and he has another marine son either deploying or about to be deployed. >> that human connection for some of the key decision makers here is absolutely key. andrea mitchell, pleasure and honor to have you hear with us tonight. joining us now in studio is a veteran of the war in afghanistan. he was an adviser to stanley mcchrystal. it's great to have you here. let me ask your top line reaction to the speech tonight. >> you hit it. it's not a big policy change. the big shift is where the president has been. now he is the president and has to confront a series of really bad options in afghanistan. i think the biggest take away is that he is now taken ownership of this war to a certain degree, mattis insisted on that. that was not going to be something he delegated to the generals and could blame on the generals and now he has ownership of it.