John McCain

People in this region seek greater individual rights, political reform, and economic opportunities.

There are those of us who are deeply concerned about continued cuts in defense.

Is it your view that there are some parts of our border that are still not operationally secure?

Freedom of action in space is as important to the United States as air power and sea power.

The Army continues to support OSD's decision that DOD will participate only through the completion of the Proof of Concept approach.

The Army has spent more than $1 billion annually on programs that were ultimately cancelled.

Do you believe that there's any law enforcement institution in Mexico that is untainted by corruption?

If we have to use airlift, airlift is approximately four or five times as expensive as the present mode of ground transportation, right?

I thank our witnesses again for their service and their willingness to serve in these key positions.

The United States . . . would only consider the use of nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States or its allies and partners.

A cyber defense, or shield, should defend against insider threats, such as the downloading of classified documents in Wikileaks.

General Odierno, how would you characterize the efficiency of the Army's medical review board process?

Legislative changes have improved the consistency between Military and VA ratings.

About 10 percent of soldiers currently serving in the Active Army are nondeployable due to medical conditions.

What would be an appropriate action?

Winning the current fight in Afghanistan and preserving the hard-won gains in Iraq must continue to be the Army's top priority.

What impact does the reliance on military contractors have on the idea of combat force multiplication on the battlefield?

Unfortunately, this administration, in my opinion, recklessly abandoned this longstanding policy in its 2010 Nuclear Posture Review.

I believe $800 billion would be extraordinarily difficult and very high risk.

Congress really doesn't have its act together on this issue, for a variety of reasons, including the proliferation of committees of jurisdiction.

Maybe we need some sales.

Various initiatives undertaken by CENTCOM commander last year have shed light on how some contractors have in some cases hired insurgents.

Should we not take that into consideration as we talk about massive cuts in defense?

I strongly support your nomination to be the next Chief of Staff of the Army.

In your opinion, can the combatant commanders feasibly plan and carry out operations without the use of contractors?