MICC commander speaks to San Antonio graduates

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (May 23, 2025) -- Brig. Gen. Freddy Adams, commanding general of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, served as guest speaker today at the San Antonio Academy during its 139th-annual commencement ceremony in San Antonio, Texas.

The San Antonio Academy, an all-boys private school nestled in the heart of San Antonio, just a few miles from Fort Sam Houston, was founded in 1886. The founding mission was to develop young men with academic discipline, strong character and good physical condition. The school’s registered trademarked motto is "Be Honest. Be Kind. Be the Best You Can Be." The academy’s defining principles, used by teachers and cadre to guide over 300 young men from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade annually, are scholarship, leadership, integrity and brotherhood.

“Let me tell you – if, decades from now, you can look back and say that you lived by those words, then there is no doubt you will have lived a life of meaning, purpose and success,” Adams said. “So, in the spirit of that motto and those guiding principles, allow me to offer a few reflections, or lessons I hope will stick with you as you head into high school and beyond.”

In his nearly 10-minute address, Adams provided relatable and poignant examples to highlight why each principle will be important throughout their entire life. He also highlighted the significance of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday and the commemoration of the Army’s 250th birthday in June.

“Across those two and a half centuries, the Army has held fast to a set of values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage,” Adams explained.

“We do not check those values at the door when we hang up the uniform. We live them –for life. And just as I carry my Army values with me, so too will you carry the values of this Academy. Values that will serve you well wherever your journey leads.”

During the two-hour ceremony, the 28 graduating members of the SAA class of 2025, donned military-style school uniforms, put on a spectacular display of pageantry for over 300 of their classmates, family members, community leaders and alumni. Hosted by the SAA head of school, Paul Quick, the ceremony began with a parade of six companies representing third through eighth grade, alongside the student band on the school’s football field. The parade included Adams trooping the line to inspect the cadets, several passes in review and other drill and ceremony displays, all accompanied by an array of ceremonial music.

The formal portion of the ceremony began with the ringing of the school bell before each young man walked through Bondurant gate in the middle of the school's courtyard, a tradition that has come to signify the end of the students’ chapter as an Academy cadet. The event also included a reaffirmation of their cadet oath, student speeches, alumni and student awards and recognition, and the keynote address by Adams before students received their coveted diplomas.

The student valedictorian presented heartfelt reflections of the shared experiences that bonded them, including class trips to Zion, the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, and planning and conducting a Shakespearean play, military ball, Alamo honor guard parades, an Alumni luncheon and a championship debate.

“You stand on the edge of a new adventure. This moment marks the end of one chapter, but more importantly, it is the beginning of the next,” Adams told the graduates in closing. “Congratulations, San Antonio Academy Class of 2025. Today, you have conquered the 8th grade –tomorrow, it’s the world.”

After graduation, most of the rising ninth graders will continue their academic careers in local high schools including Alamo Heights High School, Central Catholic High School, TMI Episcopal and Great Hearts Monte Vista.

To learn more about the San Antonio Academy, visit sa-academy.org. To learn more about the Mission and Installation Contracting Command, visit army.mil/micc.

About the MICC

Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the Mission and Installation Contracting Command consists of about 1,500 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon. As part of its mission, MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, facilitating training in the preparation of more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.