>>but there is a big jump from having a carrier and knowing how to go to war.<<
In case you haven’t noticed. Going to war is the easy part. We have forgotten how to WIN A WAR!
Winning has taken on new meanings, in the post Viet Nam era. We won twice with Iraq, but unlike in Japan and Germany there was no post war plan to “rebuild a nation” We rebuilt Panama but not Iraq. I wonder what will be the rule of thumb in a Pacific war in 50 years?