Generals aren't in the business of commenting on the correctness or incorrectness of the President's decisions. Anybody who thinks he should be able to do that ought to be fired on the spot.
Interpretation
Generals must support the President's decisions without publicly critiquing them.
This quote from Norman Schwarzkopf emphasizes the principle of military loyalty and discipline, indicating that generals are expected to follow the orders of the President without questioning them publicly. It reflects the importance of unity and respect for the chain of command within the military, as well as the responsibilities that come with leadership positions.
In practice
This quote can be used in a military briefing to remind officers of the importance of chain of command.
As far as Saddam Hussein being a great military strategist, he is neither a strategist, nor is he schooled in the operational arts, nor is he a tactician, nor is he a general, nor is he a soldier. Other than that, he's a great military man, I want you to know that.
All you have to do is hold your first soldier who is dying in your arms, and have that terribly futile feeling that I can't do anything about it... Then you understand the horror of war.
I am living proof that if you catch prostate cancer early, it can be reduced to a temporary inconvenience, and you can go back to a normal life.
Good generalship is a realization that... you've got to try and figure out how to accomplish your mission with a minimum loss of human life.
I'm not proud of killing, of being responsible for the death of a single person. I never will be.
The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.
Teamwork remains a sustainable competitive advantage that has been largely untapped because it is hard to measure (teamwork impacts the outcome of an organization in such comprehensive and invasive ways that it's virtually impossible to isolate it as a single variable) and because it is extremely hard to achieve (it requires levels of courage and discipline that few executives possess) - ironically, building a strong team is very simple (it doesn't require masterful insights or tactics).
Have convictions. Be friendly. Stick to your beliefs as they stick to theirs. Work as hard as they do.
Victims recite problems. Leaders develop solutions. That might seem like common sense, but common sense is rarely common practice.
The President of the United States should strive to be always mindful of the fact that he serves his party best who serves his country best.
I don't mind how much my Ministers talk, so long as they do what I say.
My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty... it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein.
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