Is war with North Korea imminent? Here's the unmistakable sign to watch out for

Until you see this, you don't have to worry.

North Korea has announced that war with the U.S. is inevitable, and it is now only a matter of when. The reclusive nuclear state commonly makes bellicose comments, but does it mean we should start digging bomb shelters in our yards? 

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - War between the U.S. and North Korea looks increasingly inevitable as both sides escalate their rhetoric. Here's what you need to watch for to decide if it is time to worry. 

Both North Korea and the U.S. say war is coming. North Korea threatens to strike back against exercises in the region, and the U.S. says it will not tolerate North Korea possessing an ICBM which can deliver a nuclear weapon to the U.S. mainland. 

 Despite the threats, war isn't imminent. The one way to tell is to see if either side is making moves to fight. 

If the U.S. expects to attack North Korea, they will need to take control of the airspace of the country within a very short time. To do this, the U.S. would need to deploy overwhelming firepower to the skies above North Korea and destroy their air force and air defenses. This can be easily done but would require up to three aircraft carriers worth of naval air assets supported by aircraft from South Korea, Japan, Guam, and the mainland United States. These assets would have to be mustered, which would take days to weeks. This hasn't happened. 

In addition, the battle on the ground would require the deployment of thousands of additional American troops. Reserves would have to be called. This hasn't happened either. 

American civilians would also have to be moved out of harm's way, and while Rep. Sen. Lindsey Graham has called for Americans to be evacuated from South Korea, no such order has been given. The Department of Defense is not restricting or discouraging travel to South Korea. 

Likewise, when experts look at North Korea, they do not see any imminent preparations for war. 

At this point, it appears we will have a peaceful winter with both sides cooling off at least through the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February. 

For the time, the greater danger is a miscalculation that escalates. This could happen if forces from one side stray too close to the border, or a during a drill an errant shell lands across the border. There are restrictions in place to prevent these accidents, but incidents happen and people make mistakes. Let's pray that cooler heads prevail and everyone recognizes that nobody wants war. 

So far, the cool heads are winning, and there is no need of alarm. It isn't what people say that matters, but what they do. However, if we see military buildups and an evacuation of civilians, then that is the time to worry.