By Erika Norton, WPAOG Senior Multimedia Journalist

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, received the 2024 Sylvanus Thayer Award from the West Point Association of Graduates. He is the fifth U.S. president to receive the Thayer Award, which is West Point’s highest honor given to a distinguished citizen whose service and accomplishments embody the ideals of the U.S. Military Academy’s motto, “Duty, Honor, Country.”

“Mr. President, I can say without hesitation that your name on the West Point Thayer Award plaque adds immeasurably to the six-decade assemblage of presidents, congressional leaders, legislators, Supreme Court justices, pastors, astronauts, business leaders, clergy members, scientists, journalists and entertainers who have received a Thayer award,” said WPAOG’s Board Chairman, the Honorable Robert A. McDonald ’75, when presenting Obama with the award on September 19. 

McDonald, who served as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs during Obama’s administration, said it was a privilege to witness firsthand not only the former president’s accomplishments in service to the nation, but the integrity, empathy, and compassion that he brought to every decision and interaction, including his accomplishments impacting the lives of veterans.

​​In keeping with tradition, Obama took time to engage with cadets, and the entire Corps conducted a review on the Plain to honor the 2024 Sylvanus Thayer Award recipient. Obama addressed the Corps in his acceptance speech. 

“My powers may be more limited as a private citizen than they were when I was President and Commander-in-Chief, but the one thing I can still do is express my heartfelt gratitude to every cadet for your commitment to serve the American people,” Obama said. “At a time of so much division, you’ve chosen teamwork and unity. At a time of so much cynicism, you’ve chosen faith in the future. And at a time when so much of our culture steers us towards money and fame and distraction, you’ve embarked on a life of purpose —striving on behalf of something bigger than yourselves.”

When Obama left office on January 20, 2017, he left as the first American president to oversee two full terms as a commander-in-chief with combat troops deployed to hostile zones during a time of war. In his speech to the Corps, he emphasized the United States’ role as a world leader and encouraged the future Army officers that when a global event such as a conflict, pandemic, or natural disaster occurs, to not abandon the nation’s leadership role and give in to isolationism. 

Addressing a room filled with cadets and veterans—including decorated West Point alumni, wounded warriors, and Gold Star families—Obama emphasized that while ensuring the nation’s safety is vital, war is inherently tragic, “leaving scars, seen and unseen, not only on the vanquished but also on the victors.”

“We have a responsibility to always give our troops a clear mission, the support they need to get the job done, and a plan for what comes after,” Obama said. “When the U.S. military gets involved in a conflict, we must do so with an honest assessment of the risks and tradeoffs. And when things don’t go according to plan, we need to admit our mistakes and reevaluate our strategies rather than just doubling down. That’s how we prevent the kind of mission creep that history teaches us to avoid. That’s how we keep our nation secure – and justify the trust that our troops deserve.”

While diplomacy, foreign aid and cultural exchanges help to save the U.S. from having to send the nation’s sons and daughters to fight in the future, Obama advised that perhaps nothing is more important than the example Americans set at home. The United States is building the largest and most diverse democracy, and the world continues to take notice.

As future Army officers, Obama entrusted the Corps with the responsibility of upholding the foundational values upon which America was built.

“As future leaders, all of you will have a key role to play in helping us stay true to our ideals,” Obama said. “It will be up to you to uphold our Constitution and Bill of Rights, the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power. It will be up to you to ensure that our military institutions are never politicized, and respect civilian control of the policymaking process. It will be up to you to set an example for how we can disagree without demonizing each other, and treat each other with respect, and stand up to those who would divide us along racial or religious lines. Like those who came before, you will have a chance to show our friends and adversaries alike that democracy isn’t just about the words on our founding documents, or any single election. It’s about the choices we make and the actions we take, as Americans, every single day.”