Statement on the Escalation in Iran

Swords to Plowshares is an organization rooted in healing the wounds of war. For more than 50 years, we have supported veterans and their families as they navigate the profound and lasting impacts of military service. Many of our staff are veterans, and some continue to serve in the National Guard and Reserves. Today, we amplify our commitment to current and future veterans as we take in this weekend’s news.

On Saturday, February 28th, 2026, it was reported that Israel and the United States begun a military campaign in and around Iran. This escalation of violence reveals the grave human cost of war on civilians, current servicemembers, and future veterans.  

We encourage any veteran currently experiencing grief, anxiety, or distress to reach out to trusted providers, peers, and their community. Veterans can connect with us here for assistance or by visiting our Veteran Centers in San Francisco or Oakland.

Our name, Swords to Plowshares, reflects the guiding principle of transforming tools of war into instruments that sustain life and peace. Informed by our mission, vision, and philosophy, we share these considerations:

Veteran care is not a short-term commitment. It is a lifelong responsibility. The decision to enter or escalate any armed conflict must be understood in the context of generational healthcare, housing, disability, and mental health support that will follow. While VA money for the private sector is increasing at tens of billions of dollars per year, the VA healthcare system has cut staffing and seen their budgets reduced. At a time when veteran-serving systems across the country are facing staffing shortages, funding constraints, and increased demand, escalation abroad erodes the trust of veterans and their families.

The cost of war is grave and prolonging. Swords serves veterans who continue to carry the physical and psychological costs of prior conflicts. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that 6,392 veterans died by suicide in 2021 — an average of more than 17 per day. Their own data also estimates that between 11–20% of post-9/11 veterans experience PTSD each year, depending on theater of service. These numbers are not abstract to us. They represent the individuals and families we serve daily, and we urge the VA to commit to funding long term suicide prevention programs for community-based organizations.

Retraumatization is real. For many veterans of conflicts in the Middle East, as well as Vietnam and Korean War veterans, watching renewed instability in the region is retraumatizing. Research consistently shows that exposure to war-related news can increase symptoms of anxiety, hypervigilance, sleep disturbance, and emotional distress in individuals with prior combat exposure. Swords operates six housing sites for formerly homeless veterans, and we see first-hand how trauma manifests in the day to day lives of residents to include substance use or reliance, hoarding, and isolation.

Lastly, we must acknowledge that modern warfare overwhelmingly harms civilians. Beyond immediate loss of life, warfare disrupts access to education, healthcare, employment, infrastructure, and food systems — destabilizing entire generations. As an organization dedicated to healing war’s wounds, we cannot ignore the predictable civilian trauma that accompanies escalation.

We urge policymakers to weigh the long-term human costs when considering military action and to ensure that care is in place for those who bear the burden of war, both now and for years to come. We push them to consider:

• Sustained and strengthened investment in veteran healthcare, housing, and suicide prevention systems

• Full accounting of the long-term obligations to servicemembers who may be deployed

• Careful consideration of civilian impact in any military action

There are still many uncertainties surrounding this military campaign. As it continues to unfold, we reiterate that we are here as a resource for all veterans, regardless of lived experience, identity, service era, and background, in navigating these current events.

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