Jim Webb Quotes

I would have been a disastrous soldier.

You have to give the soldiers, the Army, a clear vision.

An Army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every change in the rules which impairs the principle weakens the army.

Having grown up in a military family, I know that politics should have no role in determining who is best qualified to lead our armed forces.

If there's one organization in the United States that could work on its communication skills, it's the military.

I am a general. My soldiers are the keys and I have to command them.

The Creator has not thought proper to mark those in the forehead who are of stuff to make good generals. We are first, therefore, to seek them blindfold, and then let them learn the trade at the expense of great losses.

Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head.

As a 22-year Army Veteran who served in Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, and as a Civilian Advisor to the Afghan Army in Operation Enduring Freedom, I understand both the gravity of giving the order, and the challenge of carrying it out.

In matters of business deal only with the commander of the army, column, or party in which you serve. Never give orders to anyone at all, and reserve your directions or advice for the C.O., however great the temptation (for efficiency’s sake).

It is useless to try so frequently and unsuccessfully, attempt upon attempt, to instruct the great mass of people in the art of war

It is not without good reason that two captains are assigned to every company. For as it always is uncertain, what will be the conduct of an officer, or to what accidents he may be exposed; and, as in the affairs of war, there is no room for pretext or excuse; this method is contrived, that the company may not upon any occasion be destitute of a leader. When the captains therefore both are present, he that was first chosen leads the right, and the other the left of the company. And when either of them is absent, he that remains takes the conduct of the whole.

Very few men occupy themselves with the higher problems of war...when they arrive at the command of armies they are totally ignorant, and, in default of knowing what should be done, they do what they know.

The art of making war with success being the fruit of courage combined with prudence, intelligence and experience, a companion in arms of the great Frederick, who was with him during twenty-two years, seemed to us all a man most fit to assist Monsieur Washington.

War is best left to the Generals. I believe in letting the military authorities manage the army. If they manage it badly, we shall make a bad matter worse by tampering and interfering.

Generals do not always run wars the way they would like to, nor the troops under them.

We don’t need corporate generals. We need warrior generals…. Many of our military leaders are like car designers who have never driven a car….they go along to get along.

Universal military training is the only truly democratic solution to the problem of [military] preparedness.

I actually understand what a Marine on the ground goes through. I've seen generals and admirals struggle with different situations.

A small country like Israel has compulsory military training. But countries like India, that are so much bigger, have no compulsory military training, so people don't understand how the military functions. They have no knowledge of how it works, no respect for it.

I've been very active all my life. I was a combat instructor in the Israeli Army.

I've been a soldier too long to refuse to entertain any request from a potential commander in chief.

As a former Captain in the Army National Guard, I trained hundreds of soldiers to lead troops into combat.

A prince must not have any other object nor any other thought… but war, its institutions, and its discipline; because that is the only art befitting one who commands.

It would probably be a direct order, shape up your morale. And so he understands command. He understands how to delegate. And I think that [General John Kelly] will bring law and order.