When President Donald Trump announced the preliminary peace deal with Iran on June 14, noting, “Let the oil flow,” I breathed a sigh of relief. I don’t know how the deal will play out on a global scale, but as a Marine who fought in the first Gulf War whose son is an active-duty Marine, I was grateful he wouldn’t have to risk his life in another conflict predicated on fighting over scarce energy resources.
Throughout history, wars have been fought over resources, and our modern wars in the Middle East are not at all different.
Recommended Stories
But letting oil flow does not just apply to conflicts in far-off places. Here at home, increasing offshore oil exploration is another way to keep our military members out of deadly conflicts.
I remember fighting in the blazing hot desert, burning oil wells spewing toxic black clouds into my lungs. I know dependence on foreign oil means hostile nations can choke our economy and threaten our way of life anytime they want.
American consumers know this, too. After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, that geopolitical truth hit home for the entire world as the cost of crude peaked at $120 a barrel during the conflict, up from an average of $69 in 2025.
There is one solution to securing our domestic oil supply chain, and it’s off the coast of the Sunshine State, where my wife and I now live in retirement.
In the Gulf of America, there is enough oil to supply our nation for years, perhaps even decades. Official estimates suggest there are 68.8 billion barrels of oil and 229 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in undiscovered resources in the Gulf, waiting to be extracted.
The Gulf already yields almost 2 million barrels of oil per day, accounting for about 14% of total U.S. output. Doubling or tripling that in record time could mean that no Marine must fight to secure our energy supply.
In addition to enhancing military and national security, growing our domestic energy supply will help keep consumer prices down in our state and across the country. It will also bring much-needed money into the state. Oil produced in the Gulf of America generates between $3 billion and $4 billion in federal revenue each year — and that will grow if we expand access.
Some Floridians have concerns about offshore drilling. But modern offshore drilling operates far from shore and under far stricter safety standards than a generation ago. There’s a way for us to protect the environment, our energy supply, and — most importantly — military lives.
As a father, I look at this issue differently from most politicians and activists. When they talk about energy policy, they talk about regulations, markets, and emissions targets. I think about my son and his friends boarding military aircraft bound for dangerous faraway places. I imagine parents getting the dreaded phone call informing them that their son or daughter has paid the ultimate price.
TRUMP SHOULD RECOGNIZE SOMALILAND. OUR SECURITY DEPENDS ON IT
No single policy can guarantee peace. Expanding offshore drilling will not eliminate every conflict or every threat facing our nation. But a stronger domestic energy supply gives us a strong chance of making America more resilient, more prosperous, and less dependent on volatile regions of the world. Every barrel produced at home is one less barrel we have to worry about securing abroad, whether through treasure or blood.
That’s why we need to drill in the Gulf of America. I know what a resource war looks like and will do everything in my power to make sure my son and the other brave military members of his generation never have to find out for themselves.
Angel Ruiz, a retired Marine, served in the first Gulf War. He lives in Florida. His son is also a Marine.
