General Mattis on the American experiment and military ethics

Over the weekend I was re-reading a
terrific lecture Marine General James Mattis, now head of the Central Command,
gave at the Naval Academy in 2004, and was particularly struck by these
passages:

...if we are to keep this great
big experiment called America alive-and that's all it is, an experiment-we need
cocky, macho, unselfish, and morally very straight young men and women to lead
our forces against the enemy.

...Okay, it's not a perfect world,
but America is worth fighting for on its worst day. So, if you have got the
guts to step across that line, as each of you have, then just go out and enjoy the
brawl. Just have a damn good time. Train your men well. Go beat the crap out of
people who deserve it, and when they throw down their gun, then you have won.