Once that industrial base is gone, you never get it back. Once those trained workers go into other fields, you've lost them forever, and that would greatly weaken our capabilities.

I think it's critically important that DOD continue to invest in S&T programs and the research and development initiatives.

We don't know what sort of unexpected challenges and threats our country will face in the future, is my point.

I would request that you look at the legislation with an eye towards making sure you have all the authorities that you need to support this growing mission

I can assure you that they'll be in consideration.

I believe it is important to note that DOD never actually sized the ground forces for large-scale stability operations.

Never has there been in my almost 49-year career in intelligence a more complex and interdependent array of challenges than we face today.

in terms of modernization, is the network still the Army's top acquisition priority?

I have a concern about the decisionmaking with regard to the Air National Guard, and specifically because of the assets that New York has.

the bill that I know is being put together by Senator Lieberman and others reflects all of the issues that we think are important to address

I hope that DOD will take that very seriously and produce that, because as we're looking at our security going forward, those public shipyards are a critical part of that.

I think we may come forward if you'd be willing to consider it.

Current incentives promote spending CERP funds without sufficient accountability.

I want to echo concerns that Secretary Panetta himself, having gone through this process, raised before the House committee in October...

It's one thing to tell a family that's lost a loved one that they did so in support of the Afghan people to help them have a secure country and to make our national security better. But it's so different to try to console a family that has lost a son or daughter as a result of Afghan security force members killing them.

We think that whole issue needs to be addressed if we're going to be effective at trying to cut back on these.

This is the number one responsibility the Federal Government has--a lot of other things that we do, we could put off or do without.

we strongly support the Lieberman-Collins-Rockefeller legislation, to get us in the proper place in dealing with the cyber threat