Northeast Ohio readers had a lot to say about the military under President Donald Trump after he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed the nation’s top officers.

We asked: What do you think of the direction of the military today—and, if you’re concerned, what exactly are your concerns? The nearly 200 responses to our daily From the Editor text messages ranged from alarm about politicization and domestic deployments to praise for restoring a “warrior ethos.”

What follows is a summary of themes, organized by people who identified as veterans, as family members of service members, and as civilians.

What veterans told us

The core refrain from veterans was the oath—to the Constitution, not to any person. Many described deep unease with calls to use the armed forces at home or to make

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