33-year-old Marine veteran Rob Jones — a double-amputee and accomplished triathlete ⁠— announced he’s running for Congress as a Republican for Virginia’s 10th District Monday.

July 22 marks the nine-year anniversary of the day Jones was marred during deployment in Afghanistan. Today, his fight has shifted toward combating a “lack of selfless leadership in Congress,” a release from his campaign details.

“My experience in Afghanistan taught me that there are going to be times that someone has to step forward and do the right thing regardless of the danger or the difficulty. This is one of those times,” Jones said in the release. “In Congress, my pledge to you is that I will do what’s right for our community and country, even if it means being unpopular with my party.”

Jones was deployed to Iraq in 2008 and then to Afghanistan in 2010, and tasked with clearing the way for fellow Marines. Jones stepped on an IED in 2010 ⁠— the blast claimed both of his legs.