"Fellow veterans to break that silence."

Editor's note: As thousands of US Marines and US Army soldiers descend on Iran for what strategic purpose is anyone's guess, maybe it is time for military veterans to seriously start questioning those strategic motives. It should be clear that America is under assault to destroy the country. Military members, both active duty and retired, need to start speaking out more about what is happening in the country, as their experience and understanding of national security and institutional integrity are critical at a time like this.
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Veterans Have Earned The Right To Ask. It's Time We Did.

An open letter supporting Joe Kent.

By Dan McKnight | March 21, 2026

As soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines we are drilled to accept and implement our orders without hesitation or debate. It is the fundamental tenet of military life, and an integral part of a functioning and successful chain of command.

It is our role to accomplish the mission, not to question it.

But that culture of obedience follows us after we take off the uniform too. Compliance while fighting undeclared wars in faraway places extends into silence after we return home, and after we've buried our friends.

In a generation past, there was a Marine who did not choose a silent retirement. The recipient of two Medals of Honor, he had achieved the highest rank while fighting in over half a dozen countries from one end of the world to the other.

Smedley Butler dissented from the foreign policy he had participated in because, he reportedly said, “We Americans who will protect our flag should have a voice in where it is flown." And despite his unimpeachable record of heroism and patriotism, he was disparaged and mocked by his government and the corporate press.

Today, the same treatment is being meted out to another soldier.

Joe Kent served 20 years as a Green Beret, with 11 combat deployments during the Global War on Terror. He is a Gold Star husband whose late wife, Shannon, was killed in action in Syria in 2019. This week, he resigned his post as director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center in principled opposition to the U.S. war with Iran.

For that decision he is being labeled a traitor to his country, his sacrifices in blood scorned, and his record of service spit upon by the most prominent figures in our politics and media.

These consequences are why there exists a culture of silence among America's veterans, who when polled privately oppose the endless wars of the past 25 years at higher rates than the civilian population.

As chairman of Bring Our Troops Home, I'm asking my fellow veterans to break that silence. Ask the questions out loud that you've been asking privately to yourself and your brothers-in-arms. You've earned that right more than anyone through blood, sweat, and tears.

I've been asking these questions for years. Why does the justification for these wars keep changing? Why does the mission keep expanding? Why do the costs always fall on us? Why does there never seem to be accountability in Washington?

I'm a retired sergeant who does not have all the answers, but, as an American, I'm now demanding them from my representatives.

You and I don't have theories about the cost of war. We have firsthand testimony. We were the instruments of the policy. That gives us a certain standing that no think tank analyst, no cable news pundit, and no pencil-pushing bureaucrat can claim.

The architects of these wars have always counted on America's veterans being too loyal, too proud, or too exhausted to speak out. They point to our silence and disconnection after removing the uniform as living proof that we had no objections to their decisions. Many of us felt compelled to stay quiet because dissent felt like dishonoring the sacrifice of the dead.

Please go to The American Conservative to continue reading.

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Editor's note: In this podcast discussion, Joe Kent joins a panel of current and former military figures, including Colonels and a General, to talk about what they view as escalating political, national security, and institutional concerns in the US. The conversation centers on distrust in government leadership, perceived corruption within federal agencies, and the belief that the country is facing internal instability rather than conventional external threats. The participants emphasize issues such as election integrity, misuse of intelligence and law enforcement institutions, and what they describe as a broader struggle over the future direction of the nation. Throughout the discussion, they frame the situation as urgent and requiring greater awareness and engagement from both citizens and those with military or national security experience:

More:

Kent Tells Tucker: 'Imminent Threat' Was From Israel, Not Iran; Ordered To Halt Charlie Kirk Investigation