When starting at the bottom, be willing to learn from those at the top.

... something under $50 billion for the cost. How much of that would be the U.S. burden, and how much would be other countries, is an open question.

You will launch many projects, but have time to finish only a few. So think, plan, develop, launch and tap good people to be responsible. Give them authority and hold them accountable. Trying to do too much yourself creates a bottleneck.

We know where they are. They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad.

Control your time. If you're working off your in-box, you're working off the priorities of others. Be sure the staff is working on what you move to them from the President, or the President will be reacting, not leading.

Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.'

What will follow will not be a repeat of any other conflict. It will be of a force and scope and scale that has been beyond what has been seen before.