Because President Obama had an overall strategy, military and civilian leaders under his command could make reactive decisions that advanced the president's goals. In the military, we call that commander's intent: When there's a decision to be made and you don't have exact guidance at that moment, you at least know overall what your boss wants.

As Democrats, when we try to determine who or what allowed Donald Trump to become president, we should look in the mirror.

The president is in charge of the military so that a single individual - accountable to Americans - is responsible for its successes and failures.

Jason Kander Quotes