Marine colonel quits after 24 years citing concern for future of US under Trump

[erronis]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/16/marine-resigns-trump-hegseth

Resignation, coinciding with Hegseth’s partisan speech, was over Trump flouting constitution, Doug Krugman writes

A former US Marine Corps colonel and combat veteran has said that after 24 years of service he “resigned from the military because of Trump”, citing what he described as the US president’s contempt for the constitution.

Doug Krugman left his role in the military on 30 September, coinciding with the day that Donald Trump and the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, delivered controversial, partisan addresses to US military leaders brought to a special meeting in Virginia from across the world, about military priorities and the administration’s agenda.

“I gave up my career out of concern for our country’s future,” Krugman wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post on Thursday. He even warned of “collapse” of the conventional US government system.

He quietly urged other military personnel to reflect on their own positions. “They should be confident in questioning possibly immoral or illegal orders,” he said, “remembering they are responsible for their own actions, and knowing others are asking the same questions.”

“If they have doubts about their orders, they are not alone,” Krugman added.

. . .

[MiHale]

1. Disappointed, should have stayed to fight from the inside...

But not knowing the entire story and personal reasons…I should be quite.

[Raven123]

6. Being in the military is different from civilian employment

He is completely under their thumb. What we could be fired for, he could face discipline under the UCMJ - military justice system.

I don’t blame him. SCOTUS set him up by declaring Trump king.

[markodochartaigh]

9. I've never been in the military.

But I'm under the impression that when you are in the military your freedom of action and freedom of speech are quite constrained. He probably thought that he could better call attention to the danger if he was no longer in the military. A martyr who is effectively silenced is not useful.

[Mysterian]

10. Dude's been in almost 30 years; it's nice to retire.

Everybody who says he should stay in....go on down and sign up!

[BlueTsunami2018]

2. How does that help?

A Nazi will take his place. We need people in the military who will call out the fascism for what it is and defend the country.

[progressoid]

3. Yeah, that was my thought as well.

[JoetheShow]

14. Any sign of defiance against the Orange Ass (thanks B. Midler) is welcome.

If he stayed in, he had no power to resist. Now he is able to write an opinion piece that otherwise would not have been allowed. If the Democrats are smart they can have a congressional hearing about the threat Trump poses to the Constitution. He can be one of several witnesses. Especially if the government is still shut down. Maybe some R's will come out of their hiding places to participate. Maybe we can get him on 60 minutes, if they're still brave enough.

[Hekate]

17. The UCMJ is not the US Constitution, as my husband pointed out to me many times...

…in our early days. When you join, you literally sign away many of your rights. He is a Vietnam Era Air Force veteran who served in the Deep South and in SoCal, not someone who opines on the internet — though the fact that he is at least as liberal as I am is key to our marriage all these years.

People who are currently serving are not at liberty to say or do many of the things we civilians take for granted. As someone else pointed out, someone who martyrs themself and gets incarcerated in federal prison is very, very silenced. It is up to us to speak for them in our civilian lives.

[BlueTsunami2018]

18. That's not what I mean.

What I mean is having someone in place to defy unlawful orders, to rally their troops in the face of those unlawful orders, to remind the troops of their oath to the constitution and not to a dictator issuing unlawful orders.

I’m not saying this guy should be openly campaigning against Piss but standing as a bulwark when the time comes.

[haele]

19. Actually, right now -probably not.

There's a lot of mid level officers from the Obama Era still around waiting on the next step up, especially after Tuberville's holds.
Also, the Pentagon has been looking at consolidation of commands. Which also reduces the number of more senior positions available.
More chance of an existing halfway decent officer who might have otherwise decided there was little chance of advancement to stay in.

[sop]

4. That's exactly what Trump and his fascist mob want: to get rid of all officers who respect the constitution.

He did the same thing when staffing his administration, now he'll do it with the military.

[Hotler]

5. Thank you sir for your gumption. Be well, Be safe. nt

[Wednesdays]

7. The downside is

there's one less non-MAGAt in the military command.

[pfitz59]

8. Hegseth has ordered all members of the military to watch his bullshit speech

I hope some commands refuse.

[Passages]

11. Good for him.

[JoetheShow]

12. I was in the military back in the 70s.

The military is not required to follow "illegal" orders. The problem is that if you refuse the order, you will have to stand trial and basically prove it is illegal. I remember the case of Ehren Watada, the army officer who refused to rotate with his unit to Iraq during GWB's unprovoked attack. He said the war was illegal and he was required to not participate. I personally thought this was an open and shut case and he should be hailed a hero. The military took a different view. He had to stand trial and even though the trial ended in a mistrial, he was eventually discharged under conditions other-than-honorable. To this day, I think he covered himself with more honor than anyone else associated with that aggressive war.

[NoSheep]

13. He can be more vocal outside the military.

[jgmiller]

15. We don't want them all leaving but at the same time you can't expect them all to stay

He can be vocal now and just because he retired doesn't mean he has cut all ties to his friends in the military. If he stayed and he spoke with his peers he would always be looking over his shoulder. We need a mix of people leaving and staying.

[Ilsa]

16. And the Admiral over SOUTHCOM retires at end of 2025. nt