Thomas Jefferson Quotes

No American officer was a proven commander when we entered the First Word War I…. No one had ever commanded a large body of troops. General Pershing, who was selected, had only commanded a brigade in the Mexican war.

A good soldier, whether he leads a platoon or an army, is expected to look backward as well as forward; but he must think only forward.

I think no commander ever is going to come out and say, 'I'm confident that we can do this.'

I would have been a disastrous soldier.

Nine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books: but the irrational tenth is like the kingfisher flashing across the pool, and that is the test of generals.

Of course, I think it is legitimate for the Commander-in-Chief to be concerned for the safety of his soldiers.

Well, you know, any defense force worth its salt has to be able to deal with uncertainty, has to be able to deal with events that we may not have planned for.

In should be the duty of every soldier to reflect on the experiences of the past, in the endeavor to discover improvements, in his particular sphere of action, which are practicable in the immediate future.

My father had risen in the British Army under the revolutionary aegis of General Montgomery, who was mad about training for battle, not muddling into disaster.

Before they deploy, they train for the specific operations, but there is a danger that the Army is not retaining the core of its full capabilities.

The function of combat is not merely to perpetrate violence, but to perpetrate violence on command, instantaneously and reflexively. The function of the service academies is to prepare men for leadership positions where they may someday exercise that command.

He is a butcher, and is not fit to be at the head of an army.

It’s not the plans, it’s the people. I think we should have Defense Department people.

There has never been a military commander in history who didn’t want more men for a longer time …

The art of making war with success being the fruit of courage combined with prudence, intelligence and experience, a companion in arms of the great Frederick, who was with him during twenty-two years, seemed to us all a man most fit to assist Monsieur Washington.

Generals do not always run wars the way they would like to, nor the troops under them.

Our military plans for everything.

War is the great auditor of military institutions.

I actually understand what a Marine on the ground goes through. I've seen generals and admirals struggle with different situations.

What is certain about the future is that even the best efforts to predict the conditions of future war will prove erroneous. What is important, however, is to not be so far off the mark that visions of the future run counter to the very nature of war and render American forces unable to adapt to unforeseen challenges.

To get an Army that's already fighting a war to change in stride to a total different military strategy on the ground - and to get everybody on the same page - was accomplished by the sheer force of Dave Petraeus' will.

You have to give the soldiers, the Army, a clear vision.

We have no George Pattons anymore. We have no Ulysses S. Grants. We have none of the swashbuckling generals that actually made things happen.

I've always had full confidence in the professionalism and the assessment of the armed forces.

Commanders-in-chief make really tough decisions.