I would choose patriot, thats what he is. At his very core. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the secretary of defense, the honorable jim attis. [applause] [applause] secretary mattis thanks very much, ladies and gentlemen. And thank you, general hamm, old friend of many years. Its an absolute delight to be here with youall. I do appreciate being invited to Something Like this. I can probably find no place in washington, d. C. , today that i feel more at home than here among all of us. Mccarthy, we ry first met each other in those very uncertain days after mccar in afghanistan and we served together for many years after that. Thank you for coming back to the colors, sir. Its a pleasure to serve with you once again. General millie, we served together, we know each other over many years. Ou have the d. N. A. Of iwo jima in your veins. You bleed wheed, red, white, blue. The army could not be in bert hands. Sergeant major daily, besides deciding to go on the Obstacle Course this morning, that army 10miler yesterday was just your warmup for it this morning. In the truest traditions of army n. C. O. s where you lead from up front and put yourself in difficult circumstances voluntarily, thank you for your leadership as well. After that presentation, im going down to the recruiting office and sign up for another 40 years. I guarantee you. [applause] it was also something to remind us about the priorities that secretary mccarthy have made very clear in their time in office and that is for readiness. We will talk more about that. Im going to be very pleased to take some questions at the end of this. So lets see if i can close the gap between secretary of defense and all of you out there for a little bit. I would just tell you that i recognize that whatever ranks we wear today or we once wore in this room, were all coequal in our devotion to this wonderful magic experiment that we call america and protecting our people and our constitution. And were coequal. That is the one thing that the American Forces have always had in their ranks. A sense of coequal devotion. Im honored to be here with you today. You who hold the line in this world. I want to mention something about the veterans. In my talks with soldiers on the frontlines, i just returned from afghanistan a few days ago, the only thing i think they would ever fear is letting down you and the legacy that you bequeathed to them because they know based on what you have been through that they can do the job because it can be nothing worse than what you faced in your most difficult days. That builds their confidence. Especially for me on a personal level a thank you to the Vietnam Veterans who stayed in as we heard in the presentation this morning, stayed in the army, rebuilt the army, they were the veterans who raised me in the marine corps and made me the marine i was. To all veterans and especially Vietnam Veterans, you have my deepest affection for what you committed to our country. [applause] to our medal of honor winner and all of you who have been decorated and recognized for valor in combat, i want to say to you in great deeds something abides. Regardless of which war you earned the respect of your fellow warriors, your example of courage echos today down through our ranks. To our gold star families who join us here today, as general chamberlain of the 20th maine aid, years after the civil prayed daily to be worthy of your prayed daily to worthy of your sacrifice. Thank you. [applause] as your secretary of defense, i am honored to join you. Im grateful to serve once again alongside soldiers of the greatest army, the most trusted army on earth. To serve once again among the disciplined, ethical, capable high spirited soldiers whose character i have seen rise to every occasion in the worst ossible circumstances. Soldiers who are always at their best when the times are at their worst. Soldiers who general George Washington would be proud of. For 242 years now you have set the standard. You were the soldier descendents today of ragged continentals who left bloody footprints at valley forge. You who from lexington to bastogne, generation after generation you have carried our flag in your hearts and patriots fire in your belly. A fire that keeps alive our experiment that we call america. An experiment to determine if the government of the people, by the people, and for the people can long survive. A united army, united in commitment that stands as a model for our fellow citizens of what americans who stand united can do. And our armys ranks today are filled with willing high quality patriots all volunteers and again i am very proud to serve with you. The International Situation is complex and demanding that i have seen in all my years of service. And thats over four decades. In the middle east terrorists continue to conduct murder and mayhem despite significant and accelerating losses. One state sponsor of terror in the mideast cannot hide behind its nation state status while it is a destabilizing revolutionary regime. First time in he world war ii we have seen National Borders change by the force of arms as one country proves willing to ignore International Law to exercise the Veto Authority over its neighbors rights to make decisions and the economic diplomatic, and security domains. In the pacific we have seen north korean provocations threatening regional and even global peace despite universal condemnation by the united nations. So this is the reality that faces our department of defense minded allies and we must have militaries fit for their purpose and time in these days of emerging challenges. For these challenges include new domains of conflict in space and in cyberspace. Involve s that deniable attacks even on our democratic processes. Your department of defense is adapting because we do not want to be dominant at the same time irrelevant. I offer this problem statement for what must guide our efforts. How do we maintain a safe and Effective Nuclear deterrent so these weapons are never used and are nonproliferation efforts can be recharged. Second, how to maintain a decisive conventional force at the same time as that Nuclear Deterrent. One that will include space and cyberspace capability to deter war or end it decisively if conflict occurs. And third, we must at the same time maintain an regular capability so we can fight d third, we must across the spectrum of conflifpblgt this is our problem statement. How to maintain a safe and security Nuclear Deterrent and maintain a decisive conventional force that can also fight irregular warfare. Our department has three lines of effort to address these issues. First, everything we must do must contribute to the in creased lethality of our military. We must never lose sight of the fact that we have no god given right to victory on the battlefield. Secretary mccarthy and general millie are examining every personnel policy, our training time, our organization, and more to ensure they contribute to make us the most lethal joint force in the world. Even as our Competitive Edge ver our foes and adversaries decreases due to budgetary confusion in this town and the budget caps. I am among the majority in this country that believes our nation can afford survival and i want the congress back in the drivers seat of budget decisions, not in the spectators seat of automatic cuts. [applause] i have great confidence in the no congress, but i have confidence no confidence in automatic mathematical budget cuts. Second, line of effort were following the example of the greatest generation coming home from the tragedy of world war ii and who looked around and said what a crummy world. But were part of it whether we whether or not we like it and were going to do something about it. And in that spirit they built alliances and partnerships. In the same spirit today were strengthening alliances and building new partnerships whether it be nato to counter Isis Coalition, the 39 nation standing together in afghanistan, and expanding friend and partner bonds in the indo pacific region. Secretary of state tillersons defeat Isis Coalition is only looks ple of what this like in practice. 69 nations banded together, plus four international organizations, the arab league d nato, the European Union and interpol, all working in concert to defeat isis. But we also stand with our traditional allies as well as building new coalitions as we Work Together to defend our values. To our allies here in this room today, i will tell you i had the honor of fighting many times for america. An all an all ught in american or solely american formation. It was always alongside allies. And i will just tell you from nato and europe to the pacific, the message to our allies is were with you. [applause] under deputy secretary of efense shanahan, our new deputy secretary and full of vigor, under him lies most of the continued effort for line of effort number three. That is the keen direction that he is helping to provide secretary mccarthy and his fellow appointees to rework our Business Practices to gain full benefit from every dollar spent on defense. Were taking aggressive action to reform the way we do business and to gain and to hold the trust of the congress and the American People that were responsible stewards of the money allocated to us. And that is translates directly every dollar into the defense of our country and what we stand for. In all of this the armys importance is absolutely fundamental. Historian t. R. Farenbeck once wrote you may fly over a nation forever, bomb t. Atomize it, pulverize it, and wipe it clean of life. If you desire to defend it, you desire to protect it, you desire to keep it for civilization, you must do this the roman nd the way legions dids by putting your young men in the mud. I would only modify it today by saying, by putting your young men and women in the mud. [applause] this is why, this is why the th legions army is so critical to our nations security. I have by now grown rather remote from so many of you who man the ramparts, those of you who have looked past the hot political rhetoric to rally to our flag in the age of our high quality, all volunteer force. Have the no longer opportunity to get to know you personally, i do know your character. You could get out of the army and make more money. You could get out of the army and see more of your families. You could do any number of things but you have the habit of putting others first. Of putting your country first. Opportunity to get to know you at ante tell battlefield Antietam Battlefield cemetery, a statue of a lone soldier stands on a pillar looking out across the graves of his fallen comrades. Hes a private and hes nicknamed old isaac. It is indescribed on the pillar he stands above, quote, not for themselves but for their country. Whether you spend a few years in your youth in the u. S. Army, ladies and gentlemen, or grow gray in the service to our beloved nation and its constitution, rest assured you will always look back on the sacrifices of war, the demands of sergeants, and the frustrations of unpredictable deployments as the best years of your young lives. And even those of us denied the opportunity by our ranks to beside you ally every day, nonetheless we join your fellow citizens in humble awe of your willingness to besi every sign a blank check, payable to the American People. A blank check payable with your lives. Toe defend our revolutionary ideas, enshrined in our declaration of independence and constitution, putting freedom above all else. If you want to know where i see modern war trending, i just ask you to reread general millies remarks from a year ago at this very condition. If you want a reminder of wars primitive and unrelenting nature, reread farenbecks, this kind of war. If you want to see wide belief and command feedback must supplement our approach to command and control, read rules of the game by gordon. If you want to know where i come from in terms of strategy, of strategy by colin gray, the most near faultless strategist alive today. And most importantly, when it comes to you willing and magnificent soldiers, those from general George Washington to today carry our hopes on only oldsers, i say you follow the army creed we all saw on the screen and recited. We need you in the top of your game in body, mind, and spirit. Physically i salute generals millie and frost initiative to toughen the physical standards that they now have under way for the u. S. Army. Im reminded that general schwarzkopf and the years after vietnam served under a korean war veteran when he was a battalion commander, a Brigade Commander who incisioned on tougher soldiers knowing what he had faced in the korean war. Mentally i want you to enhance your war fighting skills assuming every week in the army is a week to get bert at integrating all army and better at integrating all army and joint efforts to become more tactically cunning. So body and mind must be met with the spirit. Spiritually, ladies and gentlemen, we need our soldiers to build your own and your comrades in arms resilience to take combats test of your character in stride in the most primitive environment on earth. Let me close with a reminder to todays troops to our veterans eyes. I want to go back to world war ii. The greatest generation. Today as we sit here there is a 91yearold world war ii combat veteran from maine. The veteran is mr. Richard lincoln, hes now living in a Veterans Home in maine. He and his three brothers all fought in world war ii and he is the last surviving one. Mr. Lincoln has a remarkable story. As a 17yearold from a very small town of wayne, maine. Town of less than 1,000 people. Nd standing just 55, i wondered as i read that was that the effects of malnutrition during the depression . Mr. Lincoln served as a first scout in the 80th Infantry Division in the battle ofs on low, which as you know is a grueling and historically important Amphibious Assault in the italian campaign. A landing against long odds which permitted the al buylied capture of rome. He repeatedly risked his life on the frontlines to identify enemy artillery batteries, regularly enduring enemy fire and never shrinking from enormous dangers. The 88th became the first draftee division tonight combat zone in world war ii. In 344 days of combat, the 88th Infantry Division lost 2,298 men killed in action and 9,225 men wounded. The blue devils as they were called proved with rigorous training, sound teamwork, competent leadership, and fierce determination, an all draftee division was more than capable of fighting well against well trained, well equipped, and battle hardened enemy. When the allies liberated rome on june 4, everyone wanted to be the first in to rome. But the all draft 88th became the First Division to enter the city. Although overshadowed by the normandy invasion two days later, youall know the capture of rome was a significant victory for the allies. For his Heroic Service in that campaign mr. Lincoln was awarded the broncos star medal, and on june had, 1944, uday when he and his fellow soldiers of the 88th Infantry Division entered rome, Richard Lincoln turned 18 years old. Was and is today a humble, earnest, self effacing man, grateful to be an american. He knows what it felt like to be shot from shot at from very close range every day for months since being a scout was about as close to the frontline as it gets. To this day he wonders how he so many comrades did not. He says he thinks it might have been because, i was short, which is a wise point. I never envied tall men on the battlefield my sefment myself. I would tell you that mr. Lincoln is one of those who created the lega sift american army, the most trusted, most ethical, most capable army in the world. One one built on physically tough and tactically competent soldiers under n. C. O. s and officers at the top of their grim game. From shiloh, to the bulk, to pork chop hill, the delta, and the deserts this generation of soldier faced, when trouble loomed the army has always one built on physically tough and tactically competent soldiers under n. C. O. s and officers at the top stood and delivered. So to alt veterans in the room, you set an uncompromising bar that every one of us on duty today must live up. To we know we will never face something worse than what you maintained your ig knit and honor throughout. So to every veteran in this room, to every mr. Lincoln whos hailed from maine to to puerto m alaska rico, thank you for standing by the red, white, and blue. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you again for having me here. May i take your questions. [applause] thanks very much, mr. Secretary. We took the liberty of collecting some questions from our members. And others. Time to e you taking answer just a few. So the first one is, we just saw a program that highlighted how the what sr. What insights from world war sr. Seem most relevant to you as the army faces challenges today . P section mathis i appreciate the presentation earlier. Whenever you look back at history you realize that while Technology May change, we really face nothing new under the sun. We oftentimes come up with good ideas in old books and reading history. I think the message i was thinking as i watched that presentation was the need for readiness. There was a comrade by the name of john abizade, a younger me, if once said to sitting in my chair, he was in the joint staff in those days, in 1810, and you said where are we going to fight in the next 10 years, not one of us would have guessed, i he was in the joint staff in those think the royal navy will sail right up that window outimmediateside my window and burn this town to the ground. You say thats a long time ago. He says think about 1910, how many would have said, that were going to be in europe in the next 10 years and the u. S. Strung out from forts all across the indian fighting west would never have forecast they would be wearing gas mask with bombs