The Sentinel Woman

Out of compassion for those serving and those affected by war, I feel I should share my perspective.

It makes me sad to see the harm military operations can cause, because our service members will no doubt carry moral injury from being involved in morally complex situations. That’s why we should trust our military and its members.

As many of us who’ve served know, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is a very unique system of justice that focuses on accountability, discipline, rehabilitation, and retraining, ensuring service members are held to high standards while recognizing human flaws.

Civilians have sadly been lost in every administration, not just this one:

• Obama (2009–2017): Drone strikes and air operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia caused civilian casualties, including children, sometimes unintentionally hitting schools.
• Trump (2017–2021): Expanded drone and airstrike campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia also caused civilian deaths.
• Biden (2021–2025): Air and drone strikes in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Somalia caused civilian casualties, including the August 2021 Kabul strike that killed 10 civilians, 7 of them children.
• Trump (2025–present): Air and naval operations in Yemen, the Red Sea, and conflicts involving Iran have caused civilian deaths, including strikes on detention centers, schools, and civilian infrastructure. Investigations are ongoing.

These are morally complex decisions—whether supplying weapons to allies or adversaries, or unintentionally causing harm—but that reflects the nature of war, not the people serving.