Martin Dempsey

ISIL would love nothing more than a large presence of United States forces on the ground in Iraq and Syria so that they could have a call to jihad.

the global security environment is as uncertain as I have seen in 40 years of service.

Funding lower than President's budget 2016 and lacking the flexibility to make the internal reforms that we believe we need to make will put us in a position where we will have to change our national security strategy.

Simply stated, sequestration will result in a dramatic change to how we protect our Nation and how we promote our national security interests.

I think Afghanistan is and will remain an anchor point for that pressure.

we have no slack, no margin left for error or strategic surprise

We have an obligation to ensure that victims of sexual assault can report the crime without concern of retaliation.

we have the capability to use a military option if the Iranians choose to stray off the diplomatic path.

Under no circumstances should we relieve pressure on Iran relative to ballistic missile capabilities and arms trafficking.

My view at this point is that this coalition is the appropriate way forward. I believe that will prove true. But if it fails to be true, and if there are threats to the United States then, I, of course, would go back to the president and…

You cannot kill all the militants in the world with all the air strikes in the world. It just doesn't work that way. You have to kill the ideology.

It is in our national security interest to counter ISIL, wherever we find them.