When combat employment is imminent, mission readiness is an innate and obvious function of all personnel in the formation from the senior leadership to the most junior soldier. But during intervals of war, commonly known as "peacetime", the purpose and motivation to remain mission ready becomes purely a leadership function. The history of our military's mission readiness has been documented from the ends of a conflict or war through an interval of war to the initial stages of the next conflict. The combination of the prewar doctrine, mission readiness and the political content of the war effect not only the initial stages but can have a profound impact that often shape the war's entire course (Heller and Stofft, 1986). Lastly, leader's must acknowledge the statement of "mission accomplished" as the beginning of a interval of war as opposed the end of the mission as a national defense. There will never be a final war as long mankind exists. It is important and deserving to welcome the cheers of victory from the citizens but not allow them to convolute the soldiers desire to improve his capacities and capabilities for his next adversary; a path walked by several of our past leaders that resulted in mission failure and the bloodshed of his men (Heller and Stofft, 1986).

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