Annie Comes Home: Not what our service members signed up for

Pamela: As Trump threatens "war" on Chicago, Baltimore, and other cities amidst armed troop deployments to Los Angeles and DC, people everywhere are made less safe.

Service members didn't sign up to be pawns in Trump's authoritarian power grab, conduct draconian checkpoints across U.S. cities, or be cogs in a deportation machine. Instead, people who signed up to serve their communities risk being forced into situations that they aren't trained for, that violate their conscience, or may be illegal.

Today, billboards are going up near military bases (see examples below!) that connect troops with organizations that can help them understand and exercise their rights in the face of unethical or illegal orders. As Trump threatens war on our communities, we need to be ready to send a sustained message of justice and peace across the country. Getting more billboards up — and keeping them up — requires resources, and that's where you come in.

With your help, we'll remind service members they have options beyond being an armed pawn in Trump's takeovers — and the more we raise, the more people we can reach. Will you chip in $12, or anything now, to help us get service members resources and information about their rights?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

This isn't the first time Trump has used the military to enforce his agenda in our cities, Pamela. He recently deployed 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell protests against his immigration enforcement policies.

Courts have ruled that Trump's LA deployment was illegal. It also cost taxpayers nearly $120 MILLION.[1] That's not all: Reporting revealed "low morale" and "deep concern" amongst National Guard personnel. More than 100 members sought counseling from behavioral health officers, and at least two mid-level commanders were reassigned after objecting to the mission.[2]

As the Trump administration puts our troops at heightened legal, moral, and even physical risk, it's more important than ever that they understand their rights and options. Pamela, we can be there for them with the resources and answers they need, with a message like this:

As Trump militarizes our communities, we're racing to respond with a message grounded in our shared values — and our shared responsibility — to uphold the Constitution. Will you help us ensure service members know their rights and have the support they need with a $12 donation today?

Right now, Trump is sending dozens of reminders that his dangerous brand of authoritarianism has a violent streak. It looks like ordering an unauthorized, unlawful military strike in the Caribbean, mobilizing Marines and the National Guard to intimidate dissenters and target folks trying to keep their families together, roughing up and arresting U.S. Senators for asking questions, and deporting millions of people without due process.

But together, we're responding with sustained and undeniable messages of peace and justice. Because despite his 24/7 effort to tear it down, Trump STILL hasn't changed the fact that we live in a democracy.

From plastering DC with posters calling out the hypocrisy and danger of Trump's birthday military parade to uplifting veterans bravely speaking out to supporting a massive grassroots movement of millions of people ready to say "Hands Off", "No Kings", and demand #WorkersOverBillionaires, we have countered Trump's authoritarian moves at every step — and we're not going anywhere.

Thank you for working for peace,
The Win Without War team

1. The Guardian, "Trump's LA national guard deployment cost taxpayers $120m, Newsom says"
2. The New York Times, "Trump's National Guard Troops Are Questioning Their Mission in L.A." (gift link)

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Not what our service members signed up for

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