Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave a rundown Wednesday of the food — and the copious amounts of caffeine — that U.S. military personnel consumed during the Iran war.
«Along the way, we consumed more than 6 million meals, and by my estimate, more than 950,000 gallons of coffee, 2 million energy drinks, and a lot of nicotine,» he said, adding: «But I am not saying that we have a problem.»
On a more serious note, Caine expressed his gratitude for the service and sacrifice made by U.S. forces during Operation Epic Fury.
«This is gritty and unforgiving business. It’s chaotic, it’s hot, it’s dark, is unpredictable, and there’s always unknowns. And our people proudly walked into those unknowns and continue forward, and through it all, the joint force has demonstrated the unwavering resolve that the nation demands of us,» Caine said.
«We are a mission-focused force and our objective always is to create the conditions for peace, and today we have,» he said, adding that the U.S. military remained at the ready, «should that peace break, which we hope it is not.»
