A favorite parlor game in Washington’s national-security circles is guessing how long Secretary of Defense Robert Gates plans to stick around. And when it comes to the current war in Libya, that guessing game could take on a bit more urgency.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates testifies on Capitol Hill Thursday before the House Armed Services Committee hearing on military operations in Libya. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Asked in a House Armed Services Committee today whether there would ever be U.S. military “boots on the ground” in Libya, Mr. Gates was blunt.

“Not as long as I’m in this job,” he said.

In his testimony, Mr. Gates also underscored the wariness of the military of becoming involved in another manpower-intensive nation-building mission like Iraq or Afghanistan. In response to a statement by Rep. Dave Loebsack (D., Iowa), that the U.S. should “be extremely careful moving forward that we ourselves do not engage in nation building,” Mr. Gates said: “I would tell you that I completely agree with you.”

Mr. Gates has said he plans to leave this year, but hasn’t yet fixed a date.