Retired Flags Support Kelly in Amicus Brief

| January 22, 2026 | 24 Comments

Former military leaders sign legal document supporting Sen. Mark Kelly

By Riley Ceder

Over 40 retired generals, admirals and other former senior military officers signed an amicus brief on Tuesday in support of Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., as he faces an investigation from the Pentagon over alleged sedition.

The accoladed list of individuals, which includes two recent secretaries of the Army and Navy, said that the Pentagon’s escalating attacks against Kelly could negatively impact veterans who want to publicly speak out about subjects important to them and the American public.

“To chill the speech of retired military service members would not only infringe on their individual First Amendment rights, but also impoverish public debate on critical issues relating to our military and its role in domestic and foreign affairs,” the amicus brief read.

Kelly and several other Democratic representatives released a video on Nov. 18 pleading with military personnel to refuse illegal orders amid ongoing U.S. military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.

Military Times

Spinning Kelly’s seditious messaging intending to undermine good order and discipline as a First Amendment issue is an entirely predictable and baseless argument. Retired officers retain influence tied to their rank and therefore are still subject to the UCMJ, in this case Articles 133 and 134. Also retirement grade determinations are administrative, not criminal. This letter is analogous to a herd of Arctic musk-ox drawing into a circle with their horns out, protecting their own in response to a threat. Where were these worthies after Joe’s Generals fled Afghanistan with disastrous results, or the arguably treasonous Mark Milley’s collaborating with his Chinese Communist Party military counterparts during Trump-1?
Rhetorical question, of course. They were the silent Perfumed Princes in their DEI world, overseeing the demise of our military in real time. Their amicus brief is as worthless as they were.

Category: Big Pentagon, Blue Falcons, Dick Stepping

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HT3

Any time that bald fuck opens his neck hole…

ai20wp
Anonymous

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Not a Lawyer

You got your dates mixed up. Kelly attempted to purchase the guns the day before they were shot. The whole story is weird and his explanations non-sensical.

He also tried to buy the guns without ID the week prior, which of course the shop refused.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/03/26/175407120/gun-store-owner-says-hes-no-longer-selling-mark-kelly-an-ar-15

Old tanker

Oh that was a stunt he intended to show that it was easy to pass a background check and buy guns. His premise was it is far too easy since he accomplished it in one visit to the shop. He made a facebook post trying to build support for his antigun position. he got massively flamed in the comments. Lets face it, why would anyone think a retired Military Officer and astronaut with top secret clearances NOT pass a background check.

It got so bad he abandoned the page and refused to answer any of his critics.

As far as Gabby is concerned, IMO she just proved that brain damage leads to gun control opinions. Prior to that she was perfectly fine shooting an AR at a target with a kid pictured on it.

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SFC D

Back when Gabby was the representative in my area. She’s a D, but seemed to put party over people. Even the folks that didn’t vote for her still respected her.

MMNC/SS *Retired*

Ah officers, can’t live with them, can’t do anything else because of UCMJ Articles 90 and 128.

Anyone else noticing the ever widening gap between the Officer and Enlisted groups? It was seriously getting to be a bit of an issue and glaringly apparent.

Not a Lawyer

Don’t know what you are talking about. Walz and Kelly are as thick as thieves.

SFC D

They are both wholly-owned subsidiaries of China.

Odie

Are any of the orificers part of the 51 who signed a paper about something or other?

David

There is a cadre of Dem retired officers who have signed letters declaiming Donald Trump, his policies, boosting Biden – they get trotted out ‘regular as clockwork’. I’ve even been wondering where they have been lately; expected “these ICE policies are not what I fought for” weeks ago. However, in this care, NONE of the officers seem to have been on the prior lists of retired officers damn Trump. The current list:
Former Secretary of the Army Louis E. Caldera
Former Secretary of the Navy Sean C. O’Keefe
Admiral C. Steve Abbot, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Admiral Thad W. Allen, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.)
Admiral Dennis C. Blair, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
General George W. Casey, Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.)
General Michael V. Hayden, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Admiral Gregory G. Johnson, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Admiral John. B. Nathman, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Admiral William A. Owens, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Donald C. Arthur, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Michael T. Franken, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Walter E. Gaskin, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Charles P. Otstott, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Rear Admiral (Upper Half) William D. Baumgartner, U.S. Coast Guard (Ret.)
Major General Richard T. Devereaux, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Major General Paul D. Eaton, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Rear Admiral (Upper Half) F. Stephen Glass, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Major General Jonathan S. Gration, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Donald J. Guter, U.S Navy (Ret.)
Major General Richard S. Haddad, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Major General Irving L. Halter, Jr., U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Janice Hamby, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Major General Dennis Laich, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Major General Steven J. Lepper, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Major General Randy E. Manner, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Major General Frederick H. Martin, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)

David

Rear Admiral (Upper Half) David R. Oliver, Jr., U.S Navy (Ret.)
Major General Antonio Taguba, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Major General F. Andrew Turley, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Brigadier General Clara Adams-Ender, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Rear Admiral (Lower Half) James A. Barnett, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Brigadier General Bela J. Chain, Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.),
Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Jay A. DeLoach, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Brigadier General John W. Douglass, U.S. Air Force (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert J. Felderman, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Charles D. Harr, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Brigadier General David R. Irvine, U.S. Army (Ret.)
Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Harold L. Robinson, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Brigadier General John M. Schuster, U.S. Army (Ret.)

I find it extremely interesting that folks like McRaven, MacCrystal, Mattis don’t show up, nor do many of the reliably anti-Trump names I would expect.
Only one I really remember from this list is LGEN Kennedy, whom you may remember for torpedoing the nomination of the Army IG a while back on sexual harassment claims. As an officer when I knew her, I would describe her as a major oxygen waste. And even an IG couldn’t be THAT desperate.

SFC D

Anyone with a half a brain knows exactly what Foreskin Kelly’s intent was. But we’re never gonna prove it. And where is the list of these fine officers? I didn’t see it in the article.

CDR D

I’d bet many of them are the same worthless jackasses who wrote that letter endorsing Biden back in September of 2020.

They concluded that letter with…

“Joe Biden has the character, principles, wisdom, and leadership necessary to address a world on fire. That is why Joe Biden must be the next President of the United States; why we vigorously support his election; and why we urge our fellow citizens to do the same.”

Assess their judgment accordingly.

Not a Lawyer

I have heard rumors that many have been seeking re-employment some time after January 2025. Somehow the 2020 letter fell into the hole of forgotten memories on the internet.

Old tanker

He is just padding his lawsuit. I’m not sure he has any legs to stand on in it but he did file it.

Eric (the former OC Tanker)

Fuck him and them with a diarrhea socked rusty cheese grater.

Your mileage may vary.

thebesig

“Retarded Fags support Kelly in Amicus brief”

There, fixed to reflect how we see those retired flag officers.

Pie-chart-advantages-of-being-a-liberal-Democrat-leftist
Tallywhagger

I agree with those on the amicus… Kelly is an asshole, was an asshole and will die an asshole. Ignore him and move on.

AW1 Rod

Big fucking deal. Military Times is certainly impressed (of course), but I doubt Hegseth is.

Forest Bondurant

I’m waiting for Hegseth to announce the Deparment of War is investigating Governor Tampon, and considering to recall him to active duty and face charges under the UCMJ.

SFC D

Can you do that to a SPC8?

SFC D

Military Times is controlled by Them. Shhh they might be listening.

Stacy0311

Only 40 signed?
I guess they couldn’t get 51