DENVER -- Back from a trip to Afghanistan, U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., said Sunday a troop surge is necessary to win the war.

"This war has been in a holding action. Yes, we've been there for eight years, but we haven't really fought this war for eight years. Everything was diverted to Iraq. In that time we've lost a window of opportunity. The Taliban has been able to reform and regroup. So it's a matter of what it's going to take to turn that situation around," Coffman said.

That's why Coffman, and the rest of the nation, will be listening closely on Tuesday, as the president addresses the nation to outline his strategy for the war in Afghanistan. He's expected to announce an increase of at least 30,000 troops.

Coffman, who's on the House Armed Services Committee, said he talked directly with the man in charge of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. He said McChrystal advised him that more troops are necessary for stabilization in the country.

He pointed to Iraq, where a troop surge strategy made an immediate impact in reducing violence there.

"I think we invite aggression through showing weakness. I think it's important the U.S. shows strength at this point," said Coffman.

However, as violence increases in Afghanistan, and more American lives are lost, others question the decision to put more men and women in harms way.

Then, there are the costs. Officials estimate each soldier will cost $1 million per year, bringing the total yearly cost of the war to as much as $100 billion.

"I've got a real problem about expanding this war, where the rest of the world is sitting around and saying, 'Isn't it a nice thing that the taxpayers of the United States and the U.S. military are doing the work that the rest of the world should be doing?'" said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Coffman said he agrees that the international community needs to share the burden. He also said the Afghan government needs to take more responsibility.

However, he said America cannot back out now.

"I think either you're in or you're out. Either we're in to win or we're not in to win," said Coffman. "We need to make sure that Afghanistan is never again a base for terrorist attacks against the United States. And I think we have to understand, also, what happens in Afghanistan influences Pakistan. Pakistan is another fragile country with nuclear weapons, and those falling into the wrong hands ought to be a concern to us."

7NEWS asked about a timeframe for troops in Afghanistan. Coffman said it could be 2013 before a U.S. drawdown of troops can happen, according to McChrystal. That's if the new strategy and the troop surge work.

Currently, there are more than 68,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan as part of a U.S. led coalition.