Biden closes his speech by quoting the Coast Guard's marching song, turning it into a broader life lesson. After laying out the enormous challenges the graduates will face — from climate change to great power competition to the defense of maritime freedom — he tells them that when the storms gather and the seas of life grow rough, they should remember this line. It's both a practical charge to the service members about their literal mission on the water and a metaphorical call to hold their purpose high through whatever personal and professional storms life brings.