[inaudible conversations] good evening. My name is eileen and i am the Program Library in here. I would like to welcome you both this evening to hear them majorr general discuss his book entitled war and politics and thank the friends of the library for sponsoring this event. Tonight they provided the baguette portion. [applause] i would ask that you silence your cell phones or anything phg that might interrupt the presentation. Thank you. Tonight we will have the introduction, the author talk and afterwards a question and answer session. There will be a microphone set up in the center aisle if you could approach it so everyone can hear the question that would work well. After the program, we will be selling the book and he will be signing for those interested. I also invite you to have some wine and cheese afterwards. This program will be taped by cspan and it will b will be aia later date approximately in the next few weeks. I will now turn the program over to a longtime friend and former colleague. Please join me in a warm welcome. [applause] thank you and good evening everybody. You can turn your cell phones back on while im talking. [laughter] im not the honored guest but its an honor for me to be around this evening. Its a role the author has seen me play many times in our days together as the international corp. And believe it or not this is the second time in my career to do the honors of a book event. The first time was with the late great hall of famer. I was quite an honor and this should be a piece of cake compared to that. If there was a hall of fame, he would be an early inductee as with his wife sitting down here in front. Im going to introduce the guest author and then hes going to speak without taking a breath. If you know arnold isnt far from the truth that he will talk for about 25 minutes and then im going to ask some questions in an interview format which is why you see the chairs appear and then we will open up to your questions and im going to call on you when i see your hands go up or you come to the microphone that eileen was talking about. Once we have run out of things to say, arnold is going to sign his book for those that are interested and throughout the evening we invite you to keep helping yourself to the wine and cheese in the back of the rim. Before i introduce arnold i want to take a moment to welcome our friends from cspan who worked on tonight even for a later broadcast on their channel. As a young legislative assistant on capitol hill just two years after cspan and televising the u. S. House of representatives gaveled to gavel, i was an early and avid watcher. It expanded wa extended way beyg the house and the media is for many and we welcome them here tonight. Arnold foss as a marine corps infantry patrol commander in vietnam where he received the bronze star medal with combat and purple heart. He later served as the director of the reserve during 9 11 commanding general of the marine corps mobilization command and commanding general retiring with a rank of major general. Arnold worked for the United States senator sam nunn of georgia as his director of National Security affairs then as the staff director of the Senate Armed Services committee. Later as the executive Vice President he was responsible for Corporate Business Development and was the deputy of the federal business segment. Arnold has chaired on numerous commissions on National Security, the guard and reserve and the department of defense reforms. Recently he competed a twoyear stint as the chair of the National Defense industrial association. He chairs the reserve force policy board and service on the defense business board which focuses on bringing worldclass Business Practices to the pentagon. When hes not writing a book, he is the ceo of the group specializing in federal budget Market AnalysisBusiness StrategyGovernment Relations communications and Crisis Management among other things. But tonight we are here to learn from the author on war and politics the battlefield inside the beltway. He presents stories from his life from a sobering account of his days in combat to the end of the long war to colorful anecdotes about the political luminaries of the time such as senator john mccain president and secretary clinton, president bush one and two and secretary colin powell, robert gates and ash carter. Ladies and gentlemen please welcome my good friend arnold. [applause] thank you and good evening. I first want to thank the library and eileen. I want to welcome our colleagues in the military i served with over the years if they wore the few supportive and even fewer thanked. They served with honor and did everything the country asked of them and more. I also want to describe a realistic picture of life as an infantry and combat through the zones for weeks and months at a time you are seeking an elusive enemy never knowing if someone is an enemy they didnt wear uniforms and its a war without a front line. We were constantly cold, wet, hungry and tired and the supply would never arrive on time if we had to ration our food, ammo. We never had heating pads to heat up the rations but for our meals a. I would like to read a passage in the book. Theres five or six that opened up on the far side of the draw. As the bullets came in ahead thebeopened up and replied. Im hit, i am hit bullets went through the brush. The leader collapsed next to me. Its time, they got it. I measured the distance around whom the impacts. Here they handed me the handset. They went past as a dodge down the bank. The marine did it come machine guns bullets were going around the impact of the raindrops. I turned him over to. He tried to Say Something but i couldnt make it out. A bullet smacked in the cold water that was not in a cave round that was a sniper. To stay low i pressed the router to the rubber pad over the the d and wrapped bandage around his torso lifting him. As soon as the bandage was tied off i started pulling him out of the line of fire. In that moment it felt like a bulldozer had my back knocking me down in the stream tearing my helmet off. My rifle cartwheeled away through the rain. I laid there thinking i will be doing a lot of paperwork for losing that rifle. When i realized i could still move i scrambled for cover. We have been returning fire to the east that i had been hit in the back. It was a vshaped ambush. Lieutenant, my man called up from the hill. Tell the commander of the enemy is to the north on the other ridgeline i shouted out new coordinates. Fire everything weve got. They were still upstream not having moved. I took a deep breath and let it out listening for the second one they didnt hear it. Still, blood was pouring out. Boots pounded, coming my way. Someone was thundering down the slope. Then he came into me like a runner sliding into home. Someone had come after me, incredibly brave and risky. Lets go, lets go. No answer. My hand came back covered with blood. An unfamiliar face fell back. I didnt know yet. I cant move, but he didnt respond. Just lay there jerking as the bullets hit him. Weve got to get out of here i sit. I grabbed his harness and pulled him back to drag him through the mud and rocks as the bullets peppered the water around us. I realized this now but maybe i could save him. It seemed to take hours to call, dragging the body to the bank got a rise into the foliage. Once in cover i checked him out. Hed been hit. I pressed my mouth to his and began cpr. But the taste of the blood finally i sat back on my heels. This marine was gone. Why come after me comet cometh e discipline didnt abandon. He wasnt even in my platoon. Lieutenant, are you okay, smeared in blood from head to toe. He crouched down next to me raindrops doubling as they ran down. We are pinned down and have a bunch of wounded and commander on this. We stumbled on the regiment and i had to call in more. You are hit and bleeding bad. I got the first aid kit and stuffed what was left into my bag. When i looked down again his eyes were open and seemed to be following me. You know this marine, i asked. Tough break after a couple weeks to go but you better a chopper and get yourself taking care of. I looked around at the dead and the wounded along the ravine. They seemed to be speaking any language that i had forgotten. Why had the kid on it, sacrificed himself for a stranger when his own return home had been so near but then a wounded man began. With the artillery by the concussions and detonated along the crest shaking rain from the trees, smoke drifted. But there was something else, something important that i remembered in a rush breaking over me. Move to contact, the commander said. I forced myself to my knees, but my legs held up in every momentt i could lift a hand. They would have to drop a joel slain. They put the marine into it than he was hoisted into the canopy bed then a shattering boom has sounded overhead with shredded aluminum coming down. The line snapped the chopper strained to remain airborne impacting with an earthshaking fact it was clear we could not medivac the wounded. We would have to fight our way to the top of the mountain. It would not be quick maybe ed day long battle inhospitable terrain. Dodgy bullets that was nothing like the combat course we train don in quantico. Meanwhile i was losing blood but never leave a fellow marine behind was drilled into us. We kept our dead and wounded within our formation. One squad was on point responsible for clearing the ground in front of us. And the rest were left in the right protecting the flanks. I was in the middle trying to maintain communications to keep their heads down not to fire on us. The end we would all be did if they didnt. It took the better part of the day to carry the dead and wounded while fighting for the top. By then i have forgotten i was wounded. The Company Commander ordered me out. I would not go before my marines were safe. Artillery and bombs were a smoking wasteland ripped up and earth. Is milled like the devils barbeque. There were either killed or reversed down the slope. Than the choppers could come in. Get the seriously wounded out as quickly as possible even under fire. Then the next seriously the last radio shorthand for marines killed in action. My dad rescue were and i lay next to each other on the floor of the machine. I was barely breathing and in serious pain but clear headed. Until this day we had never met. I dont know what caused him to come to rescue. He had been in country since february 1969 and within weeks of going home. I began to wish she did not come after me. In a few days marines would be knocking on his familys front door. They would not even be told how he died. But then the joel fellow way pileup doubt over the of Rolling Hills and laid a protective arm over his body. We had never spoken to each other were shaking hands even at the end but were bound in spirit forever. [applause] that is why i dedicated my book to corporal hammons every day and about to make whistle for the of his sacrifice. This could bring intensity to rework and why i dedicated my life that they do negative their life in vain when i returned from a vietnam i continued publicservice working for a brand new senator in georgia i had the great honor to work with other senators on the by it bipartisan basis with the legendary figures. Many great military leaders and with a lot of other luminaries in the field. As we Work Together to solve the most challenging problems of the 70s through the 90s. Moving away from the draft and went to the of volunteer force in 1973 but it struggled and had to be saved and then there was a benefits package to keep going. We the strategic arms Limitation Treaty panama canal, dealing with uh bombing of beirut, the legendary changes to the chain of command with Goldwater Nixon reforms. With a crystallized chain of command to the commanders in the field. Also looking at the way the department of defense bias the weapons systems, i ran contract controversy, the desert storm, but if i looked at all the issues come and then could be solved by any one person. It should both sides working together to find compromises in working cooperatively with the pentagon. Did that 24 years and when senator nunn decided not to run for reelection i decided to continue to serve the war fighters as a defense business executive. Our industry provides cutting edge technology. We never one to be in a fair fight. So located here in the san diego area into a terrific job to ensure that. The was serving in the reserve for was called up in the first gulf war and also after 9 11. My book is a combination of a war in business memoir of my career that i believe should be applied bavarias leaders. If you were experts the world is more complex and dangerous than any time i have observed including the peak of the cold war. Unstable and unpredictable we need the most of light and leadership working together. But theyre not insurmountable. We have faced tough problems before. When it comes to National Security politics stops at bowater said. Last chapter is called Lessons Learned i draw on my experience and common sense things i have learned including my four kids and my wife and a grand kids. And those who serve with the military you have to leave from buff from the front pew cannot leave from behind. He cannot stop in the middle of a fire fight so you have to carry through to the emission. Individual different skills and backgrounds if you are in a military unit or a Business Unit that outfit will lobby successful. You have to be willing to take a bullet to view or a politician now willing to do the right thing thin lose the election you will not be a good leader. Whenever intended for the Political Class to be there forever berger would not have said this 20 years ago but i have come around the diamond favor of term limits. [applause] especially with the revolving door and unethical standards to end in government you have to follow your moral compass said have your bearings we did not have electronic gear or gps to encompass and a topographical map United States marine corps because we know our fights will be up close and personal the one to be sure theyre ready to go. That such just on the of battlefield of the military and a Great Society would do that. And is the big shouting match so the same individual could be your biggest ally on another issue. Dont burn bridges. None of the problems were dealing with camby in the short term. With get the increases in Infrastructure Spending with the protection of the entitlements but you cannot do that overnight with the 15 north 20 your approach. There is a lot of challenges but i say in closing let us never forget all those that paid fields ms. Sacrifice we count together and lead from the front. [applause]. I hate to say it depends but they are not a problem. So take another marine many people here have been the military and frankly people dont realize the last people to get into conflict is the military because they know the drugs antiimmigration so to be in homelands security is an just protecting the borders but homegrown terrorists so having an operator that has the military skills is not the bad thing in the history of our country. I know this individuals personally but they are a warrior. They have a ph. D. One the best witnesses i have never seen very knowledgeable individual and would do well in any position there is that one of us sitting here that hasnt made some mistake now we need this march is people we can get by the way every sacrifice to count on our government. Would the big Financial Firm isnt having any trouble with the mortgage asking them to serve you have to have a balance certainly do have those military people with the department of defense as a director of National Intelligence with the state department more of a civilian focus looking at some the department of state as well i am not concerned about it the lot of people will be stirred up about it but in the troubled times we are in to see the appointing end of the bayonet. [applause] as you know what the strangest elections we have a first scene with candidates who said what they said. Will lot of people said things about those candidates now with a change of opinion and here he is considered with secretary of state. To say he was unfit to to be commander in chief. With a very strong letter and his opponent but asking have you changed your mind . If what you have seen since ibc they change from the president elect since he was elected a you more comfortable than you were . And bothered me tremendously like serving with john mccain. But i will tell you that whether someone is fit to serve as commanderinchief the American People have made their judgment is the job of every Single Person in this room in the American People coming from all parts of the country as circumstances this is why we have a great democracy to make that decision and frankly it did the Business World you get on the phone you use whatever leverage the you have. And then to announce they would keep their plan. And then to bring in somebody like romney and that was another thing. Then you hold them accountable. Did the brings in a good person to put the minute job and then said you are fired. What is wrong with x he is the commanderinchief. Ii follow the priorities of the president and then gave to serve with thenpresident what is the main thing the learned and since he has been elected them people the did not support him. And talking about energy in things like that. And working with the Transition Team by the way government does need to be reformed. In rio day get the bank for the book that we should this will come in to do something radical reform with these agencies that unresponsive to the people. In yet the veterans of not getting the service and agent orange was uh terrible thing and the government said dont worry. Give me a break and was up chemical that killed all life. They said dont worry about it. And to go to many funerals. Into be encouraged by what i see. Let me return to reform stuff. You lead a study on reforms that need to be made have you seen progress made in the field . What woody recommend to the incoming secretary of defense . The guard and reserve i had no intention to stay in the reserve because it was not look toward with pleasure many people would do that not to go to vietnam. But the chief of staff came by to visit a was one of the few the gut to sit in on the meeting. This was the huge mistake the only way the American People will get behind it there is the december rains that live in the community when president bush said the troops over there the american troops were unsupportive of that effort. And then Public Opinion changed in favor in be privileged to be head of the marine corps reserve. A little over 900,000 members have been called up and be deployed from then to show analytically it cost onethird and then it is even cheaper to maintain schools and Family Housing the guard and reserve will never put them in the 80s second airborne with the regiments in the marine corps in we turned the corner of that with the current civilian leadership and know what theyre capable of doing the the time there is aflutter Natural Disaster if you ever at had had a Major Incident with a multistate emergency they have no trucks or helicopters with Uh Department of defense and then a 50 that hospital offshore and a Hurricane Sandy providing food and water and health care with the hospitals are down. I am encouraged in the attraction. [applause] spending a lot of time with senator nunn who is widely respected what was he like as a boss . The senator was a great bob boss. And was uh tough taskmaster and delays over prepared and never sought publicity and would not speak unless he had all the facts and now with the media the minute something happens trying to explain what happened within anything they tell you is dead wrong. Senator nunn always wanted to get the facts. Putting the binder briefing books it did not matter. But he was as the deep thinker looking down the road with those initiatives to reduce uh tensions in the peak of the cold war. And me were very worried with an aircraft to launch a missile attack so to improve their own Warning Systems he offered with of programs after the peak of the cold war and was worried of the nuclear war collapsing begin with so themselves as the weapons. So we were always thrilled with his good buddies know although he would never did mitt that a Public Statement but they would get in a round of golf. Our great leader will always be sailing on friday afternoon. I was headquartered of the east coast we went to work at 5 00 in the morning. So they took off every afternoon that you live here the perfect weather place but the senator was extremely bipartisan. He fell below one party could solve things. When president reagan wanted to help us keep the middle east stable republicans controlled the senate by two with three votes. And then to come out when israel was supposed. This senator thought it was a good idea to provide the votes for that in the military will tell you today through all the years of the 80s we could not prevail and the early days of the first goal for because of our training and our Work Together so to support president jimmy carter with reservations plenum place it was extremely unpopular in the state of georgia we got more mail on that than just about anything there was a Bumper Sticker that said we used to have they can now canal now we have none. And then you get a lot of crackpot mail. So Senior Citizen from georgia at the time where we had to insert all the mail in a timely manner. That this letter is totally incoherent. So he told us one day he said you have to insert all the nut mail if you dont you lot with the election in the state of georgia. So he answers all of the net mail there was a guy that he called me once a week and i knew when he called me about every five minutes on with say how was it going . By the way i was ridiculed people see you been in washington 20 years with an accident but theyll like that when they call and say how you doing . He decided he wanted to do Something Different with the Nuclear Threat initiative in he has the and running that with the National Security thinktank to serve from uh corporate boards with the director of cocacola as a smart businessman he stays in good shape my wife always says why cant you be like senator nunn . We were lucky to be in the house and in the senate with the administration that came and went. We all hear about it that was not the case but how do we get back to them . They ought to learn a lesson from this election. We dont like gridlock me what you change. So what can we Work Together on to resolve of common problems blacks one of the samples that i use is we all want clean air and clean water but in the years of the Obama Administration to resources in to the epa. But guess what . All that effort it wasnt just the federal government but the State Government of ims in decision i would be a rage. That is what people are stirred up about. We will never fix the dmv so forget that. [laughter] but the rest just about like uh bureaucrats that the dmv. If i think he looks at me he has done that with his own party that gave him freed during the election. Nobody was more critical than ham band in romney. The and mitt romney but then i heard trump the effect of the bill. [laughter] come up to the microphone everybody can hear your question. So what we did when i got out of the hospital and back to the states by served on the staff at quantico was a casualty assistance officer. But back there there was no internet in for a number of years to have for those who know how to work facebook and twitter. And then to a change things over time but could not track down the family. [inaudible] every day show them they are appreciated that is just a friendly gesture that means a lot to any veteran. Fink for your service we see that now. At the National Airport people would spit on the with i was in uniform. I would spit back so i got in fights. [laughter] but when we were going to be a mom we heard that i should not be talking like this in california about the hippies but harry truman said california was formed theyd turned on its side and shook it. The screws and nuts sellout. And these guys with motorcycles we did not know they were the hells angels. We were going to start a little raucous so while learned my lesson there. Never go into a fair fight. Put pressure on local politicians. And then offer to help them. And with uh traumatic brain injuries like an us sports world there will be kids out of the military just like the agent orange systems. And your opinion on president putin . This seems like they do more and more of lot of issues like the resources. And then to scale back on commitment . Libyans here first question and gorbachev. A different soviet leader. Theyve always at a three by five part. And then the wall came down. Now as a different soviet leader coming right out of the kgb with they throwback with the intelligence apparatus to manipulate people, in no doubt he was behind the hacking with our election. Sewed to deal in a strong way. He was to do with the soviet leaders have wanted to do to expand the borders the theyre not up against western democracies. That is why they tried to push back and in a tough way. And as a former russian that texas sided with mexico. But ukraine is a totally different situation. End to deal in that. And the people that our aware on tim. So we have to decide when you deploy a the military not just in our interest but the vital interest so what are the vital interest . The with the reliance at least but and the allies are not with the russian energy. In to put a hurt locker on them. We have offensive capability region start to use it and then to take a deep breath. If you fire your missile at us we will put 1,000 back at you. If you are able to counterattack the that is of the element of deterrence. If forthcoming defense has a number of changes that our dramatic so could you summarize with those changes are . So the goldwater nickel changes with the military operational chain of command. Howdy doody management was working is more under the minutemen side. Under Goldwater Nichols resold of the Advisory Board they have done is recognized and with the goods and services the only thing you can say is lets get the problem with the Aircraft Carrier they are essentials and now is that 15 billion so what john mccain has done is with the Acquisition Technology and logistics has layers of management with the back to what used to be with research and engineering to focus on the cutting Edge Technologies so the military is never in a fair fight to. With the second is focused on the acquisition also the other thing john mccain has done players of management of making more today than 9 11. Recut the fighters but not the bureaucrats. There is changes in in of medical establishment and with those retirees in what you did not do this year was 25 defense agencies with tires to twilit paper to the radio parts with 48 billion of business per year. More than lockheed morning martin. With 12 billion worth of inventory of do you do that . Idea by 12 million worth of stuff you dont need . And the changes they face are pretty positive so i will tell you so i have thus saying that the pentagon is not always right. They have not passed all Appropriations Bills that is not a good thing. I congratulate you for your performance fly was in vietnam. I would like to ask you a question at the height of the drug with that 71 performance greg. We were very fortunate we never got the opportunity to interface so we never had that with the biggest problem to fall asleep in the middle of the night in the infantry platoon the most ever had was 25. If you send out one squad in the ambush sullys to send 10 youre supposed to have four people in the foxhole. But the problem was you are lucky. You were lucky that they were not involved with the secretary of defense during the vietnam war. He has passed on but he approached in troops and had no business being in the military. They never would have been recruited by he said we can cut down on the draftees of the wealthy people saw were in my platoon and they were decent but had no clue of what the green or rifles one brand out of ammunition but they never came back. They just decided to take a nap on the trail because they did not know any better. I was very fortunate not to deal with the drug problem. I volunteered over the past 25 years at the veterans administration. Appears nothing wrong with the Health Portion of the v. A. With the Health Portion there were curtails often theyre very kind. But the problem at the v. A. Is the layer of management for those who really dont perform a function. If they could reduce it by 90 percent it would be a functioning of this. I am with you on that. [applause] all the money goes to the bureaucrats. And notes the naval aviator never flew a desk. I feel like the lone ranger. Talk about the compass and the map so with this little surprising so what is your opinion of the military branches to achieve a goal by greg. In die made have the wrong perspective but basically become from the perspective that basically that until you get that small unit up close impersonal to stop with of bombing in vietnam. So technology is great with the soldier with the rifle. But then to have the four Aircraft Carriers the best ever built you can launch airplanes and the propellers dont work. I m probably in the minority. Of many is dependent on the software. That could be screwed up so i do think the military has to get back to basics. John glenn howto five airplane. In the military to perform in combat in by the way every exercise they ever did communication ever worked. In lucky if it worked. And then trying to build the new radio and the and the last thing is the boot. They have a lab in massachusetts to design the load bearing gear impersonal before the soldiers. The putin phenom was worthless. With a metal plate that was supposed to keep the booby traps from going through your feet that didnt work that made heavy and hot in was supposed to have water holes but they were always clogged so we had to cut holes that the tops of the water would drain now. They have not had a good one since. You tested out than the design and give it to somebody if it doesnt work that by for more. I like the basics. Give me a bayonet that never needs sharpening i am in heaven. It is such a great honor to be in the presence with the policy boards to perceive any changes to allow access . The their enough force to program the lower sees Contingency Operations we have reserved and guard now to maintain that operational proficiency they are highly trained and a battle tested. No me can use the Natural Disasters so those units have to be ready as well. So i do see the policy direction but by the way for those who dont know her runs all air defense and Missile Defense the navy reserve has tremendous capability the army reserve and has all the combat service support. So we need to make scheerer they are ready to go. When you have the Natural Disasters in the laws have changed but that one National Emergency we need to make sure the other big problem is what creates huge complications for the active forces. The quadrennial defense review said six pates said changing but they have not changed it yet it takes a long time to get their. But definitely moving in the right direction