"I believe the Department needs to strategically prioritize its battle force mix consistent with ensuring it is a ready and agile battle force."
"People are very concerned. The 19 Senators that signed that letter, we're concerned that releasing him back to the Iraqis is like releasing him back into the theater."
"I would hope that you would look at this as a very important security issue."
"I wanted to echo on the question that Senator Brown had asked you about the Guard and Reserve and the role of the Guard and Reserve."
"I commit to work with me and Congress to support and learn from best practices for this important program."
"25 percent of those that have been released from Guantanamo have gotten back in the fight against us."
"the most important thing in this plan is it provides flexibility now to General Allen to decide how he withdraws those forces, when he withdraws them."
"I am deeply concerned about one particular aspect of it, and that is the plan to fully remove the surge troops during September 2012."
"I think it is important that we take a look at this."
"Do you have an opinion whether there was any strategic, operational, or tactical advantages to the September withdrawal versus at the end of the fighting season?"
"I firmly believe that Guantanamo is a top rate facility having visited it and should be that facility."