“The United States Navy runs on cold facts and absolute discipline,” Wyler told the crowd.

He held himself stiff, his feet planted exactly shoulder-width apart on the black-painted baseline.

“We don’t build our standards around comfortable stories,” he said.

At the next table, retired Master Chief Harlan Vance sat with his right hand lying flat on the folding table.

His dark eyes tracked Wyler without his head moving at all.

Valerie Thorne stood by the bleacher entrance with her silver ballpoint pen held between both thumbs.

Wyler turned to the rows of students and waved them on with a sharp sweep of his arm.