Jim Webb

The World War II GI Bill, history shows, had a similar problem...

For-profit schools, by statistics that have been given to me by my staff, have collected more than one-third of all of these Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits...

I am very proud to say that we were able to do that and it continues to be a great investment...

I introduced this legislation on my first day in office, starting with a simple concept...

I would like to commend you and Senator Harkin for your focus on that issue and look forward to the outcome of this hearing.

We are here today to try to make sure that the GI Bill that we passed can continue in the form that we passed it and still address some of these issues that are now challenging the program.

I think you and I both, as military veterans, got a good bit of our own education taken care of by Uncle Sam and we know how valuable that can be in terms of building the rest of somebody's professional life.

If we or you indeed want the country to have the patience with respect to fighting a long war, I think it's going to be even more important to define very clearly what is the vital national interest in terms of our current operations in…

We've spent well over $1 trillion. At the same time, as I and others were predicting, we have seen the empowerment of Iran in the process.

I think we have inherited certain responsibilities as a result of what in my view was a great strategic blunder.

It's been a long journey and Mike Mullen from day one all those years ago has always been known for his forthrightness and for his integrity.

I worry about that. It's a vague and worrisome standard when you apply it into the future.

It was very clear to me that something was fundamentally wrong with the way that contracts for infrastructure reconstruction, wartime support, and security programs were being put into place in Iraq and Afghanistan after September 11, 2001.

We talk in the Senate and in the Congress about presidential commissions, and sometimes with a great deal of skepticism, but I think this Commission demonstrates the way that these commissions should work.

I would like to express my thanks to the Commission members, particularly the Co-Chairs Michael Thibault and Former Congressman Chris Shays.

Does the presence of a four-star commander unnecessarily lead to inflated grades of the principal staff officers and is further study of this required?

How do you justify retaining it as an O-10 position in light of the Army decision that the Commander of U.S. Army Europe is a lieutenant general?

Has your Service reviewed your European Command position to determine whether it should remain an O-10 position?

Each Service has a Chief and Vice Chief, but beyond that there appears to be little consistency across the Services

What is the plan to review the general and flag officer requirements in the Reserve components?

Secretary Stanley, what are the criteria or standards used to make this determination, and what is the approval process?

Secretary Stanley, section 525 of title 10, U.S.C., establishes the maximum number of O-8s, O-9s, and O-10s each Service may have in their institutional force.

Thank you very much, Senator Graham.

Yes, but you are saying that that number has not really changed.

So it would be your view that the Secretary of Defense has the authority under the legislative umbrella to declare that to be a four star?