--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm no military expert, and these figures…" description: "\"I'm no military expert, and these figures might not be exactly right,' I said. 'But as best I can tell, we've launched 114 Tomahawk cruise missiles int..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-m-no-military-expert-and-these-figures_2923454.jpg" --- # I'm no military expert, and these figures might not be… ![“I'm no military expert, and these figures might not be exactly right,' I said. 'But as best I can tell, we've launched 114 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Afghanistan so far. Now take the cost of one of those missiles, tipped with a Raytheon guidance system, which I think is about $840,000. For that…” quote by Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-m-no-military-expert-and-these-figures_2923454.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-m-no-military-expert-and-these-figures_2923454.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e98/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-m-no-military-expert-and-these-figures_2923454.jpg) > “I'm no military expert, and these figures might not be exactly right,' I said. 'But as best I can tell, we've launched 114 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Afghanistan so far. Now take the cost of one of those missiles, tipped with a Raytheon guidance system, which I think is about $840,000. For that much money, you could build dozens of schools that could provide tens of thousands of students with a balanced, non extremist education over the course of a generation. Which do you think will make us more secure?” [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expensive weapons could be redirected to education, which may yield greater long‑term security than military spending. **In simple terms:** Money spent on missiles could fund schools, improving security. Key Takeaway Invest in education for lasting safety. Themes security education budget military peacebuilding Mood thoughtful urgent Type ethical strategic When to use this quote - government budgeting - NGO planning - policy advocacy - community development - public debate Key Concepts cost‑benefit analysis human development strategic trade‑offs Questions to Reflect On - What are the trade‑offs between defense and education spending? - How can societies balance immediate security with long‑term stability? A Different Perspective Military defense may be necessary in certain contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruise/) [Experts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experts/) [Extremist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremist/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Guidance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guidance/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“I’m no military expert, and these figures might not be exactly right. But as best as I can tell, we’ve launched 114 Tomahawk cruise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-m-no-military-expert-and-these-figures-might-not-be-exactly-right/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“Down there in the dark was the most technologically sophisticated navy strike force in the world, launching fighters and cruise missiles into Afghanistan...I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/down-there-in-the-dark-was-the-most-technologically-sophisticated/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [Clandestine attempts between late 1999 and 2002 to obtain from North Korea technology related to 1,300km range ballistic missiles, probably the No Dong 300km…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kay/clandestine-attempts-between-late-1999-and-2002-to-obtain-from-north/) [David Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kay/) > [The war on terror, I believe, will be waged by effective intelligence and police work and cruise missiles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-war-on-terror-i-believe-will-be-waged-by-effective-intelligence/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [The development and deployment of drones and Cruise missiles involves the continuing development of the vision machine. Research on Cruise missiles is intrinsically linked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/the-development-and-deployment-of-drones-and-cruise-missiles-involves/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [ Getting \[cruise missiles\] more accurate so that we can have precise precision. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/getting-cruise-missiles-more-accurate-so-that-we-can-have-precise/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [We send cruise missiles and then we think everything's all right or we try to bring them to trial. My friends, this time they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/we-send-cruise-missiles-and-then-we-think-everything-s-all-right-or/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The Cruise missiles do not frighten anyone. We are catching them like fish in a river.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/the-cruise-missiles-do-not-frighten-anyone-we-are-catching-them-like/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [We believe that introducing surface-to-air missiles in Syria is going to change the balance of power on the ground. It will allow the moderate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adel-al-jubeir/we-believe-that-introducing-surface-to-air-missiles-in-syria-is-going/) [Adel al-Jubeir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adel-al-jubeir/) > [The Cruise missiles do not frighten anyone. We are catching them like fish in a river. I mean here that over the past two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/the-cruise-missiles-do-not-frighten-anyone-we-are-catching-them-like-2/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [In Muslim societies, a person who has been manipulated unto believing in extremist violence or terrorism often seeks the permission of his mother before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/in-muslim-societies-a-person-who-has-been-manipulated-unto-believing/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [My official cruise ship band name is now A Band On Ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-schwimmer/my-official-cruise-ship-band-name-is-now-a-band-on-ship/) Rob Schwimmer > [Both the five-year-olds looked at me with bewilderment and a bit of fearful uncertainty. I had a sudden horrifying image of the woman I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/both-the-five-year-olds-looked-at-me-with-bewilderment-and-a-bit-of/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I studied Tom Cruise running in all the Mission Impossibles. I think he's one of the best screen runners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stiller/i-studied-tom-cruise-running-in-all-the-mission-impossibles-i-think/) [Ben Stiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stiller/) > [I was never the best-looking guy; I was never the Tom Cruise-looking guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-sheffer/i-was-never-the-best-looking-guy-i-was-never-the-tom-cruise-looking/) [Craig Sheffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-sheffer/) ## More by Greg Mortenson > [Our greatest ally in the Pakistan region of turmoil is the moderate Muslim majority, who we must reach out to and embrace if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/our-greatest-ally-in-the-pakistan-region-of-turmoil-is-the-moderate/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“People who live in the last places-the people who are most neglected and least valued by the larger world- often represent the best of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/people-who-live-in-the-last-places-the-people-who-are-most-neglected/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [If you teach a boy, you educate an individual; but if you teach a girl, you educate a community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/if-you-teach-a-boy-you-educate-an-individual-but-if-you-teach-a-girl/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [You can hand out condoms, drop bombs, build roads, or put in electricity, but until the girls are educated a society won’t change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/you-can-hand-out-condoms-drop-bombs-build-roads-or-put-in-electricity/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“I don't want to teach Pakistani's children to think like Americans...I just want them to have a balanced, non-extremist education”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-don-t-want-to-teach-pakistani-s-children-to-think-like-americans-i/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [I've learned that terror doesn't happen because some group of people somewhere like Pakistan or Afghanistan simply decide to hate us. It happens because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-ve-learned-that-terror-doesn-t-happen-because-some-group-of-people/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“Abdul brushed the dirt from the American's forehead, where it had been pressed to the cool ground. "Not Pakistan man," he said. "But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/abdul-brushed-the-dirt-from-the-american-s-forehead-where-it-had-been/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [When your kids accomplish something it means much more than anything you've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/when-your-kids-accomplish-something-it-means-much-more-than-anything/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [If you look at the 9/11 highjackers, certainly they were educated, some even had university degrees, but nobody really checked their mothers, who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/if-you-look-at-the-9-11-highjackers-certainly-they-were-educated-some/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [One thing that I noticed is having met some former Taliban is even they, as children, grew up being indoctrinated. They grew up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/one-thing-that-i-noticed-is-having-met-some-former-taliban-is-even/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“Osama, baah!" Bashir roared. "Osama is not a product of Pakistan or Afghanistan. He is a creation of America. Thanks to America, Osama is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/osama-baah-bashir-roared-osama-is-not-a-product-of-pakistan-or/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [ “We shall pursue our dreams “until \[we\] reach\[…\] it. Or fail\[…\] trying. ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/we-shall-pursue-our-dreams-until-we-reach-it-or-fail-trying/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“What we are trying to do may be just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of that missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/what-we-are-trying-to-do-may-be-just-a-drop-in-the-ocean-but-the/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [. . . hope resides in the future, while perspective and wisdom are almost always found by looking to the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/hope-resides-in-the-future-while-perspective-and-wisdom-are-almost/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [It is my vision that we all will dedicate the next decade to achieve universal literacy and education for all children, especially for girls.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/it-is-my-vision-that-we-all-will-dedicate-the-next-decade-to-achieve/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) [Explore all 89 Greg Mortenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) ## More Afghanistan quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm no military expert, and these figures might not be exactly right,' I said. 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