We Took an Oath. It Has No Expiration Date

We took an oath to defend the Constitution—not to serve a president, a political party, or a personal agenda. That promise did not end when we left the government. Today, more than 430 former national security professionals are speaking out because we believe that protecting America’s democracy, institutions, and rule of law remains a lifelong obligation.

When people read The Steady State publications for the first time, they often notice the résumés. Former CIA officers. FBI executives. Ambassadors. Military officers. Intelligence analysts. Diplomats. Homeland Security leaders. Senior officials who spent decades protecting the United States in ways that most Americans never see.

It is an impressive list. But those titles tell only part of the story. Behind every biography is a person who once raised a hand and took an oath, not to a president, not to a political party, but to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

That oath is why many of us are here today.

Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit organization of more than 430 former senior national security professionals. We come from different agencies, military services, and have different personal viewpoints. Some spent their careers overseas. We served in intelligence, diplomacy, law enforcement, cybersecurity, military operations, public policy…and more.

Our careers took remarkably different paths. Yet we arrived at the same destination. Joining The Steady State was not about extending our careers after retirement. It was about a lifelong commitment to the principles that guided those careers in the first place. Those principles are simple.

The Constitution matters.

The rule of law matters.

Objective facts matter.

Independent institutions matter.

Professional public service matters.

And democracy matters.

These beliefs are not partisan. They are foundational.

During our government service, most of us worked quietly behind the scenes. Intelligence officers rarely sought public attention. Diplomats negotiated out of view. Military officers focused on missions. Civil servants served administration after administration without any thought of party affiliation. Our responsibility was to protect the nation and its constitutional democracy.

For me, that understanding began long before I entered government service.

I grew up in the Panama Canal Zone and witnessed what happens when democratic institutions weaken under authoritarian rule. Later, during Operation Just Cause, I returned to Panama as a military intelligence officer participating in the effort that removed Manuel Noriega from power. Those experiences shaped the way I viewed national security for the next thirty-seven years.

I learned that national security is not measured only by military strength. It also depends upon independent courts, professional intelligence, lawful civilian leadership, free elections, a free press, and public confidence that the government serves the nation rather than individual leaders. Those lessons stayed with me throughout my career in the Defense Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Army Reserve.

Many of my colleagues have similar stories. Some served in combat. Some negotiated arms control agreements. Some investigated terrorism. Some protected classified information. Some confronted cyber threats. Others spent years working quietly to prevent conflicts that Americans never knew had been avoided. Despite our different experiences, we reached remarkably similar conclusions. Strong institutions matter. Professional expertise matters. Constitutional government matters. And perhaps most importantly, citizens deserve objective information upon which to make informed decisions.

That conviction explains why The Steady State exists. We are not a political campaign. We are not seeking public office. Most of us had no expectation that retirement would include writing articles, recording videos, or speaking publicly about democracy and national security. Yet many of us concluded that remaining silent would be inconsistent with the oath we took decades ago.

The challenges facing American democracy require informed citizens who understand those challenges and why preserving that democracy and its institutional pillars is critical to every American’s welfare, regardless of political affiliation. We write about intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs, constitutional government, corruption, authoritarianism, election security, foreign influence, and the rule of law because these subjects affect every citizen, not merely those who once held security clearances. Our articles seek to explain, not inflame.

Readers occasionally ask why so many retired national security professionals have chosen to speak publicly now.

The answer is deeply personal: Because service did not end when our government careers ended. The oath we took did not include an expiration date. The skills we developed over decades still have value if they help fellow Americans better understand the challenges facing our democracy.

Ultimately, The Steady State is not defined by the distinguished careers of its members. It is defined by something much simpler. A shared belief that America is strongest when its institutions are trusted, its leaders are accountable, its laws apply equally to everyone, and its citizens remain informed and engaged.

The titles may differ. The agencies may differ. Our experiences certainly differ.

But beneath those differences lies the same commitment that first led each of us into public service. That commitment is why we joined The Steady State. And it is why we continue to serve.

You might also like