I took an oath of office to the Constitution, I didn't take an oath of office to my party or my president.

And this - this board was - was impanelled in 1951. And it's gone through ups and downs in how the secretaries have used it. But I have put a premium on that advisory board.

We must prepare for everything.

There are always consequences to actions that you take. There are consequences to inaction. And thinking through, asking the questions, "Well, then what happens? What comes next?" is critically important.

You can't just drop the 82nd Airborne into Baghdad and it will all be over.

This is a complicated time to govern in the world today because of so much going on and it's coming at us at such an unprecedented rate.

Alliances and international organizations should be understood as opportunities for leadership and a means to expand our influence, not as constraints on our power.