To The Editor:

I have seen war firsthand. From the cockpit of my Apache helicopter, I led combat missions through the Hindu Kush mountain peaks of Afghanistan, doing everything possible to prevent the Taliban from carrying out atrocities on the ground. War is not an abstract debate to those of us who have served. It is measured in lives lost, families forever changed, and consequences that last for generations.

Let me be clear about one thing: the Iranian regime is brutal, oppressive, and dangerous. For decades it has funded terrorism, destabilized the Middle East, and violently repressed its own people. Ayatollah Khamenei ruled through fear and brutality, imprisoning dissidents, crushing protests, and exporting violence across the region. The world is safer without him.

But the fall of a tyrant does not erase the cost of war.

In recent days, U.S. and Israeli strikes have targeted Iranian military infrastructure and leadership. Iran has retaliated with attacks across the region, striking U.S. positions and widening the conflict. As of writing this, six American service members have already been killed. Tragically, that number will almost certainly rise.

Veterans are often among the most cautious voices when it comes to the use of force. We know what it means. We know the price paid by the young Americans who carry out these decisions.

This past weekend I attended the Rock This Democracy rally and was impressed by the residents who showed up to exercise their First Amendment rights. After posting on social media about the event, I received a wave of vitriol from extreme right-wing trolls celebrating the prospect of another war.

That is not America.

We should be proud of the strength of our armed forces. But we should be proudest when we advance freedom and democracy without sending another generation into war.

Brandon Moore

Newtown