"Without a doubt, preserving our national security in the 21st century is about more than our military. When he was chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Adm. Mike Mullen once said that 'Economic security is our national security.' Look what happened to the Soviet Union, when their economy couldn’t keep up during the Cold War. Now the Soviets lost the Cold War for a lot of reasons. One of the reasons, maybe — a key reason is because their system couldn’t keep up. Their economy couldn’t handle it. It’s a lesson that I think we need to be very mindful of. Our strong American ideals, institutions and diplomacy form the basis of our national security. Our ability to train and educate successive generations of young men and women is a source of our national security. That’s where you come in. Penn State has always recognized its unique contribution to the nation’s security. From research to ROTC, from teachers to doctors, from outreach to international programs, Penn State has been part of our national security fabric. We need you now more than ever. Big challenges demand big effort. And a big institution like Penn State is a key part of the answer."
-- Retired Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler, former head of U.S. Strategic Command and a 1974 Penn State graduate.