When sailors get word that "the brass is coming," everything changes. Decks get an extra scrub, uniforms are pressed to perfection and even the saltiest chief petty officers stand a little straighter. In Navy parlance, "brass" has long referred to the highest-ranking officers, dating back to when sleeve rank insignias were crafted from brass material. When Adm. Christopher Grady takes the podium at that May commencement, we'll welcome not just any brass, but a member of the Notre Dame family familiar with the view from the very pinnacle of our nation's military leadership.
The scope of Adm. Grady's responsibility as acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is staggering: overseeing a joint force of nearly 1.4 million active-duty service members across all branches, serving as principal military advisor on an annual defense budget of over $886 billion and guiding strategic decisions affecting military operations and readiness across the globe. When you include National Guard and Reserve components under his purview, the number of personnel rises to over 2.1 million. Simply put, it is the most significant military leadership position in our nation.
As a former Naval officer whose own pathway to service ran through the NROTC unit at Notre Dame, I understand the profound significance of America’s highest-ranking military officer address our graduating class. While he won’t be the first JCS chair to address a Notre Dame commencement — that honor was reserved for Army General Martin Dempsey in 2016 — Grady’s appearance is akin to having the CEO of America's entire military — the principal military advisor to the president, secretary of defense and National Security Council — offer a horizon scan for our newest alumni as they embark on their own voyages.
His ascendance to this vital role marks an extraordinary milestone for our University. Think about it: from freshman ROTC drills to the Pentagon's highest office, from captaining the Irish fencing team to commanding the nation's entire military operation — Adm. Grady's journey reflects the remarkable heights a Notre Dame education can help one achieve. When the military's highest brass wears a Notre Dame ring, it speaks volumes about our University's role in developing principled leaders.
I’m confident his message will resonate far beyond those planning military service. Whether our 2025 graduates are bound for boardrooms, operating rooms or remote African villages, they'll benefit from his insights on leadership, decision-making and maintaining one's ethical bearing in challenging times.
As someone who once stood watch on a destroyer's bridge as we launched Tomahawk missiles at military targets in Iraq, I appreciate the profound significance of the nation's highest-ranking military officer calling Notre Dame his home port. Admiral Grady's distinguished record of national service is further proof that our University produces leaders with the wisdom, work ethic and moral fiber necessary to be a force for good in the world.
Fair winds and following seas are bringing one of our finest back home. Like so many of my fellow members of the Notre Dame family, I look forward to hearing the wisdom he's gathered along the way.
Andrew Barlow
class of 1988
March 27
