President Obama delivers his eighth and final State of the Union address last night to a roomful of policymakers and special guests–including six military veterans specifically invited by the Obamas.

As such, the president spent a lot of time talking about what direction he hopes to take the U.S. military in the coming year and how the United States should leverage its status as a global superpower. Here are the highlights in regards to the military.

Defeating ISIS

The United States has conducted more than 10,000 airstrikes against ISIS since August 2014. Considering how much the military has accomplished and how much farther it has to go, Obama announced that the military would in the end bring the Islamic State’s tyranny to an end, not matter how long it takes.

If you doubt America’s commitment — or mine — to see that justice is done, ask Osama bin Laden. Ask the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, who was taken out last year, or the perpetrator of the Benghazi attacks, who sits in a prison cell. When you come after Americans, we go after you. It may take time, but we have long memories, and our reach has no limit.

Global Coalitions

However, the president also said that simply invading other nations won’t bring peace in the long run. Obama instead suggested building a “global coalition” like the one currently intervening in Syria.

We also can’t try to take over and rebuild every country that falls into crisis. That’s not leadership; that’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us. It’s the lesson of Vietnam, of Iraq — and we should have learned it by now.

Leading by Example

The State of the Union lightly touched several foreign policy developments from the past year, such as resuming diplomatic relations with Cuba and working to close Guantanamo Bay. Obama said that American leadership in the 21st century “means a wise application of military power, and rallying the world behind causes that are right.” He called for the military and Congress to help America lead by example.

The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.