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A detailed view of the uniform of a senior military member as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025 in Quantico, Virginia.

Legal Foundations of Honorable Military Service

As former judge advocates, it was our responsibility while on active duty to advise on the legal demands of and limits on senior officers’ authority and responsibility.
Binders of executive orders stacked on a desk.

Collection: Just Security’s Coverage of Trump Administration Executive Actions

Coverage of key developments, including in concise “What Just Happened” expert explainers, legal and policy analysis, and more. Check back frequently for updates.
A white U.S. Coast Guard cutter with a broad red stripe and a thin blue stripe running diagonally across its hull at the bow and featuring towers and nests of equipment aboard transits in front of a tall cliff and a glacier at the base of the cliff, with more mountains in the background.

The Trump Administration Is Sabotaging Its Own Arctic Strategy

The Trump administration’s own Defense Department policies are undermining the operational means necessary to execute its Arctic strategy.
Two men stand talking with each other in the foreground as dozens of other men swarm around and on top of a building's ruins, along with heavy equipment apparently meant to be used for rescue or cleanup operations.

In the U.S. Strike on an Iranian School, What a Serious Military Investigation Should Look Like

A U.S. military operation resulting in such a civilian death toll as the Minab school strike in Iran demands a credible, thorough Pentagon investigation.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stands at a podium​, delivering a speech to ​uniformed service members​.

Cuba Libre: One Man’s Morality or Our Law?

We former JAGs must find new ways to examine, protest, and talk to our fellow Americans about this administration’s flagrant and accelerating misuse of the armed forces.
The image shows multiple buildings, most of them non-residential, in white and red around a snowy hillside, with what appear to be cell phone and perhaps other types of steel towers and a radar atop the hill in the background.

Trump Is Right About Greenland — Wrong About How to Secure It

The challenge is not recognition of Greenland’s importance; it is ensuring that security enhancements are strategic, sustainable, and allied-driven.
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung talk to reporters before an Oval Office meeting at the White House on August 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. During Lee's first official visit to the White House, the two leaders are set to discuss trade and military cooperation to counter North Korea and China, South Korea's top trade partner. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Legal and Policy Options for a U.S-South Korea Nuclear Submarine Program

Trump’s announcement 'approving' a nuclear-powered submarine plan with South Korea contradicts U.S. law requiring specific terms, agreements, and congressional review.
The Ukrainian and Taiwanese flags

A Security Guarantee for Ukraine? Look to the Taiwan Relations Act

The United States and its allies can use the Taiwan model to make post-war Ukraine more secure without writing checks they cannot cash.
U.S. President Donald Trump sits at a table with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and other European leaders

Trump, Zelenskyy, European Leaders in White House Meeting: Progress Toward a Deal?

Getting to any deal between Ukraine & Russia will require the United States & Europe to stand by Ukrainians & stare down Russia's demands.
Yemeni rescuers transport the bodies of victims pulled from the rubble of a building hit in US strikes in the northern province of Saada on April 28, 2025. Huthi media in Yemen said on April 28 that US strikes targeted a migrant detention centre in Saada, killing at least 68 people. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

In Preparing for Large-Scale Conflicts, States Neglect Lessons on Civilian Protection at Their Peril

A new assessment shows that, among the U.S., the U.K., and the Netherlands, none are prepared for the challenges of protecting civilians.
France's Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu (centre L) and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R)

Hidden in the U.S. Army’s New Reform Initiative Is a Warning for Europe

Europe must accept that continued dependence on the United States is not viable and build a fully self-sufficient European defense.
U.S. Soldier performs maintenance on a Browning .50 Cal Heavy-Barrel machine gun

If McDonald’s Can Fix Its Own Machines, Why Can’t the U.S. Military?

Congress should pass legislation to give U.S. service members the tools and the authority to repair their own equipment.
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