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Gen. McChrystal on chilling effects of defense spending cuts

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    Pentagon to begin to freeze civilian hiring

  • Duration 5:39
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That -- you can talk about the devastating impact of congress' inability to come up with a spending plan is gonna have on our military.

Operations maintenance and training will be good.

-- ground aircraft.

-- -- support and sharply curtail training across the force will be unable to reset the force following decade of war.

Our readiness will begin to -- within months we'll be less prepared within a year movie -- prepared.

Wow pretty serious stuff joining me was his reaction retired four star general and author of the new book.

My share of the task general Stanley McChrystal general -- We're -- Did you.

I was in the military community because what -- the chairman of the joint chiefs Martin Dempsey said.

That's pretty stuff stuff.

How does this affect day to day.

That guy that woman out there in the military and and what's what's going on in their heads as they look at the SE frustration and the effects.

Thanks governor I served for more than 34 years and one thing it taught me is to understand what -- -- affecting.

I grew up alongside soldiers over the last decade I served in combat with countless professionals that's what Marty -- she's talking about.

You're necessarily going to be reductions in defense spending and if -- responsibly done as Secretary Gates laid out in the current people -- probably fine.

If you do -- sequestration.

That's an irresponsible.

Way to cut and suddenly.

You can't cut every part of defense budget many parts of -- was too protective for various reasons.

So is -- laid out you got to people and when you've got human capital.

You're gonna pay a price that can't be caught up for the generation and the difference is that with Seacrest -- there's really no discretion is just an across the board.

You just cut everywhere.

It's almost like going into an operating -- have surgically removing a tumor you to say we're gonna lose twenty pounds it's a flash out of this body.

Without regard where it's coming from in in in -- that's kind of what.

This problem is is and it's actually worse than that because instead of giving the leadership the chance to cut forty billion dollars over the rest of 2013.

Anywhere they want there are certain area certain programs that cannot be cut.

And therefore they're going to have to cut out of what he described as operations and maintenance money.

That's what lets the force operate at what's lets the force trained at what's let you really take care of people.

In your book my share the task you talk about your career and also obviously a lot of it focused on Afghanistan the fact that you let our troops there.

Yesterday the president of Afghanistan the president -- states held a press conference in essence saying you know a lot of things just didn't work out real well.

When you hear comments like that do you feel like that the men and women of the military including yourself who put your lives of -- -- got shot -- you feel like.

That maybe people are thinking it was for nothing.

I think there's always that danger I got an email from a friend -- -- they are now I spoke to President Karzai on the phone last night.

But when I got in Afghanistan in the spring of 2002 the place was physically devastated.

And it was merely traumatize that was torn apart every way.

And it's very different now there's been huge progress in the rights of women.

Children in school development it's not perfect lots of problems but are Afghans have a lot to lose now I think what scares Afghans more than anything else.

Is a return to the dark days of the tell a bomber may be worse.

It is the president you think fully schooled in terms of being.

Able to lead this point of the military I'm not trying to be just hyper critical of the president but.

You know I'm concerned that when I hear -- say well maybe we just need to go ahead and get out of quicker rather than later and we're not Italy troops there.

Are we -- sitting too soon to the detriment of the long term.

Benefit of Afghanistan.

Well leadership is a passion of mine I -- it Yale my book is about leadership it's what I've always been fascinated by.

And I think leadership is a combination of people it's a president it's -- congress its military leaders its relationships and we think about leadership.

We need to think a collective responsibility.

To make it really sane decisions -- they're gonna be really really hard Afghanistan is complex there is no simple easy solution.

Visitors used to say to me.

OK general what's the one thing wrong with Afghanistan and -- -- You you'll never understand as soon as you simplify it that much.

-- your book is I think a great.

Insight into not just -- your military career but into the greater sense of leadership good for business executives and others.

By the way Ellis face having all of our audience members are gonna get a copy.

My share of the past.

-- I -- city you personally.

No one gets to -- four stars on his shoulder without an extraordinary level of honor and integrity and still.

I.

For the service you rendered to this country because I realize that every breath of free air I enjoyed.

It's because folks like you gave a lifetime of service.

Putting your life in danger for people like me.

And it is not lost on me that that long career that led to four stars on your shoulder was not an easy one.

Thank you thank you -- -- -- And for one of the solution.

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