The Greatest Generation and Our Generation

Sixty-five years ago today, the courage displayed by the veterans of the D-Day landing still serves as a great, if not the greatest, example of American bravery in battle. The operation also serves as another example - an example that is all too often overlooked. D-Day serves as a testament to American courage, but it also serves as a reminder of America's ability to combine all elements of power-military, diplomatic, and economic-to create an overall strategy for success.

Prior to the invasion, the groundwork of thoughtful, strategic planning was laid first and then the heroic military actions were conducted upon that foundation. Sadly, for too long now, America has waged two wars in which the reverse has been true- bravery by our fighting men and women has been required, but an effective strategic framework to capitalize on their sacrifices has been lacking.

In some ways the soldiers and sailors who stormed the Normandy beaches or parachuted behind enemy lines so many years ago had an advantage over those who fight today. That advantage lay in America's preparation to fight.

Defining what it means for a country to be "prepared to fight" encompasses many things. It certainly means having an adequately trained and resourced fighting force. It should reflect a citizenry that believes in the cause enough to have the will to engage in a potential conflict. Finally, however, it should also mean that the nation's leaders have done everything within their power to mold the situation so that if fighting is required, those doing the fighting have the greatest chance of success.

In terms of America's preparation to fight, the advantage that those in 1944 enjoyed was not a matter of better training or resources. Nor was it really a difference in the American people's will to fight. The real difference, and the advantage of those who fought during World War II, was that the nation's leaders created a situation in which those fighting would have the best possible chance at victory.

FDR's ability to build, maintain, and operate a complex network of alliances was not the only factor that contributed to America's ultimate victory, but it did create a situation that made America's military efforts more effective than they would have been otherwise. Military action was more effective because FDR's actions off the battlefield led the world, in so many ways, to believe in America and the righteousness of her actions.

Those of us who are veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq have fought without that support. Our government scoffed at the concerns of traditional allies and abandoned America's hold on the moral high ground that our predecessors fought so hard for 65 years ago. The world began to see America not as a bastion of liberty, but as an icon of unchecked aggression. America's image became tarnished in the eyes of the world and even though we were fighting two wars ostensibly waged to protect us, we were becoming less and less safe by the day.

Fortunately for those still patrolling the streets of Baghdad or operating in the villages and mountains of Afghanistan, change has come. While threats still abound, our new President has demonstrated an ability to weave elements of power in a way that his predecessor did not. Thinking first and fighting second may be perceived as weak by cable news pundits, but it's a relief to those of us who have actually served in combat since 2001. It also goes a long way in explaining why a majority of veterans below the age of 59 voted for Obama over John McCain, unquestionable war hero.

The American military has spent the last 7 years learning the hard lesson that success today cannot be achieved through military action alone. Keeping America secure cannot be achieved solely by military action, either. President Obama understands this and his actions since inauguration suggest a security strategy that does not shy away from military force, but does shy away from using it blindly.

Those who stormed those beaches on that bloody day in 1944 may have charged courageously into German machine gun nests, but it was not done blindly. They did it as just one-albeit the most important one-component of an overall strategy to win the war and make America safer. Those who fight today deserve the same. It's nice to have a President who can finally give it to them.