For me, being able to engage with the details when necessary, when there's a challenge, when there's a particularly important pivot, yes, you have to do that. But in general, a leader needs to trust their commanders, needs to trust the team they've assembled, to actually execute in the right way.

What we heard today was not fiscal leadership from our Commander-in-Chief, what we heard today was a political broadside from our Campaigner-in-Chief.

When I was commander of Central Command, obviously we were very concerned about the developments in Yemen, the developments in Somalia and elsewhere, in Africa and so forth. But the al Qaeda senior leadership is under unprecedented pressure.

So long as I'm Commander-in-Chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known. When you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you've served us - because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they need when they come home.

But courage which goes against military expediency is stupidity, or, if it is insisted upon by a commander, irresponsibility.

What we heard today was not fiscal leadership from our Commander-in-Chief what we heard today was a political broadside from our Campaigner-in-Chief.

I think as a rifle platoon and company commander your view is about 1 000 meters in front of you and you hope you can cover that ground and not have to back up and give it up again.

So long as I'm Commander-in-Chief we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known. When you take off the uniform we will serve you as well as you've served us - because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job or a roof over their head or the care that they need when they come home.

But courage which goes against military expediency is stupidity or if it is insisted upon by a commander irresponsibility.