Common Defense

The Oath doesn't expire. Sending @peggyflanagan.bsky.social to the Senate is how we keep it.

While authoritarian "leaders" try to occupy our neighborhoods, Peggy is on the front lines protecting our communities.

Minnesota: Join us in caucusing on Feb 3.

#MNSen

Federal immigration agents are a modern-day ‘slave patrol,’ says former Minneapolis City Council president “When we make the comparison to the Gestapo...when people say, ‘Oh, this is not us’ — no, this is us,” Andrea Jenkins told The Advocate.

Neighbors shouldn't live in fear of federal "occupation."

We are calling for a nationwide suspension of ICE activities. As AF vet Jacob Thomas says, these agencies are out of control and lack accountability.

#CommonDefense #VetsForJustice #Minneapolis #JusticeForAlexPretti

https://bit.ly/3ZbTytR

Protest Safety Guide - Common Defense

Link to the guide: commondefense.us/protest-safe...

Hundreds of thousands are striking for a democracy that works for all of us. As vets, we know standing up for neighbors is part of our oath.

If you’re hitting the streets, do it with the discipline and prep we used in uniform. Never leave a comrade behind.

Full guide below:

In #NJ11, we need a leader who knows no one makes it alone. From union roots to the Dept of Labor, @analiliafornj.bsky.social has spent her career fighting for fair wages & dignity.

We're standing shoulder to shoulder with her for a democracy where everyone belongs.

Trump is pouring gasoline on a fire that our communities are fighting to put out.

Our service was about protection, not occupation. We didn't sign up for a political crackdown on our neighbors.

The mission:
→ End the occupation
→ Protect our neighbors
→ Demand accountability

Tillis says Kristi Noem needs to go as Homeland Security Secretary:

““I think that what she's done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job. And I mean, really, it's just, it's just amateurish.”

NEW: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also co-sponsoring the articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem, a spokesperson tells @axios.com

Important Update: Knives are Out as Kristi Noem Tries to Throw Stephen Miller Under the Bus and Trump Ignites Republican Rift Good evening everyone.

Major update: The knives are out. Kristi Noem tries to throw Stephen Miller under the bus.

Trump throws Bovino under the bus.

Democrats say they will impeach Noem if she is not fired.

Measles outbreak surges. Spread the word. open.substack.com/pub/aaronpar...

Homeland Security boss Noem in hot water after response to Minneapolis killings • Minnesota Reformer Several Republican senators are pushing for an independent investigation into the Saturday killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents and calling for her to testify before Congress.

Homeland Security boss Noem in hot water after response to Minneapolis killings minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/27/r...

Woman shot by CBP in Chicago wants evidence disclosed to public An attorney for a Chicago woman shot and wounded by a CBP agent is asking a judge to allow the disclosure of evidence to "combat the continuing harm to her reputation."

Marimar Martinez is the Chicago woman shot 5 times by a Border Patrol agent after they rammed her car and one of them said, “Do something, b*tch” before shooting her.

She's fighting to get the evidence released that Bondi and Noem are blocking.

Body-cam footage, communications, photos, and more.

​​Military Vets in Labor Are Joining the Fight Against Trump Military veterans are more likely than other Americans to work union jobs. Vets in the labor movement have increasingly joined and led fights against Donald Trump’s attacks on Veterans Affairs and on ...

Vets are 25% more likely to join a union because we look out for our own.

The Jacobin reports we are leading the fight against an admin who prioritizes domestic political maneuvers over our VA & labor rights.

We fought for this country; now we fight for our future.

https://bit.ly/49zgRnw

We will not allow this administration to lie and tell us not to believe what we see with our own eyes.

#EyesNotLies #2A #2ndAmendment

I was one of Alex's nursing faculty at MCTC. This is simply devastating. He was a good student and I knew he'd be a good nurse. Im so sorry for you and his VA family. May his memory be a blessing and an example of what a nurse is.

Alex Pretti from his early days working at the VA

Alex from our time working together, while he was in nursing school. Later, he moved to ICU, working as a nurse to support critically ill Veterans. He had such a great attitude. We’d chat between patients about trying to get in a mountain bike ride together. Will never happen now

Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.

White. Hot. Rage.

Here's why a Fort Bragg dining facility got an 'F' sanitation rating The Providers Warrior Restaurant received an “F” on a Jan. 6 inspection. Corrections by staff have since raised the grade to a "C."

Trump & Hegseth plan domestic political maneuvers in MN, but can’t label food at the dining facility.

The Providers Warrior Restaurant just got an ‘F’ rating, total CHARLIE FOXTROT.

We need a command that ensures a paratrooper can eat a meal without a health violation.

https://bit.ly/3NVmV0Y

Army Corps of Engineers removes district commander over Missouri lake issues Army Col. Patrick Caukin in an unusual announcement that blamed “entrenched bureaucracy” and a failure to follow orders.

Fired for following the law? 🤨

Col. Patrick Caukin, a 23-year combat vet, was relieved of duty after refusing to bow to political pressure.

When politics takes precedence over the mission, it sets a dangerous precedent for the chain of command.

What do you think?

https://bit.ly/3NtJkCu

Text on a textured background with a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocating for nonviolence as the answer to moral and political questions, emphasizing evolution beyond aggression and revenge through love. The quote is credited at the bottom, along with a logo for Common Defense.

Non-violence is not passivity, it’s a tactical choice rooted in discipline.

As veterans, we choose organizing that requires the same moral courage we used in uniform: de-escalating tension and standing our ground for a higher purpose.

Our service continues on the frontlines of justice.

Military Ethics 101: Our oath is to the Constitution, not a person.

The threat to use the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis is a direct assault on civil liberties. We're joining our ED, Jose, to condemn this politicization.

#CommonDefense #Vets Lead #Minneapolis #InsurrectionAct

Two individuals, one wearing scrubs, stand outdoors holding protest signs. One sign reads "STOP Threats To Our Vets" and the other "Re-instate our VA Unions." Both are wearing face masks.

A person holding a sign that reads "STAND FOR VETERANS STAND FOR UNIONS" at a rally, wearing sunglasses and a San Francisco 49ers cap.

A person holds a sign reading "Land of the FREE Speak UP!" with a peace symbol, standing by a roadside.

A protest sign featuring vibrant illustrations of fire, a desk, and a dog, with texts that read "VA UNIONS," "Civil Human Rights," "Veteran History," and "FUNDING TRUMP."

Veterans and VA workers are united against staffing cuts. We demand that Secretary Doug Collins fully fund VA healthcare and stop privatization.

Call your representative and the Secretary now to stop the cuts.

@fedworkersunited.bsky.social @nffe.bsky.social @unite4vets.bsky.social

Bronx nurses, veterans rally against VA staffing cuts as private hospital strike deadline nears Nurses and veterans rallied Thursday outside the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in Kingsbridge.

The VA saved Jose’s life. Now, budget cuts are putting others at risk.

Staffing cuts at the Bronx VA mean future veterans might not receive the same life-saving care our Director, Jose, did. We’re on the front lines with nurses to stop job cuts. Veterans aren't budget items.

https://bit.ly/3LGh9zB

Mark Kelly defiant as ‘most unqualified Secretary of Defense’ Pete Hegseth targets senator’s retirement pay “Pete Hegseth wants to send the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something he or Donald Trump doesn’t like, they will come after them the same way,” the Arizona senator w...

The Hegseth Pentagon is FUBAR.

Stripping a Senator’s rank for defending the Law isn't "accountability", it’s a chilling message to the entire force.

At Common Defense, we know our oath didn't expire when we took off the uniform. We stand with Sen. Kelly against this authoritarian overreach.

BREAKING: I'm reintroducing my bill with @markey.senate.gov to end qualified immunity for federal officers—including ICE agents.

This bill is for Renee Good, Keith Porter, & everyone in America to know that when ICE agents break the law & kill our neighbors, they'll be held accountable.

‘A line crossed’: Lawmakers, lawyers, anti-war advocates alarmed by Venezuela overthrow The lack of Congressional notification stokes fears of another "forever war."

"Surgical" operations without an exit plan = years of instability. We’ve seen this movie before.

Common Defense is on the record in DefenseOne: The Venezuela assault is a line crossed. No more unauthorized wars without oversight.

We are holding leaders accountable. Join us.

https://bit.ly/3Lb85Tk

Can the US ‘run’ Venezuela? Military force doesn’t equal legitimacy Opinion: By declaring its intent to govern Venezuela, the U.S is creating a governance trap of its own making, Monica Duffy Toft argues.

Force is fast. Legitimacy is slow.

But legitimacy is the only currency that buys durable peace. Declaring that the US will "run" Venezuela is a governance trap that ignores the hard lessons of Iraq & Afghanistan. We won't be silent.

#Venezuela #VeteranAdvocacy #ForeignPolicy
https://bit.ly/4st5rsE

Promotional poster featuring Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey with a bold message urging someone to leave Minneapolis, overlaid on a large red letter quote symbol created by Common Defense.

No caption needed

A news article discussing the aftermath of a fatal shooting involving a Department of Homeland Security Federal Detention Officer in Minneapolis. The article includes statements from ICE and mentions community response and issues of safety and unrest.

We’ve watched the video from Minneapolis: the claim that this woman weaponized her vehicle is false. We won’t let federal agents sow chaos and distrust in our streets while claiming to protect us.