JOHN, this is Dr. Michael Baker. Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, retired. I’m writing to you on behalf of VoteVets today.

In my time, I had numerous deployments and assignments doing policy and strategic planning across three decades in uniform.

Two days ago, Donald Trump ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford into the Caribbean, alongside eight other warships and a nuclear submarine. Around the same time, Stephen Miller dodged a question about sending American troops to Venezuela. And yesterday, on CBS News, Senator Lindsey Graham spoke of Trump’s plan to brief members of Congress on an expansion of operations, “from the sea to the land.”

It’s clear that Donald Trump wants a war. Colin Powell had something to say about the use of force and bars that must be met. Let’s consider just 4 of his 8 points here:

First, is a vital national security interest threatened? The nation of Venezuela poses no threat to the USA. We use the Coast Guard and law enforcement to stop drug boats rather than million-dollar munitions to perform extrajudicial killings of unknown people. I participated in River and Coastal Patrol, and a board and search is the way to determine who is on the boat and what is on it.

Second, do we have a clear, attainable objective? The administration’s goal is to show the world how tough Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are. The truth, of course, is that both are insecure and out of their depth. Both are trying to consolidate power further. And, perhaps, they hope to distract from the “Epstein Files” and Trump’s destruction of the White House. Like a crime family boss.

Third, have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed? We risk exacerbating an 80-year tradition of making more enemies and further isolating our country. We will spend millions per day to deploy the Ford carrier battle group – while federal employees line up at food banks, kids lose school lunches, and poor families lose basic health care.

And finally, have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted? What about diplomacy? Foreign Aid? Voice of America? And how about USAID designed to help less fortunate people, rather than bombing them? We know those haven’t been exhausted because DOGE cut them all. Still, history shows that generosity and compassion, as we saw with the Marshall Plan's rebuilding of Europe – including assistance to former enemy combatants – turned those nations into staunch allies.

Powell emphasized the importance of a nation exhausting all "political, economic, and diplomatic means", which, only if all were futile, would result in the condition that the nation should resort to military force. We have exhausted none of those means.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Trump and Hegseth didn’t learn a thing after two decades of needless war tore our country apart. Their childlike vindictiveness will ruin our country further, if we let it.

But that story is not written. Not yet. The American people don’t want another war — least of all the veterans who fought the last ones. We have time, still, to join our voices in opposition before it’s too late.

So, I am writing to you with a simple request. Add your voice to thousands of others who have signed on with VoteVets, and tell Donald Trump to stop this war before it starts. No more Forever Wars. No more Gold Star Families.

NO MORE FOREVER WAR

That signature may seem like a small action compared to the power Trump holds. But the only thing that has ever changed our country for the better is millions of people joining together with a common goal.

That’s how this fight begins, but it doesn’t end here.

Please, add your name.

S/F
MB

Michael Baker, MD
Rear Admiral, USN (ret)