OPEN LETTER FROM MILITARY LEADERS

The 2016 election affords the American people an urgently needed opportunity to make a long-overdue course correction in our national security posture and policy. As retired senior leaders of America’s military, we believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world. For this reason, we support Donald Trump’s candidacy to be our next Commander-in-Chief.

For the past eight years, America’s armed forces have been subjected to a series of ill-considered and debilitating budget cuts, policy choices and combat operations that have left the superb men and women in uniform less capable of performing their vital missions in the future than we require them to be.

Simultaneously, enemies of this country have been emboldened, sensing weakness and irresolution in Washington and opportunities for aggression at our expense and that of other freedom-loving nations.

In our professional judgment, the combined effect is potentially extremely perilous. That is especially the case if our government persists in the practices that have brought us to this present pass.

For this reason, we support Donald Trump and his commitment to rebuild our military, to secure our borders, to defeat our Islamic supremacist adversaries and restore law and order domestically. We urge our fellow Americans to do the same.

1. General Burwell B. Bell III, US Army, Retired

2. General Alfred G. Hansen, US Air Force, Retired

3. Admiral Jerry Johnson, US Navy, Retired

4. General Crosbie “Butch” Saint, US Army, Retired

5. Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, US Army, Retired

6. Lieutenant General Marvin Covault, US Army, retired

7. Lieutenant General Gordon E, Fornell, US Air Force, Retired

8. Lieutenant General Harley Hughes, US Air Force, Retired

9. Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, US Air Force, Retired

10. Lieutenant General Timothy A. Kinnan, US Air Force, Retired

11. Lieutenant General Hugh G. Smith, US Army, Retired

12. Lieutenant General David J. Teal, US Air Force, Retired

13. Lieutenant General William E. Thurman, US Air Force, Retired

14. Vice Admiral Mike Bucchi, US Navy, Retired

15. Vice Admiral Edward Clexton, Jr. US Navy, Retired

16. Vice Admiral Dutch Schoultz, US Navy, Retired

17. Vice Admiral Donald Thompson, US Coast Guard, Retired

18. Vice Admiral Jerry Unruh, US Navy, Retired

19. Major General Joe Arbuckle, US Army, Retired

20. Major General John Bianchi, CSMR, Retired

21. Major General Henry D. Canterbury, US Air Force, Retired

22. Major General Jeffrey Cliver, US Air Force, Retired

23. Major General Tommy F. Crawford, US Air Force, Retired

24. Major General Felix Dupre, US Air Force, Retired

25. Major General Neil Eddins, US Air Force, Retired

26. Major General David W. Eidsaune, US Air Force, Retired

27. Major General William A. Gorton, US Air Force, Retired

28. Major General Kenneth Hagemann, US Air Force, Retired

29. Major General Gary L. Harrell, US Army, Retired

30. Major General Geoffrey Higginbothan, US Marine Corps, Retired

31. Major General John D. Logeman, Jr., US Air Force, Retired

32. Major General Homer S. Long, US Army, Retired

33. Major General Billy McCoy, US Air Force, Retired

34. Major General Robert Messerli, US Air Force, Retired

35. Major General John Miller, US Air Force, Retired

36. Major General Ray O’Mara, US Air Force, Retired

37. Major General George W.“Nordie” Norwood, US Air Force, Retired

38. Major General Robert W. Paret, US Air Force MC, Retired

39. Major General James W. Parker, US Army, Retired

40. Major General Richard Perraut, US Air Force, Retired

41. Major General Sidney Shachnow, US Army, Retired

42. Major General Mark Solo, US Air Force, Retired

43. Major General John Welde, US Air Force, Retired

44. Major General Kenneth W. Weir, US Marine Corps, Retired

45. Rear Admiral Phillip Anselmo, US Navy, Retired

46. Rear Admiral Thomas F. Brown III, US Navy, Retired

47. Rear Admiral Robert C. Crates, SC, US Navy, Retired

48. Rear Admiral Mimi Drew, US Navy, Retired

49. Rear Admiral Ernest Elliot, SC, US Navy, Retired

50. Rear Admiral James H. Flatley III, US Navy, Retired

51. Rear Admiral Byron Fuller, US Navy, Retired

52. Rear Admiral Dale Hagen, US Navy, Retired

53. Rear Admiral Charles F. Horne III US Navy, Retired

54. Rear Admiral Grady L. Jackson, US Navy, Retired

55. Rear Admiral J. Adrian Jackson, US Navy, Retired

56. Rear Admiral Frederick C. Johnson, US Navy, Retired

57. Rear Admiral Jack Kavanaugh, SC, US Navy, Retired

58. Rear Admiral Charles R.Kubic, US Navy, Retired

59. Rear Admiral Rich Landolt, US Navy, Retired

60. Rear Admiral William J. McDaniel, MD, US Navy, Retired

61. Rear Admiral E.S. McGinley II, US Navy, Retired

62. Rear Admiral Douglas M. Moore Jr. SC US Navy. Retired

63. Rear Admiral John A. Moriarty, US Navy, Retired

64. Rear Admiral David R. Morris, US Navy, Retired

65. Rear Admiral Ed Nelson, US Coast Guard, Retired

66. Rear Admiral Philip R. Olsen, US Navy, Retired

67. Rear Admiral Robert S. Owens, US Navy, Retired

68. Rear Admiral W.W. Pickavance, Jr., US Navy, Retired

69. Rear Admiral Leonard F. Picotte, US Navy, Retired

70. Rear Admiral Brian C. Prindle, US Navy, Retired

71. Rear Admiral William J. Ryan, US Navy, Retired

72. Rear Admiral William L. Schachte, Jr., US Navy JAGC, Retired

73. Rear Admiral William R. Schmidt, US Navy, Retired

74. Rear Admiral Hugh P. Scott, US Navy, MC, Retired

75. Rear Admiral Gregory Slavonic, US Navy, Retired

76. Rear Admiral Charles Williams, US Navy, Retired

77. Rear Admiral H. Denny Wisely, US Navy, Retired

78. Brigadier General Remo Butler, US Army, Retired

79. Brigadier General George P. Cole, Jr. US Air Force, Retired

80. Brigadier General Philip M. Drew, US Air Force, Retired

81. Brigadier General Jerome V. Foust, US Army, Retired

82. Brigadier General Thomas W. Honeywill, US Air Force, Retired

83. Brigadier General Charles Jones, US Air Force, Retired

84. Brigadier General Mike D. Jones, US Army, Retired

85. Brigadier General Thomas J. Lennon, US Air Force, Retired

86. Brigadier General Mark D. Scraba, US Army, Retired

87. Brigadier General Hugh B. Tant III, US Army, Retired

88. Brigadier General Robert F. Titus, US Air Force, Retired