“The U.S. Army’s mission is to fight and win our Nation’s wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders.” So reads the mission statement of the Army.

No doubt anyone reading it here will recognize it in some way, shape, or form. Possibly, however, the time is approaching where simple recognition will not suffice, that as Soldiers, it will be necessary to have internalized this mission, with all its implications. This is to say, the U.S. may be at war again, very soon. A war against a near-peer, that will require a substantial national effort.

The Army will have to move Soldiers and equipment with little to no notice, to include large numbers from the National Guard and Army Reserves. The Army will have to open the theater, alongside its joint partners. The Army will have to be prepared to fight alongside allies from all over the world, to include host-nation forces. The way the Army will fight will be unlike anything the last few generations (i.e. post-Desert Storm generations) of Soldiers, NCOs, and Officers have ever experienced – large, multi-component, joint forces will be moving across the battlefield.

This is not a thought piece, it is a forewarning. The first steps to readiness, and thence to execution have been taken. Perhaps it is all for naught, and ultimately nothing will happen. Then again perhaps something will. As Soldiers and leaders we cannot afford to hope for the best, while not also preparing for the worst. We must internalize what our core mission is, and think about how we are preparing both ourselves and our formations to be ready to answer the call to arms.

What are some ways you are preparing for war? Are there any focus areas you think are especially important?