1. United States
2. Tenn.
3. Letter

I am a retired Army Master Sergeant. I served 21 years and took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States — not a president, not a party, and not an individual. What is happening right now puts active-duty service members in an impossible position. Ordering U.S. forces into hostilities without clear Congressional authorization is unconstitutional. It violates the separation of powers, the War Powers Resolution, and the very oath every service member takes. You and I both know that enlisted troops do not get to “opt out” of unlawful or unconstitutional orders without serious personal risk. That burden falls on civilian leadership — especially Congress — to act. Congress does not get to stay silent after the fact. If the use of force is justified, Congress must debate it and authorize it. If it is not, Congress has an obligation to stop it. Anything else is a failure of your constitutional duty and a betrayal of the men and women you routinely claim to support. Tennessee’s service members and veterans expect our Senators to defend the Constitution — even when it is politically inconvenient. Especially then. I am asking you directly: Will you publicly assert Congress’s war powers authority and demand accountability, or will you allow the executive branch to continue placing service members in unconstitutional and unlawful positions?