National Security Leaders for America Launches Campaign Defending Military Retirees’ First Amendment Rights
Campaign Featuring Retired Military Voices Coincides with NSL4A Amicus Filing in Kelly v. Hegseth
April 23, 2026
Washington, DC, National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) today announced the launch of a new public campaign defending the First Amendment rights of retired military personnel, featuring retired members of NSL4A speaking directly about the constitutional, civic, and civil-military stakes raised by recent government action against Senator Mark Kelly. The campaign begins as NSL4A has filed an amicus brief in Kelly v. Hegseth, a case with significant implications for the free speech rights of retired service members.
The campaign, called “We Served. We Can Speak.”,will feature short-form videos created by military retirees from varied backgrounds and services, each speaking as private citizens and members of NSL4A about why the government’s attempt to punish a retiree for protected public speech threatens more than one individual. NSL4A says the case has created growing concern among retired military personnel that administrative action could be used to chill lawful public expression by those who no longer serve on active duty but continue to contribute to public life.
“At stake here is not simply one retiree or one case,” said Retired Navy Rear Admiral Michael Smith, Founder and President of NSL4A. “If administrative action can be used to threaten a retired service member’s rank or pension because of protected speech, the effect will be felt far beyond Captain Kelly. It will cause others to hesitate, self-censor, and withdraw from the public square at the very moment the country most needs informed, experienced voices.”
NSL4A’s campaign is designed to highlight the constitutional and civil-military implications of the case, while keeping the focus on enduring principles rather than personalities or party. Across the video series, retired military members will reinforce several core themes: that obeying lawful orders and refusing unlawful orders are foundational military ethics; that silencing experienced retirees harms public debate and national security decision-making; that this is a nonpartisan issue of rights, norms, and democratic accountability; and that punishing principled speech risks undermining public trust, recruiting, retention, and long-term readiness.
The organization’s newly filed amicus brief argues that the government’s position in Kelly v. Hegseth is contrary to long-standing Department of Defense policy, recognizing that retired service members who are not on extended active-duty recall retain substantially greater First Amendment freedom than active-duty personnel. NSL4A further argues that the government’s actions have already had a real chilling effect on retired military voices, including among its own membership.
That concern is not theoretical. In a declaration filed in support of NSL4A’s amicus brief, Rear Admiral Smith describes numerous examples of retired military personnel who have altered remarks, postponed public events, limited media appearances, deleted public commentary, or refrained from speaking openly for fear of retaliation against their retirement status, benefits, or standing.
For NSL4A, that chilling effect strikes at the heart of its mission. The organization relies on the public engagement of retired military and civilian national security leaders to educate the public, provide nonpartisan expertise, and strengthen democratic discourse on matters of national security and constitutional governance. When those voices are deterred from speaking, NSL4A argues, the public loses access to valuable expertise, and the nation’s democratic culture is weakened.
The campaign will roll out in phases across digital platforms and will feature individual videos from retired military members, along with compiled segments timed to key milestones in the case and broader public discussion. Through those voices, NSL4A intends to make clear that protecting the speech rights of retirees is not a partisan cause, but a defense of constitutional liberty, professional military ethics, and the longstanding principle that those who have served the nation do not forfeit their rights as citizens.
