The goal is to deter war, and this can only be done with a strong, modern, and ready military that has overmatch in all domains.

It’s my commitment to the nation‘s security, it’s my commitment to the men and women in uniform that drives me. Not anything else.

I’ve got a lot of military kids who are not in on-base child care, and they should be. So it’s things like that I’m going to change, either from a funding perspective or a policy perspective.

Together, we will remain the most ready and capable military force in the world, which is what our nation expects and deserves.

If confirmed, my overall guiding objective for our relationship with India would be to solidify an enduring strategic partnership underpinned by strong defence cooperation with an Indian military able to collaborate effectively with the United States to address shared interests.

If Turkey procures the S-400, it will mean they will not receive the F-35. It’s that simple.

I raised the standards on recruiting.

It is an honor of a lifetime to be appointed secretary of defense and to lead the greatest military in history.

At the age of 18, I went to West Point, and I swore an oath to defend this Constitution, and I embraced a motto called duty and honor and country. And I’ve lived my life in accordance with those values ever since then.

I’ve been studying China for quite some time now, and I’m big on China as well. And I think we need to be very concerned about Chinese technology getting into our systems or the systems of our allies.

I think artificial intelligence will likely change the character of warfare, and I believe whoever masters it first will dominate on the battlefield for many, many, many years.

In many cases, the reason why our child development centers are not at full capacity is that we have an insufficient number of providers.

The international rules-based order in the wake of World War II is the order that has ensured prosperity and security now for 75 years. I’m fully committed to that.

Having previously served in the regular Army, National Guard, and Reserve, I understand well the sacrifices our service members, civilians, and their families make to protect this great country.

AI will allow the soldier to act and think much more quickly. Whoever gets to AI first, I believe, will have dominance for many years afterward.

I think the presumption is, for some reason, anybody who comes from the business or the corporate world is corrupt.

We are extending basic training. It’ll be the longest and toughest in the world.

The biggest challenge is clearly China, in the years 2035 and beyond. I mean, the size of the country, its economy, and everything – they’re – it is a big strategic competitor for the entire Department of Defense and country.

If you talk to any senior Army leaders, you’ll find one, if not all, their children are in the Army.

At the end of the day, the Army is a standards-based organization.

The surest way to deter adversary aggression is to fully prepare for war.

Clearly, we need a strong economy to build a strong military.

A collective security relies on everybody doing their fair share.

I’ve stepped down from jobs that paid me well more than what I was working anywhere else. And each time, it was to serve the public good and to serve the young men and women of our armed services.

We are at war, if you will, in the cyber domain now, constantly battling countries, such as Russia or China, who are trying to do everything from steal our technology to influence our elections to put out disinformation about the United States.