Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine estimated that 950,000 gallons of coffee made the U.S. war in Iran possible, where 50,000 members of the military flew more than 10,000 missions over the Islamic Republic, struck more than 13,000 targets, and intercepted 1,700 ballistic missiles and attack drones. “I’ve laid out the statistics, but that does not truly capture the nature of combat,” he said. “This is gritty and unforgiving business. It’s chaotic. It’s hot. It’s dark. It’s unpredictable. And there are always unknowns.” “Our people proudly walked into those unknowns and continued forward. And through it all, the joint force demonstrated the unwavering resolve that the nation demands of us.” <\/p>\n
GENERAL CAINE: And in order to do this, it required the service and sacrifice of more than 50,000 American warfighters deployed across CENTCOM, EUCOM, and stateside. The joint force flew more than 10,000 missions, including 62 bomber missions-18 of which flew round trip from the United States to deliver bombs on military targets. Each of these missions was more than 30 hours in duration, and we did that 18 times. No other military in the world can do that, and it’s a testament to the logistical force that quietly serves behind them. I cannot thank Transcom and the Air Force tanker and mobility force enough. Combined with Army and Navy joint fires, we struck more than 13,000 targets. And along with our Gulf partners, we have thus far intercepted 1,700 ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones, defending our forces, our partners, and the civilian population. We remain ready to do so should the need arise. Along the way, we consumed more than 6 million meals and, by my estimate, more than 950,000 gallons of coffee, 2 million energy drinks, and a lot of nicotine-but I’m not saying that we have a problem. I’ve laid out the statistics, but they do not truly capture the nature of combat. This is gritty and unforgiving business. It’s chaotic. It’s hot. It’s dark. It’s unpredictable. And there are always unknowns. Our people proudly walked into those unknowns and continued forward. And through it all, the joint force demonstrated the unwavering resolve that the nation demands of us. We are a mission-focused force, and our objective is always to create the conditions for peace. And today we have-while remaining ready should that peace break, which we hope it does not.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n