Editor’s Note: War on the Rocks is running “for” and “against” articles on the war with Iran by legislators with military backgrounds. You can find the other article here.
The view from a C-130 during a combat mission in the Middle East provides clarity that is often lost in the sanitized briefing rooms of Washington. As an Air Force medical crew director, I have looked into the eyes of young servicemembers being medevacked out of theater, and I lived through what decades of strategic inconsistency asks of our warfighters. As a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, I am equally attuned to a different kind of trauma: the deep-seated moral injury that occurs when those sacrifices are rendered all for naught by a leadership that lacks the resolve to finish the mission. Today, as Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion unfold to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, we are at a crossroads that demands the strategic courage to see this through to its conclusion.
For nearly 50 years, the Iranian regime has operated as a destabilizing force — exporting terror through proxies and aggressively pursuing a nuclear threshold that would forever alter global security. As someone who has served overseas, I have witnessed strategic failures that stem from half-measures and “mowing the lawn” in the Middle East. Strategic indecision does not just embolden our adversaries, it actively degrades the morale and mental health of our fighting force. When our men and women are deployed into harm’s way for objectives that are later abandoned or left unfinished, the psychological toll is compounded. A servicemember’s mental health is tied to a sense of purpose. If the mission is not finished, the trauma of combat is amplified by a sense of betrayal by the leadership who sent them there. This is why I believe we must do whatever it takes to finish the mission in Iran. While boots on the ground is a scenario everyone wishes to avoid, we must be clear-eyed: If that is what it takes to permanently eliminate the threat of a nuclear-armed Tehran, then that is what we must do.
My support for this decisive action is rooted in my legislative record and my work on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. I have consistently voted for a maximum-pressure campaign, including supporting H.R. 1800, the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2025, and H.R. 1422, the Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025. These measures were essential, but sanctions alone have proven insufficient when dealing with a regime that hides its progress towards nuclear enrichment capabilities from the world. Prior to the current operations, reports indicated that Iran possessed over 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, a dangerously short step from weapons-grade levels. Furthermore, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been repeatedly blocked from verifying the status of multiple nuclear facilities. When diplomacy and economic pressure are met with deception, the only remaining path to peace is through strength.
This conflict is not just about the Middle East. Rather, it is a signal to every adversary watching our resolve. We have seen what happens when the United States allows its so-called red lines to be crossed. The expiration of the New START Treaty in early 2026 underscored the reality that bilateral agreements are no longer appropriate in a world where China is on track to produce more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. By acting decisively against Iran, we restore a global level of deterrence that has been dangerously eroded. We are signaling to Moscow and Beijing that the United States will not tolerate the proliferation of catastrophic capabilities.
The nature of the threat is also evolving in ways that require specialized readiness. I have recently focused on the critical importance of preparing our forces for biological and contamination warfare. This is no longer a hypothetical concern. As of March 27, U.S. forces heading to the region are actively drilling on-deck for contamination warfare to mitigate the spillover risks from the conflict. This underscores why the Trump administration’s reorganization of the State Department’s ”T-Family,” including the creation of the Bureau of Emerging Threats, is vital. We must look over the horizon at the unconventional challenges our adversaries are preparing to use.
My perspective as a clinician and an airman also forces me to look at the home front. We cannot have a ready military without a resilient military family. New data has highlighted the growing mental health challenges among military-connected youth. This is why I am leading an effort, with the backing of the National Military Family Association, to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense are fully aligned in their crisis response systems. If our servicemembers are distracted by a fragmented support system for their children at home, their combat readiness suffers. My work on the Hope Heals Act is focused on exactly this: creating a seamless federal safety net that reflects the same commitment to resilience that our troops bring to their mission.
The future of Iran belongs to its people but the security of the American homeland belongs to us. We have a constitutional duty to protect our citizens and our servicemembers from a regime that has chanted “death to America” for nearly half a century. To the servicemembers currently on the decks of ships in the Persian Gulf or preparing for the next mission on an aircraft: Your mission has a purpose. We will not leave you in a cycle of strategic failure. We will finish the mission, we will restore deterrence, and we will ensure that the sacrifices made today lead to a nation that is strong, a homeland that is secure, and a world that respects our resolve. Peace through strength is more than a slogan — it is the only way we ensure the safety of our children and grandchildren.
Rep. Sheri Biggs represents South Carolina’s Third District and serves on the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security. A lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard and recent Air War College graduate, she served as a medical crew director on combat missions during Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. With over 30 years in healthcare, including as a doctor of nursing practice, she is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.
The use of the author’s military rank and title is for identification purposes only and does not imply or constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense or the Air National Guard. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. government.
Image: NAVCENT Public Affairs via Wikimedia Commons
