Naval War College director delivers local graduation address

NEWPORT, R.I. – Capt. Mark Turner, director of U.S. Naval War College’s (NWC) Naval Staff College (NSC), addressed the 2016 graduating class of Rogers High School (RHS) in Newport, Rhode Island, during a ceremony, June 17.

Turner, who oversees the intermediate-level international students, received the invitation as a result of a two-year partnership he fostered between the NWC international and local high school students.

Together, the students exchange ideas and provide question-and-answer dialogue covering global issues of current importance. 

“We bring over about 12 officers per semester from 22 different nations,” said Turner. “Then at the end of the year we bring the RHS students to the Naval War College. We show them what our mission is, that the U.S. and international officers are here to think strategically. They’re here to develop a vision of what needs to be done.”

RHS students themselves selected Turner to speak at their graduation, alongside Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo. In addition to congratulating the students for their accomplishments, Turner decided to incorporate advice from the NSC international officers.

“Instead of just American advice, I want RHS students to feel that these officers have lessons for them. It’s lessons from the world to the students,” said Turner. “These international officers aren’t just impacting a school. They’re impacting and framing the thoughts of future leaders.”

The partnership between NWC and RHS allows international students to integrate with the local community while learning about U.S. government and culture.

“It’s been an amazing, culturally enriching exchange,” said Turner. “It gives the high school and their students an opportunity to see how large and diverse the rest of the world is and to understand global issues. In return, the students taught the officers more about America through their questions and how they handle themselves.”

The end result of the class is not only an exchange of information but also a mutual respect and understanding between the students and the officers. 

Lt. Cmdr Niamat Khan, a Pakistani navy surface warfare officer attending NWC, felt strongly about the importance of this interaction. 

“First, it’s always good to have a direct interaction with somebody from the area in question, to give students the correct picture, which is not covered by propaganda,” said Khan. “Secondly, all the difficult problems that we were not able to solve, we have left for the children. These are the students who are going to take on those challenges.”