The following is an opinion piece by General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

As our nation stands on the brink of another military intervention, I'd like to speak directly to the American people in this moment of grave crisis.

On behalf of the entire Department of Defense, I want to reassure you that the men and women of your armed services — your husbands, sons, daughters, and wives — are always ready to defend America, night and day. They are the best trained and equipped military in the world, and will carry out whatever mission our political leadership asks them to, against any threat: foreign or domestic.

Well mostly just domestic. In fact any foreign threat at all would be kind of a crapshoot. We're not really in the business of fighting and winning foreign wars.