COLORADO SPRINGS – The 984 graduates at the Air Force Academy Wednesday got an unedited introduction into the difficult world they face as new officers.

The graduation’s keynote speaker Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the group they will see battle. They will be expected to win every fight.

“Your primary weapons system now is your attitude,” Mattis said.

That’s no surprise of the class of 2018, all of whom have spent the majority of their lives in a nation at war. But having war as a daily reality isn’t enough to condition troops for how tough those fights can be, Mattis said.

“Always be ready to fight and win,” Mattis said. “There is no room for complacency.”

The class of 2018 had to fight just to make it through four tough years at the academy.

When they arrived for basic training, the class was more than 1,200 strong. Over the years, 222 of them dropped out.

They’re one of the smartest groups ever seen at the academy, making it through one of America’s toughest colleges with an average GPA of 3.07.

Of the graduates, more than 500 are headed to aircrew jobs, with 417 set to pilot planes and 69 headed for drones.

They’re the 60th academy graduating class and join what graduates call the “long blue line” of 50,689 graduates.

Academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria gave the newest graduates a vote of confidence, saying they’ll “be ready to lead on day one.”

The Air Force’s top general, Gen. David Goldfein, told the cadets they’ll have to hit the ground running. America has stepped up air campaigns in Syria and Afghanistan in a bid to bomb Islamic State and Taliban insurgents into remission.

“Many of you will face the ultimate test in war,” Goldfein told the class.

Most past speakers have used their academy addresses to focus on wider national policies. Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush used the academy podium to roll out foreign policy proposals. Past defense secretaries have used the graduation speech to call for bigger budgets and new weapons.

Not Mattis.

He focused firmly on the cadets in front of him.

“Make the Air Force better every day you serve,” he told them.

Mattis hinted at growing challenges from Russia and China as the U.S. races to face rising threats.

But even with all the troubles of the Trump administration, Mattis isn’t worried about America’s rivals.

“We remain undistracted in our pursuit of military superiority,” he said.

The newest Air Force Academy graduates, though, will need to maintain that focus over their long military careers, he said.

America’s enemies, he said, “should always be ready to talk to our Department of State rather than face our U.S. Air Force.”