Civic education provides the foundational basis that every American must have in order to fully comprehend his or her individual role in achieving the collective security of our Nation.

Any job that exists in the private sector is available in uniform, and we need to do a better job at making that known to the American public.

I find it concerning that in light of what has happened on January 6 and finding that a number of our military personnel have been associated with white supremacist ideology, that we would somehow confuse weeding out those individuals who…

There is no more pressing urgent time to institute a call for national service to bring this country back together.

I have always been a big believer in an All-Volunteer Force.

Our Nation's security is dependent, in part, on the willingness of Americans to participate in that security.

We need to think of new ways to bring talented individuals into our armed services.

I find it unacceptable that we would place the additional burden of years of concern about the legitimacy of a bonus payment, or student loan repayment, on those who volunteer to serve.

My greatest concern, as has been expressed by this panel, is how do we make sure that the lessons learned over the last 15 years of war don't get lost.

But without aggressively maintaining their skills, who knows how many patients our specialists can optimally treat? Maybe 80 percent? Maybe? But 80 percent is a B-minus. And is a B-minus really the best that we can do for the young men and…

I can tell you for the five years I have been on this committee, that is the most moving testimony I have heard.

We have got to challenge government everywhere.

I think one of the toughest things I do as a Member of Congress is when a soldier, airman, sailor, or marine has died.

readiness comes at a cost, and I think that is one of the things that DOD fails to recognize.

Suicide is a difficult topic to discuss. But last year, 442 Active and Reserve service members took their own lives.

Each of the military services and the Department of Defense has adopted strategies to reduce suicide within our troops, so I would like to hear from our witnesses whether those strategies are working.

I am also troubled that DOD has not completed the work necessary to beginning reporting more comprehensive and inclusive statistics on military-related suicides, as mandated by Congress last year.

I do remain concerned that the recent Department of Defense inspector general assessment of the Department's suicide prevention program identified a lack of clear policy guidance and synchronization of organizations responsible for…

It comes down to what my colleague just said about the implementation that seems to be under discussion and making sure that the actions of a few don't impact the practices of the many who are doing a good job.

We reject the lie that America and its allies are at war with Islam.

Keeping faith with troops means more than protecting the existing compensation system. It means ensuring our military remains the best trained and equipped force in the world.

I take exception with the comment you made that you believe commanders are willfully proselytizing.

I believe that law enforcement should have the tools to keep our communities safe.

A lot of good information and food for thought as we look to try to strike the balance in maintaining this program but preventing the overmilitarization of our local law enforcement.