I fought in Vietnam and Desert Storm. Winning in Iran requires boots on the ground

Published September 28, 2026 9:00am ET



The war with Iran is teaching America an old lesson we should already know — air power can destroy, but it cannot occupy, control, or impose a lasting political settlement.

I learned that lesson during two combat tours in Vietnam and again during the 1990–91 Gulf War. Technology has changed dramatically since then; however, the fundamentals of warfare have not.

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