Before you pull a single trigger or open a bomb bay door, you need to have an ENDGAME.
1. List the reasons to go to war
2. Articulate the war objectives
3. Go over the objectives and what to do when they are met or lost
4. Plan the end of fighting
The USA leadership does not have the stomach to achieve total victory in war. You completely destroy the enemy and his ability to wage war. You do not start a war unless you are prepared to be merciless against the enemy.
America can never again win wars without a commitment to total victory. Anything less is just using your best young people as cannon fodder.