That is a principle every combat commander learns early, and it is one we should be applying to the situation in front of us right now.

We have multiple wars unfolding at the same time, and the pace of decision-making has to match the complexity of the threat. Ukraine has nearly fallen out of the public conversation, yet thousands of people are being killed every day. That war has not paused. It has simply moved out of the headlines. The same is true of the conflict in Iran that we are currently engaged in.

Every one of these fights deserves clear-eyed attention and a full set of options on the table.

I believe there are solutions to the war in Ukraine and to the conflict we are navigating today against Iran. Solutions exist when leaders preserve flexibility, listen to honest counsel, and refuse to lock into a single course of action before the situation demands it.

The moment a commander surrenders his options, he surrenders his initiative. The moment a nation surrenders its options, it surrenders its leverage.

This is the discipline of sound strategy. Keep the options open. Keep the thinking sharp. Keep the door to peace within reach without ever sacrificing strength. That is how wars are ended on terms that hold, and that is how a great nation leads through a season of conflict.

Pray for our troops, the innocent caught in these wars, and pray for the wisdom of our Commander in Chief, carrying the weight of these decisions.