Message From the New Boss

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

In his first message to Defense Department personnel, Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote that the President has asked for “my unvarnished advice,” [so] I expect the same of you.” He went on to note that of the myriad “important” and “valuable” activities confronting DOD, the “most important” is the situation in Iraq. His answer on that parallels the central theme of the Iraq Study Group in that a solution requires more than military effort. He wrote, “A successful outcome in Iraq, … will require all elements of America’s national power to work more effectively together, in cooperation with allies and partners in the region.”

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org