Obama vows not to send people to war without cause

ANNAPOLIS: President Barack Obama promised graduating midshipmen at the US Naval Academy on Friday that, as their commander in chief, he will only send them "into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary."

In his first address to military graduates, Obama also pledged to invest in the men and women who defend America's liberty, not just in the weapons they take with them into battle.

"I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and with the strategy, the well-defined goals, the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done," the president told more than 1,000 graduates during a sun-splashed ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

Obama praised the role of Navy SEALS in freeing a US sea captain by killing his Somali pirate captors last month.

"The extraordinary precision and professionalism displayed that day was made possible, in no small measure, by the training, the discipline and the leadership skills that so many of those officers learned at the United States Naval Academy," Obama said.

The president said he has halted reductions in the Navy, is building up the Marine Corps and investing in the hardware, combat ships, submarines and fighter aircraft, they will need to do their jobs. He also promised higher pay, enhanced child care and improved support and other benefits.