Dave Petraeus, the retired Army general who commanded coalition forces in Iraq (2007-08) and in Afghanistan (2010-11) and later served as director of the CIA (2011-12), and Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, write in the Wall Street Journal: “U.S. military readiness is again a hot issue in the presidential election, but unfortunately the current debate glosses over some of the most important facts. While Congress’s sequestration-mandated cuts to military spending have hurt preparedness, America’s fighting forces remain ready for battle. They have extensive combat experience across multiple theaters since 9/11, a tremendous high-tech defense industry supplying advanced weaponry, and support from an extraordinary intelligence community.”

“For those concerned that America’s military is in decline or somehow not up to the next challenge, we offer a few reassuring facts.”