Chairman of Joint Chiefs to speak at graduation

Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will deliver the commencement address to the South Carolina Corps of Cadets in May.

Pace was invited to speak at commencement by Citadel President Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa. Rosa was deputy director of operations in charge of the Military Command Center for two years under Pace while Pace was vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Pace, the first Marine to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs, is the principal military advisor to the president, the secretary of defense and the National Security Council. He also holds the distinction of being the first Marine to have served as the vice chairman

Gen. Pace was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and grew up in Teaneck, N.J. A 1967 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he holds a master's degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and attended Harvard University for the Senior Executives in National and International Security program. The General is also a graduate of the Infantry Officers' Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Ga.; the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, in Quantico, VA; and the National War College, at Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.

General Pace's personal decorations include: Defense Distinguished Service Medal, with two oak leaf clusters; Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit; Bronze Star Medal with Combat V; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with gold star; Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V"; Navy Achievement Medal with gold star; and the Combat Action Ribbon.

The Corps of Cadets commencement is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6.

For more information about commencement exercises, visit the commencement home page on The Citadel web site by clicking here.