On Veterans Day, discussions surrounding the politicization of the military intensified, following heightened military activity involving National Guard troops and accusations leveled at the Trump administration regarding its defense strategies. At the annual Marine Corps birthday celebration in Boston, veterans voiced concerns over the potential influence of politics on military operations.
Patrick McMahon, a 64-year-old combat engineer who served until 1984, expressed the strong sentiment that politics should never mix with military action. “Politics has no business in war fighting. So whether you love or hate Trump, whether you love or hate Secretary Hegseth, whether you love or hate Biden or whatever, politics should never interfere,” he stated.
Similarly, Stephen Ferris, a 75-year-old veteran with a distinguished service history ranging from Okinawa to the Vietnam War, echoed this belief. “I don’t think politics and the military should ever mix,” he noted.
While neither veteran directly addressed Trump’s military decisions, Carolyne Richardson, a former Army Nurse Corps member who served for 28 years, made a clear assertion regarding troop deployments within the United States. She emphasized that deployments should be initiated at the requests of local and state officials rather than being ordered at the president’s discretion. “That’s not democracy,” Richardson remarked. She further shared her concern regarding the impact this practice has on troop morale, claiming that some active-duty soldiers have chosen to leave service as a result.
Interestingly, the U.S. Army reported that it met its recruiting targets months ahead of schedule this year. Despite attributing this success to Trump and Secretary Hegseth, military analysts suggest that the initiative known as the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, implemented three years ago, played a critical role. This program aims to support recruits who may struggle with weight or testing requirements.
President Trump has previously deployed National Guard troops to cities such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and sought to send troops to areas like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago. Recently, National Guard units began patrolling in Memphis, Tennessee, a move that was agreed upon by Governor Mike Lee.
However, legal setbacks occurred when a federal judge in Oregon blocked the deployment of National Guard troops in Portland and issued an indefinite injunction against their use in Chicago. The Trump administration is currently appealing the decision to the Supreme Court regarding the situation in Chicago.
Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, a 24-year Navy veteran who participated in the Veterans Day parade, shared his thoughts on the use of National Guard troops in law enforcement roles. “The military is trained for overseas deployments and not for policing streets in American cities,” Flynn stated. He acknowledged his respect for the Massachusetts National Guard but expressed concern that using them for domestic duties could turn public sentiment against them.
At a ceremony held in City Hall, Craig DeOld, senior vice commander of the state Veterans of Foreign Wars and a 19-year veteran, provided a nuanced perspective on the deployment of the National Guard. “It’s a touchy situation,” noted DeOld, who emphasized the need for the Guard to be utilized appropriately and without political influence.
Reflecting on the historical intersections between military and politics, DeOld remarked, “There’s good and bad parts… What the bad part is, is open to interpretation by every one of us.” He underscored that service members swear allegiance to the Constitution rather than any politician.
U.S. Representative Seth Moulton, a former Marine officer with four deployments to Iraq, unequivocally critiqued what he sees as a blatant politicization of the military by the Trump administration. He accused Secretary Hegseth of promoting political agendas within the military framework. “Secretary Hegseth wrote a book on politicizing the military, and Donald Trump treats our troops like pawns on a playing board,” Moulton stated. This comment was linked to Trump’s alleged medical deferment during the Vietnam War, which Moulton also criticized.
Moulton stressed the gravitas of service members’ duties regarding following orders, stating that military personnel take the potential to disobey unlawful commands seriously. “We need good, smart, honorable Americans to serve now more than ever because you might well have to disobey an unlawful order from this commander-in-chief,” he warned.
Jeff Parente, an organizer with the group About Face: Veterans Against the War, shared similar sentiments. A disabled veteran who served in Iraq, Parente mentioned the ambiguity often surrounding current military orders. “The problem is that these deployments, these orders, are not that clear-cut,” he observed.
About Face, which comprises post-9/11 service members, plans to gather for a Veterans Day rally at the World War II Memorial in the Back Bay Fens on Tuesday at 3 p.m.
