November 30, 2010
Members of the United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator:
In over more than forty years of service as a Marine, I came to respect greatly and to appreciate genuinely the contributions you in the Congress render to our nation in the creation and sustenance of our armed forces. Indeed, at the time I was nominated to lead the Corps, one of my highly respected predecessors counseled me to remember that without the wise actions of the Congress, there would never have been, nor would there have continued to be a Marine Corps. On more than a few occasions during my tenure, some among you today, together with your predecessors, made the decisions that enable America to have armed services that are the gold standard of the world, and I thank you for that. More than once, you sought my views and advice on a wide range of matters and it was always my privilege to offer them. Today, I am assuming again that privilege with strong views that I believe are critical to the viability of the armed services you have been instrumental in creating and sustaining. I thank you in advance for hearing them.
