About 1,000 U.S. Military Academy cadets graduated at West Point today.

Thousands of family members and friends cheered the graduates as they were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army.

Many in the crowd were West Point grads coming back to congratulate their younger friends and to give a little advice. "I would say have as much fun as you can. Listen as much as you can and never doubt yourself," says First Lt. Daniel White.

President Obama spoke to the class of 2014 adding an extra bit of excitement to the festivities. Obama answered complaints that his approach to global problems has been too cautious. Obama told the new officers he would betray his duty to them if he sent them into harm's way because he worried about "critics who think military intervention is the only way for America to avoid looking weak."

While most people arriving at the academy were excited to see the president, there were a few small groups of people and some individuals protesting Obama's appearance. One group of people showed up outside the gates to the military academy to protest any U.S. involvement and the use of drones. "The people of Afghanistan don't want the U.S. there. They have been occupied for decades and decades. It's time for the U.S. to leave now, it's time to close Guantanamo, it's time to stop the secret drone war," says protester Deborah Sweet.