For more than two centuries, the United States has sustained a defining democratic norm: a military that is apolitical, professional, and subordinate to civilian authority. This has been a source of enduring national strength, assuring Americans that the armed forces serve the Constitution rather than any political faction, maintaining bipartisan support in Congress, and demonstrating to allies and adversaries alike that U.S. power reflects national interests.
That longstanding American tradition is under attack.
Since the beginning of 2025, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 4 of 5 Service Chiefs, all service Staff Judge Advocates and several other senior officers have been fired. The Directors of NSA and DIA were fired after providing dissenting intelligence assessments, and numerous general officer selectees have been removed from general officer promotion lists. Further, active military and National Guard forces have been deployed domestically outside traditional emergency contexts, without local consent, into jurisdictions led by other political parties, and with forces from states governed by one political party into states governed by the other party. Such actions threaten public trust in the military, and impact recruiting, military readiness and national security.