US Secretary of the Army Mark Esper on Post-WWII Alliances

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING ME.

YOU ARE A VETERAN YOURSELF, YOUR FIRST WAR IS THE GULF WAR.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN AS AN ARMY VET TO BE HERE?

IT BRINGS BACK GREAT MEMORIES OF MY TIME IN THE SERVICE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IT REALLY MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS GREATEST GENERATION DID AND HOW THEY CONTRIBUTED, THEY SACRIFICED AND LEFT HOME AT A YOUNG AGE AND DIDN'T COME BACK FOR THREE, FOUR, FIVE YEARS LATER AND IT CHANGED THE TIDE OF HISTORY AND IT SHOWED THAT FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY PROVIDE.

THERE ARE STUDENTS RUNNING AROUND YOUNG PEOPLE AND WE HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES RMGS EVEN AS FAR AWAY AS RUSSIA.

THE BIG KIDS ARE NOT REALLY FOCUSING OR LEARNING ABOUT D-DAY IT'S SORT OF FADING INTO THE PART OF.

WHEN YOU REALIZE IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR INSTITUTIONS AND DEMOCRACY, WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

I THINK THE MILITARY AT THE END OF THE DAY IS THE PROTECTORS OF OUR FREEDOMS AND LIBERTIES.

I SEE IT IN MY OWN KIDS THAT THERE'S LESS KNOWLEDGE, IF YOU WILL, OF THE STRUGGLES WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE PAST 75 YEARS.

I, OF COURSE, GREW UP DURING THE COLD WAR AND SOVIET COMMUNISM WAS A RESULT IN SOME WAYS OF WHAT HAPPENED IN WORLD WAR IE.

SO THOSE MEMORIES ARE FADING WITH EACH -- WE HAVE A GENERATION OF YOUNG AMERICANS THAT A CONNECTION WITH THE MILITARY THAT PROTECTS THEM.

DOES IT WORRY YOU THAT WE'RE IN A STATE RIGHT NOW WHERE CERTAINLY YOUR COUNTRY AND THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS NOT AS BEHOLDEN AND DUTY BOUND TO THE MULTINATIONALISM.

DO YOU FEEL THAT KIND OF ALLIANCE, AND THE MULTILATERALISM IN PROTECTING THESE FREEDOMS THAT WERE SO HARD WON IS IN QUESTION?

I THINK WE FULLY SUPPORT NATO AND ARE COMMITTED TO ARTICLE 5.

I'VE HEARD IT FROM THE PRESIDENT ALL OF THE WAY DOWN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.

THIS WEEK I COME HERE HAVING TRAVELED IN THE PREVIOUS FEW DAYS TO GERMANY.

I VISITED OUR TROOPS IN KOSOVO.

I MET WITH OUR ALLIES IN ROMANIA AND YESTERDAY I CAME FROM ITALY AND AT EACH POINT IN TIME I STOPPED AND THANKED OUR ALLIES FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO NATO AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN OTHER CASES, WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE OPERATIONS AND HOW IT TOOK A NATION TO DEFEAT NAZI GERMANY BECAUSE MY JOB IS TO FIX AS WE LOOK AT RUSSIA AND CHINA AS POTENTIAL ADVERSARIES.

THE UNIQUE ADVANTAGE WE IS IS WE HAVE ALLIES AND THEY DON'T.

THAT IS AN ASSET WE NEED TO CULTIVATE AND GROW AND IT MEANS NATO ALLIES AND ALL ALLIES CONTRIBUTING AND MAKING SURE THEY HELP US WITH COLLECTIVE DEFENSE AND SECURITY.

THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST TIME THAT THIS NUMBER OF REMAINING