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.

NSL4A has filed an amicus brief in Kelly v. Hegseth, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to uphold the First Amendment rights of retired military personnel and reject the government’s effort to subject retirees’ public speech to the same restrictions applied to active-duty service members.

NSL4A warns that reported intervention in a vetted Army promotion list reflects political interference, undermines merit-based military advancement, threatens trust and morale within the ranks, and calls for transparency and accountability to protect the integrity of the promotion system.

NSL4A affirms that U.S. national security depends on merit-based leadership that fully leverages the proven contributions of women and minorities, reflects the full breadth of qualified American talent, strengthens public confidence in our institutions, and rejects exclusionary policies that weaken readiness.