During nearly five decades in uniform and as a Pentagon strategist, I served alongside armored and mechanized forces in South Korea, at Fort Riley and in divided Cold War Germany.While stationed along the Iron Curtain, I helped plan the defense against a Soviet armor-heavy assault through the Fulda Gap and across NATO's central front.
Later, during the Iraq War, I observed firsthand how American armored formations were employed in combat.One lesson stayed with me.Military professionals rarely begin by asking what politicians are saying.They begin by asking what armies are doing.TRUMP MAY CLAIM HE WON THE FIGHT WITH IRAN, BUT THERE’S A BIGGER WAR ALREADY UNDERWAYProfessional soldiers are trained to see what others overlook.
Not necessarily because they possess better information, but because they ask different questions.An Iranian tank outside the Islamic Revolution and Holy Defense Museum, Tehran, on May 13, 2018.(Getty Images)Politicians communicate through speeches.
Diplomats communicate through negotiations.Armies reveal themselves through force posture.
A brigade quietly changes location.Engineers strengthen defensive positions.
Fuel and ammunition move forward.Reserve formations reposition.
None of those actions guarantee war, but together they often reveal something more valuable than public statements: what commanders believe may happen next.US EYES FIRST-EVER HYPERSONIC DARK EAGLE DEPLOYMENT AS IRAN PUSHES BEYOND STRIKE RANGEThroughout my career, I learned that tanks rarely tell you who is about to attack.They tell you what commanders think is coming.That is why recent reports deserve careful attention.
Elements reportedly associated with Iran's 92nd Armored Division moved T-72 tanks toward the southern approaches near Abadan on August 1.If confirmed, the movement matters, not because it proves an American ground campaign is imminent, but because it may reveal what Iranian planners are preparing to confront.Professional militaries do not reposition...