Letter: Will American Armed Forces support dictatorship or democracy?
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Editor,
The Nazi, Japanese and Soviet armed forces swore oaths to a leader or a political party. In contrast, the American armed forces swear an oath to defend and preserve the US Constitution and the laws.
Earlier this year, a significant number of US generals and admirals were forced to resign their commands and abruptly retire. They had reportedly questioned the legality of orders from President Trump. These questions concerned the domestic use of troops to suppress peaceful political expression in certain cities, the murderous attacks on unidentified small boats on the high seas, killing over 100 people, and missile strikes on Iran, Syria, Nigeria, Yemen and Venezuela in apparent violations of the Constitution, US War Powers Act and in violation of international laws of war. These attacks have been deliberately portrayed as counter-narco-terrorist attacks to try to misleadingly cloak them in pseudo legality, but they have defied the US War Powers Act and the laws of war.
Recently, US Senator and retired U.S. Navy Captain Mark Kelly and others have correctly reminded American Armed Forces members that they swore an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, and that they are required by their oath to question and reject orders that are illegal or contrary to the Constitution, the War Powers Act, the Uniform Code of Military Justice or laws of war. Remember, American forces have traditionally upheld the laws of war and the Geneva Conventions and enforced these standards in the war crimes trials in 1945-46 at Nuremberg and Tokyo against genocide. The US has usually set an example for the world by enforcing the laws of war. We did not accept the alibi of the war criminals “We were only following orders.”
Now the Secretary of Defense is threatening to demote Senator/Captain Mark Kelly and cut his retired pay, apparently even before he is recalled to active duty for an unwarranted court martial. All members of our Armed Forces including retired members, are therefore now at risk of arbitrary court martial if they criticize or dispute illegal orders. Our Armed Forces seem to be the last bulwark against tyranny and dictatorship. Our Congress and our courts have so far been unable to restrain our nation’s descent into dictatorship and tyranny. The US military must uphold the Constitution and Democracy.
David S Sullivan, Lieutenant Colonel, USMCR ret.
John McNamee, Colonel, USMCR ret
