Stop The Military From Playing War Games On Our Streets And In Our Neighborhoods

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Sponsor: The Veterans Site

Turning American neighborhoods into military training grounds threatens freedom, erodes trust, and endangers families — call for compassion, uphold the law, and protect liberty before our cities become battlegrounds.

Armored military vehicles drive down a city street in formation, their headlights on as smoke rises in the background.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump recently suggested that U.S. cities could serve as “training grounds” for military forces1. This rhetoric would blur the critical line between a professional military and civilian life — a line that has protected American democracy for generations.

For nearly 150 years, the Posse Comitatus Act has stood as a safeguard against the use of federal troops in domestic law enforcement2. Weakening this boundary risks militarizing daily life, treating American communities as potential battlegrounds instead of homes, workplaces, and schools.

A Dangerous Threat to Liberty

Describing U.S. neighborhoods as “dangerous cities” to be controlled through military presence undermines both liberty and public trust. Families, veterans, and everyday citizens live in these communities. Casting them as training sites for war erases their humanity and places them under the shadow of force3.

The U.S. military is meant to defend against foreign adversaries. Bringing its power into our streets risks creating an adversarial relationship between troops and the very people they are sworn to protect. The suggestion of an “invasion from within” dehumanizes Americans and turns them into targets rather than neighbors3.

Veterans Speak Out

Many veterans have raised alarm, noting that loyalty must remain with the Constitution, not with political figures or partisan agendas3. Veterans understand better than most the heavy costs of conflict. They know firsthand that military operations are not training exercises to be carried out in the middle of American cities. They also recognize that such rhetoric risks damaging morale, straining communities, and eroding trust in the military.

Defend Freedom at Home

The proposal to use cities as training grounds is more than a policy suggestion. It is a threat to the freedom, dignity, and safety of all Americans. If we accept this, we accept a future where force overshadows liberty, and where trust in the armed forces collapses under the weight of politicization. This cannot be the path forward.

We must hold leaders accountable to the rule of law and to the principles of compassion, restraint, and respect for civilians. Sign the petition now to call for a reversal of this dangerous idea and to reaffirm that America’s cities are for people, not war games.

More on this issue:

  1. Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, Reuters (30 September 2025), "Hegseth slams 'fat generals,' Trump touts cities as troop ‘training grounds’."
  2. George Chidi, The Guardian (30 September 2025), "Trump defends troops in US cities after Hegseth decries military DEI efforts."
  3. Ben Finley, Konstantin Toropin and Evan Vucci, Military.com (30 September 2025), "Trump Calls for Using US Cities as 'Training Ground' for Armed Forces in Unusual Speech to Generals."

The Petition

To the Secretary of Defense,

We, the undersigned, urge you to immediately reverse any consideration of using United States cities as “training grounds” for the military. Such a proposal not only disregards longstanding American law but also undermines the very freedoms our service members swear to defend.

For nearly 150 years, the Posse Comitatus Act has drawn a clear boundary between military power and civilian life. It reflects the hard-earned lesson that liberty is endangered when armed forces are used as domestic law enforcement. Our nation’s history reminds us that standing armies must not become instruments of political or cultural agendas at home. To blur this line now would be to erode the very foundation of civilian trust in the armed services.

Using American neighborhoods as testing grounds for military training risks more than legal violations. It threatens the humanity and compassion owed to our fellow citizens. Families live in these cities. Veterans raise their children there. Communities already grappling with social strain should not be cast as “enemies” or treated as staging areas for demonstrations of force. The rhetoric of an “invasion from within” dehumanizes Americans and encourages the use of military power against people who deserve protection, not intimidation.

Our service members train with purpose: to be prepared for conflict abroad, not to turn their discipline and strength on the very population they have sworn to defend. Suggesting otherwise damages morale, corrodes public trust, and introduces the dangerous idea that loyalty to political leaders outweighs loyalty to the Constitution. Veterans who know firsthand the cost of war recognize the peril of importing its tactics into our streets.

We call on you to honor the spirit and letter of the Posse Comitatus Act. Reaffirm the boundary that protects Americans from seeing their neighborhoods treated as battlefields. Reassure the public that their military exists to defend against foreign adversaries, not to occupy their own communities. Uphold the principles of compassion, restraint, and respect for human dignity that elevate the U.S. military above authoritarian models abroad.

By rejecting this dangerous rhetoric and recommitting to the laws that safeguard liberty, you will protect not just the honor of our armed forces but the freedoms of every American. These actions will ensure a stronger, safer, and freer future for all.

Sincerely,