelligence officers from the U.S. Army and the Defense Intelligence Agency, as well as officers and staff from five other federal law enforcement agencies and a former Marine Security Guard. Past military experience includes the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.

These graduates speak Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Russian, and a host of other foreign languages. As a group, they possess undergraduate degrees in 17 academic subject areas; and another 8 Master’s Degrees in professional fields that include Criminal Justice Administration and International Security.

As candidates, the members of this class were required to master a rigorous professional course of training. They were immersed in some 45 weeks of expert instruction in federal law enforcement, diplomatic security, and foreign service topics. That training included a focus on U.S. law, criminal investigation and interrogation techniques, firearms, chemical-biological countermeasures, passport fraud, and dignitary protection, among other topics.

Our graduates today were determined and dedicated, and consequently excelled in this diverse training. Their newly acquired expertise and skills, together with their previous professional experiences and education, will substantially strengthen DS and its capabilities in years to come.

Graduates, you are joining an impressive and courageous team which, since 1916, has played an important role in the workings of our government. As special agents, you will work with nearly 40,000 special agents, engineers, couriers, security specialists, civil servants, contractors, and other Diplomatic Security professionals who support the work of U.S. diplomacy at more than 285 American embassies and consulates worldwide. Your immediate assignments here in the United States will include Washington, DC; New York; Chicago; Miami; Los Angeles; and San Francisco.

Our mission is not an easy one. The threats we face domestically and abroad are real and growing. There are powerful forces at work in the world today that are opposed to the United States and everything we stand for as a nation and as a people.

As a member of the Diplomatic Security Service, your role in protecting the people, facilities, and information of the State Department will support the work of diplomacy, and help protect our homeland from terrorism, espionage, and other criminal acts.

You will have the responsibility to investigate passport and visa fraud – cases that are often linked to international crime and terrorism – and you will provide protection in some of the world’s most politically volatile locations. You may well become involved with some of the most critical national security challenges of our time.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Diplomatic Security mission is unique. We are the most widely represented U.S. law enforcement organization in the world. Our reach is global and our mandate is diverse.

It was our agents in Pakistan who arrested the mastermind behind the 1993 bombing of the New York World Trade Center. Another of our agents led the U.S. investigation into the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Two of our special agents in New York were honored last month for cracking a multi-million-dollar document fraud ring.

Last year, our agents traveled more than 200,000 air miles with the Secretary of State to provide personal protection during her visits to 25 countries. And this summer, our agents will be in Beijing to assist with security for the American athletes competing at the 29th International Olympic Games. These are just a few of the more notable examples of duties our agents shoulder routinely.

In fact, DS agents around the world do what it takes every day of the year to ensure that official representatives of the United States can conduct diplomacy safely and securely. They confront challenging – and in many cases life-threatening – situations. The well-being and survival of others often will depend on your judgment, alertness, and bravery.

Graduates, I am confident that all of you, individually and collectively, are fully prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Your training, skill, perseverance, and judgment will enable you to succeed in every mission you undertake. Each of you will make your own unique contribution to tomorrow’s national security agenda. And you will never be alone. You are joining the DS team. Your teammates will always support you – and they will depend on your support in return.

Throughout your careers as special agents, we expect you to uphold the highest ethical standards and traditions. We expect you to act with integrity and ingenuity, patience and persistence. From this day forward you are, and will always be, a Diplomatic Security special agent – one of our nation’s foremost law enforcement representatives.

Always strive to do your best. While you will certainly be called upon to make sacrifices, they will be dwarfed by the rewards and satisfaction that come with the successful accomplishments of our challenging mission.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said: “Reach for the stars, but keep your feet on the ground.” I think that is good advice for all of us, as we go about our noble efforts to enhance national security, while ensuring that our routine daily tasks are thoroughly and competently performed.

In a few moments, you will receive your badge and credentials. Your badge is a badge of honor, and a badge of courage – so carry it proudly. As you take your oath, know that you will have an opportunity to make a tremendous difference by deterring threats that could undermine our American values, national stability, and personal safety.

Graduates, I offer my sincerest congratulations. To you, and your families, welcome to the U.S. Department of State and the Diplomatic Security Service. Welcome to our team.