“...very complicated to “lock and load”.
If I understand the euphemism accurately, it simply means being in a state of readiness for combat should it prove imminently necessary. A statement of “bravado” so to speak.
How is that “very complicated”?
It is the tactics of combined arms, all the services working together and the logistics to support them in the field.
For instance, Abrams tanks. The Air Force will move a few, but they don’t like to, so most have to heavy lift by sea. That’s slow. Maintenance support is the same for a company of armor as it is for a battalion, so you have to anticipate the size of the fight and plan ahead.
It is a busy theater. We have to bring air assets in that are currently committed to Syria and Afghanistan, specifically AWACs. Well the Brits operate most of the AWACs but are too far away for sustained loiter. So we need to bring in our own, now you need a base, up and running, so forth.