"They really don't add, quite frankly, to the security of the United States to have them as members of NATO."
"Do you have an idea about how these monies are going to be paid to this national army?"
"I wrote and introduced my first day in office, that 75 percent of the soldiers in the Army leave the military on or before the end of their first enlistment."
"I'm here to tell you, we have a stewardship toward these people and if we, the civilian leadership, don't articulate this stewardship, in a lot of cases it's not going to happen."
"I would just like to reiterate a few points that I made on this before, that it is properly before the OSD..."
"Why, 6 years then after September 11, were we asking civilian contractors to teach our military people how to perform military functions?"
"If you shoot the people who do it and blow up their boats, they won't be back."
"I would ask that be submitted and included in the record as well."
"I hope that once you assume your position here, you will resist the notion to get on an airplane and go say 'hi' around the world."
"I really believe the greatest challenge for the VA is simple leadership."
"I think your selection, General Shinseki, is an inspired act of leadership by the incoming President."