Admiral Michael Mullen: “For me, personally, it comes down to integrity, theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.”

The prospect of unsecure nuclear weapons or materials, and their acquisition and use by al Qaeda or an affiliate, is a serious threat that DOD addresses in the NMS as well as in our operational planning efforts.

The likelihood that NATO could respond in a situation like that was absolutely zero.

I remain concerned that the pace of current operations prevents our forces from training across the entire range of operations and erodes our readiness to counter future threats.

I think the biggest threat we have to our national security is our debt.