Jim Webb

All right. Thank you.

Sir, the bottom line, we have looked at both a functional alignment and a regional alignment and the scope and breadth and depth of the requirements of those, and over time, the combatant commanders in each case have advocated through the…

I do not think there is anybody in DOD who, if given a choice between being a four-star and being an SES, would pick being an SES.

I think that this is an area that we are just beginning to get a look at, and there is a Guard and Reserve component in here that has not been examined.

Let me be clear about a couple of things. I totally agree with you.

So you get overall statutory authority from Congress.

You indicated in the study--I will start, Secretary Stanley, with you again--that the objective in this case was not to determine how many G/FOs were required. What would have been your methodology if you actually were to determine how…

Right. I understand, but you could have a totally different allocation among the Services if the Secretary of Defense, for instance, were to decide--is that a correct assumption--from this statutory ceiling.

So essentially in terms of how this process works inside DOD, you have a statutory ceiling in terms of the number of flags that can be allocated among the Services. Is that correct?

Thank you, Dr. Freeman.

We all know that when someone looks at the rank on an Active Duty member's shoulders and sees the general officer or an admiral, they pretty much tend to think--and I hope rightly so--that there is equivalence in terms of what it takes to…

I would assume that Secretary Panetta also supports this process that Secretary Gates put into play?

I've often said that Northeast Asia is the only place in the world where the interests of China, Russia, Japan, and the United States directly intersect.

It is refreshing to see people just kind of step up and accept responsibility.

I think there is a decision that has been made over in DOD, and at least from my perspective, it will take a lot to turn it around.

No offense, but let the record show that you personally don't like this new policy.

I would like to express my appreciation to Senator Brown and Senator Graham for their continued service in uniform, as well as here in the Senate.

The demand for judge advocate support will continue unabated, as Chairman Webb has already indicated

I believe that if you can go from the facts, you can have a better discussion of what the policy discussions should be.

I just don't understand it.

In the normal circumstance, how long would that have taken?

Maybe you can clear up one thing for me, and then I am going to move to others who may want to ask a question.

We will just keep raising it until they start giving us answers.

I appreciate all of your testimony.

Nobody up here wants him to remain, but the moral standard that we set on issues like this is the same one that we should expect.