WASHINGTON, June 7 – More than three months have passed since President Donald Trump initiated military action against Iran, and American armed forces are now adapting to an extended period of conflict that exists somewhere between full warfare and complete peace.
Throughout naval vessels and military installations across the Middle East, American service members – including those healing from combat wounds – continue operations while engaging in periodic firefights with Iranian forces as the Navy maintains its blockade of Iranian ports. Meanwhile, the Pentagon works urgently to increase production of ammunition supplies that have been depleted, while military families at home struggle with the emotional burden of prolonged overseas assignments.
Iran has continued launching retaliatory strikes against regional U.S. allies, including Bahrain and Kuwait, with Iran conducting a ballistic missile strike against Kuwait on Friday.
Although Trump announced a ceasefire agreement with Iran in April, the military situation has evolved into a deadlock, with Iran maintaining its closure of the Strait of Hormuz to most maritime traffic while Trump warns of resuming large-scale bombing campaigns against Iran should peace talks collapse.
This ongoing threat necessitates that American forces maintain heightened combat readiness.
Such preparedness involves everything from ensuring military bases are equipped with missiles and defensive interceptors to continuously analyzing intelligence gathered from unmanned aircraft and satellite surveillance to keep target lists within Iran current in case intensive combat operations restart.
“To maintain this constant state of ‘Level 10’ alert vigilance, to be ready to go at the drop of a hat, is a very stressful and difficult operational mission,” said one U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Joseph Votel, the former commander of the U.S. military’s Central Command, described the current conflict phase as “a very, very dangerous period for us.” He said keeping troops ready during the ceasefire is no small challenge.
“It puts on a lot of pressure on leaders to make sure that people are still at their edge,” Votel said.
Asked for comment, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the U.S. military stands ready to support deployed troops “in every way imaginable.”
“The Department of War is proud of our incredible troops. Their courage, readiness, grit, and unmatched professionalism are why they are the greatest fighting force in human history,” Parnell said.
IMPACT ON SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
American troops who are recovering from combat injuries face significant challenges as the military adapts to this prolonged state of wartime operations.
U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant First Class Cory Hicks, 37, is among those wounded who are healing from an Iranian drone strike early in the conflict that caused him to lose his pulse for several minutes.
Hit by shrapnel that cut through an artery and broke his jaw, Hicks is also dealing with the effects of a traumatic brain injury from the explosion that may affect him permanently.
“It sounded like a small prop plane coming in quick,” Hicks told Reuters. “And then it just smashed into the building and blew up. And I remember a big bright ball of flames and lots of pressure and heat, and I was out.”
Hicks is not alone in adjusting to these new circumstances. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, where he receives treatment, is managing a fresh wave of combat medical cases years following the conclusion of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, Hicks said.
Approximately 400 American troops have sustained injuries during this conflict, with many suffering traumatic brain injuries similar to Hicks. More than 90% have returned to active service, according to military officials. Thirteen service members have lost their lives in the conflict.
Military families also face emotional strain amid uncertainty about events occurring during the ceasefire period.
Iranian state media regularly broadcasts assertions about strikes against American naval vessels and aircraft. On Friday, Iran claimed it fired warning shots at U.S. warships in the Gulf of Oman, an incident the U.S. military denies occurred.
“It’s just really scary not to know details of what exactly is going on,” said Yadira Dessaint, mother of a sergeant in the Army Reserve from California’s San Fernando Valley.
Dessaint asked not to identify her son for fear of retaliation by the U.S. military. She has protested for an end to the war, which has damaged Trump’s popularity.
Just one in four respondents in a May Reuters/Ipsos poll said the U.S. military action in Iran has been worth it.
Dessaint said her son has witnessed multiple attacks on his position by Iranian drones, their debris falling around him after being intercepted by air defenses.
“I tend to send a text every day: ‘Good morning, son. I love you,’” Dessaint said. “Every so often, I get ‘I love you mom’ or ‘I miss you’ or something.”
CONTINUING DANGERS
While the United States and Iran work toward a potential agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil shipments passed before the conflict began, it appears increasingly probable that any deal would extend the current ceasefire while postponing resolution of the most complex issues, including Tehran’s nuclear program.
This suggests the current tense situation and demands on American military forces will persist.
Evidence of pressure on military operations can be seen in the massive consumption of ammunition during the war. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it could require years to completely restore American stockpiles of missiles and interceptors.
Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., said it is not just inventories that are eroding.
“Wars are expensive. They grind on the equipment and the people, as well as the missiles that are shot,” Karako said.
Back in Maryland, Hicks maintains contact with fellow American soldiers in the Middle East, some frustrated by deployments that are being extended as the conflict continues.
“They’re doing a lot better now than they were. The threat is not as bad,” he said, referring to the reduced scale of fighting.
But Hicks carries the memory of six fellow soldiers who died in the Kuwait attack that injured him, including Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor, 39.
“I was talking to Sergeant Amor when the drone hit. She was maybe 10 feet away from me,” he said. “It’s something that I’m going to have to deal with the rest of my life.”
