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How Speeches Are Presented in the US Military

 Presented before an assembled audience, military speeches have a mission of uniting the audience, while paying respect to those who have served in the past. They present a call to tradition, while expanding possibilities and bringing new concepts, issues, and strategies to the forefront. More than that, speeches entertain as they inform, holding the interest of multitudes who, while wearing the same uniform, have diverse interests and backgrounds.

Before giving a speech to men and women in uniform, take time to fully understand the setting and context. A memorial will have a very different tone and tenor than a retirement ceremony, and an award presentation has a different purpose and intent than an expert testimony.

In many cases, a methodical approach to presentation will be appreciated by the audience, as they rely on you to lead them to an understandable and persuasive conclusion.

Break single large arguments and claims down into elements that can be more easily digested. Emotion can be used to reinforce fact, as when speaking of a brother-in-arms who has lost his life in combat. Whatever the topic, make sure that all parts of the speech are building to a “big takeaway,” or a point that audience members will remember long after the event is over.

An Air Force style guide for speeches emphasizes the importance of having a meaningful central message that reflects an in-depth understanding of what the organization is about. Errors in fact are not permissible, with data, citations, and quotes needing to be both accurate and unclassified. This reflects an ethos that all leaders in the Air Force should speak with a unified voice, mission, and purpose.

There is also a “KISS” or keep-it-short-and-simple mandate that applies to grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and time. The more that is told to an audience, the less they are likely to retain, with studies revealing that people on average forget 70 percent of what they heard within an hour of a speech. For most speeches, 12 to 14 minutes is optimal, with 20 minutes an absolute maximum (depending on the venue, an additional 10 minutes may be added for questions and answers).

When it comes to audience characteristics, elements such as educational level, average age, and depth of knowledge of a subject should be taken into consideration. Keep in mind, there is a major difference in tone and message, when speaking before fellow military members, and when addressing non-military civilians.

One distinct type of presentation is a change of command speech. For the incoming commander, this has a template that includes thanking the chain of command for an opportunity, as well as the outgoing commander and one’s own spouse and family. In addition, the presenter expresses gratitude to the troops that reflects the honor of joining their ranks. With the entire speech only two to three minutes long, it ends with brief remarks on the privilege of commanding and future hopes and expectations.

By contrast, the leaving command speech is typically 8 to 10 minutes long and begins with an introduction that welcomes by name the incoming commander, general officers, and equivalent sergeants major. Mention is made of concepts such as honor, duty, and sacrifice, with wounded and fallen soldiers honored as appropriate. It’s best to recount the narrative of your time in command from the soldiers’ perspective, singling out specific soldiers for valorous and commendable actions. As with the incoming speech, thanks should be given to all parties concerned, from spouse and family to chain of command.