Quotes by John Batiste

“Sadly, we started something we werent prepared to finish.”

“And as I recall, the secretary didnt even go to his retirement ceremony; I have never forgotten that.”

“I have not talked to the other generals.”

“When decisions are made without taking into account sound military recommendations, sound military decision-making, sound planning, then were bound to make mistakes. When we violate the principles of war with mass and unity of command and unity of effort, we do that at our own peril.”

“He went to war with a flawed plan. He didnt account for the hard work to build the peace after we took down the regime.”

“We need leadership up there that respects the military as they expect the military to respect them.”

“I believe we need a fresh start in the Pentagon. We need a leader who understands teamwork, a leader who knows how to build teams, a leader that does it without intimidation. You know, it speaks volumes that guys like me are speaking out.”

“He tended to surround himself with those that support his agenda. He was involved with the selection of flag officers to an unprecedented level.”

“We went to war with a flawed plan that didnt account for the hard work to build the peace after we took down the regime. We also served under a secretary of defense who didnt understand leadership, who was abusive, who was arrogant, who didnt build a strong team.”