Ret. Marine Major General Details Years In Washington, Trump's Transition

President-elect Donald Trump is filling out his cabinet but he hasn't yet settled on a. For Secretary of Defense. Arnold Pinero is a retired Marine -- Marine Corps general and one of many unofficial advisers working with his transition team. He has written a memoir of his time in the Marines and as a top Senate staffer. It's called on war and politics. The battlefield inside Washington's help way. He spoke with KPBS roundtable host Mark Sauer. Corporal Hammons was a young Marine that was drafted during the Vietnam War which as you know was very unpopular here at home. He went over to Vietnam and served in the third platoon Lima Company third Battalion seventh Marines first Marine division. Had been in the country for about 12 1/2 months it was in two weeks of going back to the states in his tour in my platoon got into a big firefight and I was out trying to save my win corpsman. I got hit pretty badly and Corporal Hammons came out to try to help me and died doing that. He died saving my life. I can understand why you would dedicate a book to him. When you left the Marines, why did you want to go to work and Washington? I was hoping they'd have a good football team but they didn't. I had an opportunity to do an internship with the newly elected -- newly elected Senator, Sam Nunn. I really wanted to serve in government and to basically make sure that I could help them remember the sacrifices of all of those young Marines a fight with me in Vietnam. There were lots of problems with veterans. They were be treating -- they weren't being treated well. I thought maybe I could help out You were Hillary Clinton supporter which is unusual for you. You had really taken sides before but now you're working with the Trump transition team. I've always been an independent. I always vote for the person and not the party. I made an assessment that I thought she was more experienced in the world right now and it's more dangerous and unstable than at any time I've ever seen it. The American people have spoken. It's incumbent upon all of us especially those that are served in the military, we take an oath to defend and support the election -- the Constitution. We need to make him the most successful. I know you were off part about President Trump's criticism of those a military service. He says he knows more than the generals. Is that behind you now that the election is over? It certainly is for me but it was troubling. I've circled John McCain. He came to the Senate as the Navy Captain. I met him in the late 70s and work with them over the years. Statements were made that I stop a little the Purple Heart. I had young Marines die my arms. They never wanted to earn a Purple Heart. It should be behind all of us. This is reality now. Were in a constitutional democracy. The American people are really smart. They made the decision and that was incumbent on all of us to help our president be the most successful he possibly can be. If he is successful, our country will be successful. That's an obligation we all have. Retired Marine general James floated as possible Secretary of Defense. Military officers cannot be a Defense Secretary until they been out of the military for seven years. You would need a waiver on this. Are you concerned and taking him and getting this waiver? I know him personally and I've served with him in uniform and professionally. I think it's important to look at the history of that provision. That was put in and 1947 with the new national security act. Before that we didn't have our department of defense. We had a Department of the Navy and we had awarded apartment. They were merging two departments that had powerful military chiefs. You had a civilian leader for the first time. Congress put in this prohibition. Truman's president wanted George Marshall to come in out of retirement and serve as a Secretary of Defense and a waiver was granted. 60 years later the military is very joint. I don't think we have a concern about civilian I don't have any reservations about him. It should be an exception and not changed the whole underlying law. My view is should trump a cam I think Congress would willingly provide that exception One of your main recommendations is for the Pentagon to cut down layers of bureaucracy. Administrations have argued that managing national security is far different than running a company. Could we see that change? Do you think it's a concern? He's a businessman. He's a former. Some of the people that have been mentioned a big reformers. What I'm talking about is world-class business practices applicable to the Department of Defense. Is the most complex organization but the logistics agency does $40 billion of business with the DOT every year. It's a business. There aspects and by the way during the eight years of the Obama administration he spent $1 trillion more than Ronald Reagan did during his eight years and are were fighting is 50% smaller. We need more bang for the buck. We need to bring business practices to those parts of the Department of Defense that lend themselves to that. You've worked with 10 secretaries of defense. What simple advice would you give to the new Secretary of Defense and the commander in chief? I would say the best thing you can do is listen to people that know something about it. What are the unknown unknowns and pay attention to people that have the expertise. Any good leader listens to people that he or she knows has a kind of expertise. That would be my advice. A Commander-in-Chief, a good leader at that level as well. There's no way because that job is the most complex in the world and he needs to surround himself with good people. Initial reports look to me like he is picking, I know most of the people on the national security side and he's picking really good people.