Hard Does Not Mean Impossible!

By Lt. General Bob Wood (Ret)

Arlington VA -- As we all celebrate and marvel over the successful outcomes of Operation Absolute Resolve (Venezuela, Jan 2026), Operation Midnight Hammer (Iran, June 2025), and most recently Operation Epic Fury, I can’t help but reflect on Operation Eagle Claw (Iran, April 1980) and its disastrous outcome.  While the three recent operations produced magnificent results - strategically, operationally, and tactically - the first operation, now almost 46 years ago, led to eight military deaths and helped propel the rise of the Islamic terrorist state of Iran that we face today. 

In 1980, those who served, died, or suffered captivity in Iran served with distinction and deserve our honorable recognition for their service and sacrifice.  No disgrace.  Importantly, this disaster in the desert revealed critical flaws in our operational planning, Joint training, and interagency integration.  The lessons learned that horrible day at Desert One led directly to the most recent success of our Joint force.  What did we learn, what did we change, and what may apply more broadly to our collective national security or even political actions today? 

Selected, key lessons learned included:

1.     The collective power of our Joint and multi-agency force results from standards-based training, selective manning, and task specific equipping along with adequate and sustained resourcing.

2.    Command and Control must be unified, integrated, and practiced.  A Joint Force has a collective power far greater than the sum of its parts.

3.    Situational awareness and speed of action more often lead to success than debate and indecision.

4.    Teamwork and leadership are the hallmarks of successful Joint teams.  Clear mission guidance and strong, top-level commitment empower this collective force.

5.    Process is no replacement for practiced actions and intent based initiative.

Veterans of all Services along with members of both intelligence and law enforcement entities have all felt the influence of these hard learned lessons.  None of these lessons are particularly startling or flashes of the unknown.  They may appear to be common sense.  But frankly, such sense is not always common. 

The transition we all make from our Service to civilian life is different for each of us.  But I have yet to meet a Veteran who doesn’t remark on differences he or she found in the areas highlighted above.  Leadership, commitment, standards, communication, teamwork, training, the collective over self – the presence of these elements or their absence put each and every one of us on edge. 

Something just isn’t right.  Success in whatever endeavor we undertake exhibit some or all these attributes.

I naturally relate to these lessons learned based on my own training and experiences over 36 years of Service.  There is no real checklist approach to overcome any tough challenge I might face.  But I rely on the attributes above as a ready measure of the probability of success when I decide how best to solve what appear to be unsolvable problems. 

For example:

HOW CAN WE WIN ELECTIONS AS REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA IN THE MIDTERMS AND BEYOND? 

What are the guidelines on the road to success in the midterms?

1.    Do we undertake standards-based training, selective manning, and task specific equipping along with adequate and sustained resourcing as a Virginia GOP team?  I think not.

2.    Do we as a Virginia GOP team operate under a unified, integrated, practiced leadership team?  Not so much.

3.    Does a collective understanding of strengths, weaknesses, and needs across our Virginia GOP elements, from State to Precinct level foster speed of action?  We could only wish.

4.    Is the Virginia GOP known for strong teamwork, committed leadership, and clear mission guidance?  Working on it.

5.    Is the Virginia GOP known for too much process or in need of more intent based initiative?  Process wins too often.

Half of any solution is recognizing the problem in the first place.  We actually know what Right looks like!  Desert One begat Operations Absolute Resolve, Midnight Hammer, and now Epic Fury. 

Hard does NOT mean impossible. 

Veterans and Veteran Supporters have the experience, the numbers, and the leadership to help regain the initiative for the immediate political challenges facing our Commonwealth.  Look at the table below:

Our data reflected in this table shows the collective power of Veteran Votes in Virginia.  Across the last three election, Veteran voters averaged more than 30% of Republican voters!

And, we have each other. 

EVERY VETERAN, EVERY VOTE, EVERY ELECTION! VETERANS FORWARD!

Bob Wood

LTG (R), US Army

CEO, American Veterans Vote