There's been a consistency of the combatant commanders that that is a program where we can get a lot more for our money.

You've had a great career. You and I have fought together, for 3 years, what I called the Battle of Vieques.

I'd love to stay up here, but I'm not going to hesitate to dive down and to ask the tough questions.

I honestly believe you are the right person for this very difficult task before us.

Yes. One of your biggest problems is going to be that you probably won't have the resources that you think are really necessary to get this done.

I would hope that you would keep in mind and evaluate these as they come in, because sometimes you'll get legitimate requests, sometimes they'll be politically inspired requests.

it would be a critical mistake to abandon the Army's core modernization effort.

Now, the Continuing Resolution (CR) that the majority has, shorts the account for military construction under the BRAC by $3.1 billion.

So you think that you have new tools now that you didn't have before that would give us some level of confidence that we have something that works?

I think it is time that you are.

I'd like to have you look into the successes.

But any time a top lieutenant to al-Sadr, one who has been involved in torture, assassinations, and then is just turned loose at the request of the Prime Minister, it is something that bothers me a great deal.