Robert M. Gates Quotes

A collection of quotes by Robert M. Gates.

Robert M. Gates is an American statesman, scholar, and former government official. He was born on September 25, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas. Gates attended Wichita High School East before pursuing higher education at the College of William & Mary, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.

Gates embarked on an illustrious career in public service, particularly focusing on national security and defense. He joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1966 and served as an intelligence professional for over 26 years. Gates held various high-ranking positions within the CIA, including Director of Central Intelligence from 1991 to 1993.

In 2006, Gates received presidential nomination and was confirmed as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense. He served under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, becoming the first defense secretary to be appointed from outside the military since the late 1940s. Gates worked tirelessly to reshape the military strategies and successfully led U.S. forces during critical periods, notably the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Throughout his career, Gates demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to the country's security. His contributions were widely recognized, and he received numerous awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.

Robert M. Gates continues to be highly regarded as a national security expert and frequently shares his insights through writing, consulting, and public speaking engagements.

When I was the director of Central Intelligence in the early

When I was the director of Central Intelligence in the early '90s, I tried to get the Air Force to partner with us in building drones. And they didn't want to, because they had no pilots.

Robert M. Gates


Health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive.

Health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive.

Robert M. Gates

Health

Well, I've ruffled a few feathers at all the institutions I'

Well, I've ruffled a few feathers at all the institutions I've led. But I think that's part of leadership.

Robert M. Gates

Leadership

I have always that there ought to be some kind of mandatory

I have always that there ought to be some kind of mandatory national service, not necessarily in the military but to show everybody that freedom isn't free, that everybody has an obligation to the nation as a community.

Robert M. Gates

Freedom

There is no international problem that can be addressed or s

There is no international problem that can be addressed or solved without the engagement and leadership of the United States and everybody in the world knows that, its just fact of life. So sometimes I think we could conduct ourselves with a little more humility.

Robert M. Gates

Leadership

I mean, when you get down to very low numbers of nuclear wea

I mean, when you get down to very low numbers of nuclear weapons, and you contemplate going to zero, how do you deal with the reality of that technology being available to almost any country that seeks to pursue it? And what conditions do you put in place?

Robert M. Gates

Technology

If there's ever an example that military power alone cannot

If there's ever an example that military power alone cannot be successful in Afghanistan, I think it was the Soviet experience.

Robert M. Gates

Alone