Pete Hegseth here for a live Q&A on 4/28. What questions do you have for me?

Why is it the American Veterans can not get non service related medical care through the VA Medical Clinic in Manila. Seems unfair. There is a VA Medical Clinic, because of the numerous Veterans both American born and Filipino born that go there for medical care. If a US born veteran were in the USA they can go to the VA in any state to get medical care with the cost provided depending on how much your income is. And a lot of Veterans living here love here simple because it cost too much to live in the states. We have better lives here, unfortunately. Please let me know why? And please change it if you have the capacity to. Thank you Sec. DEF. And BTW, you are doing a great job, don't let the media get to you. They are all not on the side of the USA.

The problem this nation is facing today is we're dealing with a given population that are feeling self-entitled and self-centered while seeking to be dependent on a system at expense of everyone who is doing their part and living responsibly. Much has drifted over 50 years and not saying we go back in time. It's the thought in the past, many citizens were living responsibly and not seeking a nation building system as an adult daycare center. Over the years in my involvement with the community seeing adults who are mentally and physically able being dependent on the system while living irresponsibly and recklessly and placing the burden on hard-working individuals who are geared towards not only caring for their own, but also geared towards a better future for generations to come. Traditional values and upbringing are being attacked by those who seek to bring down and drag down everything and everyone with little to no concern for the future besides having it their way. Today's era reveal the consequences of allowing everything to run wild and unchecked with fragile structure in shaping the future ahead. Standards have definitely fallen in society as we can see in our military where Soldiers are on social media posting twerk videos while in uniform and along with everything else. Then going back in time where Soldiers were lean, mean, fighting machine built with pride and real brotherhoodship unlike today we see those currently in service unable to run a mile for constant being on profile, being pregnant before and during deployments to get out of their duty, and massively overweight Soldiers that would require 4 or more Soldiers to carry them in the crossfire if ever injured or become a casualty while creating more potenital dangers and barriers. Then going back in the past military, Soldiers were treated as real adults with responsibilty and not as today's military built on treating Soldiers like children, Tik Tok popstars, fashion show and some fraternity looking for a pillow fight. Then again, the past military was seen as a force, not something of today where people from across the world would laugh at as a joke when seeing social media memes of Soldiers being labeled as Meal Team Six, Brisket Battalion and so forth. Now we have Space Force and nations geared towards a space future should also consider what society we're building on foundation and establishment that would be carrying such torch and not being the generation that would make all be just a dream and no longer a reality. Building such space future would require level-head and those who are held to utmost reponsibility when taking accoung that space travel is not going to your corner store and back, but it is a very long journey with many possibilities out there. Being in a space vessel is not different in being in a submarine: meaning, if something of an emergency or imminent danger arrives, it's all hands on deck and not having to micromanage others. After all, who wants to get blown upon a ship out of another stupidity or lack of concern if not laziness? Many who are fearless about death very likely do not want to be taken down by stupidity and nonesense, but that on our own terms with Honour. When it comes to the environment, we all have a responsibility for it as we all live on this planet. We cannot live without nature, but nature can definitely live without us. Seeing today we have activists going after corporations about pollution and waste while being the main contributor to the problem in throwing garbage on the ground and being destructive towards wildlife and environment. Less not forgetting that many who claim religious and spiritual have texts pointing out caring for land and the environment and without the dire for more in result out of wasting away what we already have if not seeking to find a getway out of urgency due to such scenario. Seeing many religious and spiritual texts does mention nature as source of connection with God besides values and everything else mentioned when considering stories such as Loki, Moses, Noah, Buddah, the Druids and many others. We're in the time of challenges and leaning towards "make or break", especially in today's era, we have technology and information easily accessible at everyone's hands for such ignorance and stupidity to be on such a high pedestal. When considering about the future and long journey ahead, it's about those who are going to keep the ship sailing and the lighthouse burning bright.

"Are we not the 'Men in the Arena' indeed?" <salute - congratulations>

I expect you will do all you can to protect our military!
Rich

Sir,
I answered the call of the army recruiter who came to my college prep Catholic high school cafeteria to enlist in the delayed entry program in December 1978. I went active in June 1979 into one of the first integrated BCT platoons Onder Mike Perry at Ft Jackson, though women weren’t Allowed in combat at that time. I got nothing out of AIT, as I was overqualified for the job the recruiter required of me. I agreed to Hometown recruiter duty, Before arriving at Fort Orange on November 7, 1979. On November 20, 1979, I was intercepted as I walked to my job site after morning formation by SSG David Garcia, who greeted me, asked me if I was new, told me he was my other boss, Asked if anyone had shown me around yet, then opened the passenger door of his personal car and told me to give him. I followed orders so they command eight pointed out a building and the loading dock then drove through the side gate; When I asked “where are we going“ he said “Monterey is beautiful, there’s a view I want to show you. Her in a eucalyptus Grove and said there was a hike to the view. He then raped me at the edge of a cliff over a Canyon. I had to get back in his car to get back to the fort and sit next to him after he deceived my 19-year-old mind using my Military job training -Follow orders obey command it could mean your life or your comrades life on the battlefield if you don’t-In order to rape me, I Was in shock, lost consciousness… I could barely make out my fellow female soldiers in the doorway looking at me at when they returned after lunch I told them what happened, but I couldn’t hear myself, and I couldn’t see an ambulance sped at my door and took me to Silas the Hayes ER the nurse told me I must be missing home. That’s why I’m so upset, and hurried out of the ER as I’m calling after her “no, no! That’s not it I’m not missing home… My eyes open to find I’m lying on a cold steel gurney under bright lights in a different room as an SP 4 Blue scrubs is pressing on my left wrist, I see that I am lying on a cold steel gurney under bright lights in a different room than the ER, he says “you can go now; I ask “where is the nurse, he says “everyone’s gone home”. I walk out under the exit sign, the clock to the right of the door says 6:15 PM -I was in shock and unconscious for 10 hours that Tuesday, my rape by a SSG, husband of a nurse there, father of an 8 year old daughter, left unacknowledged, untreated, Un adjudicated by my employer, our U S Army. I walked out of what I now know was the morgue into the dusk scream crying who do I tell who do I tell as I read signs on buildings, Trying to find my way back to my barracks… So anxious to take my US Army uniform off I held my underwear up to see why they were stiff like cardboard and whipped at the side of my blood spilled for a dishonorable purpose. I am not the enemy, and we were not at war yet a man trusted with authority, violated my human, my civil, and my constitutional rights when I represented a group that should be protected against such evils, I had just turned 19 on the cusp of childhood and adulthood. My brain was still six years away from full development. I said to myself at the site of my underwear. This must be all I can expect for my life, but nothing came out. I showered and went to bed got up went to work . My real boss SSG Davies said nothing to me, though I was zombie like and apparently she didn’t report me a wall the day before, though I never made it to work and instead ended up in the ER. After work, I’ve marched across second Ave. to Commander‘s office and asked to meet with Commander who came right out and sat across from me eyeball to eyeball. I asked out of the army. He let me out no questions asked and said I wouldn’t be required to serve my six year reserve duty And dismissed me. My expeditious discharge took six months. I went to work every day wondering when I would be allowed to leave, then given less than 24 hour notice to report to building 2522, sign my DD 214 – I’m out, and don’t miss your one-way early morning flight home or you’ll be on your own. An E-2 Female clerk shoved my DD 214 across the table and went back to her business. I read it; We were Drilled in BCT “remember, when you get your DD 214, the only thing that matters is the word honorable – nothing else matters” under the word honorable my DD 214 says PARA 5–31, AR 635–200, inability to maintain acceptable standards for retention…. “This is not accurate!“ I exclaimed to the clerk who can I speak with about this she shrugged her shoulders. My ride was waiting to take me to my early morning one-way flight home that I was warned not to miss; was no out processing. I had just turned 19 and found myself At the airport of my hometown at 930 at night. I can’t remember in 1980 how I got myself to nearby Drury and paid for a room, slept got up and had to figure out how to replace my job and get an apartment when I was no longer Patty Buskuehl and didn’t know what I could believe in anymore. There’s not enough time or space here to describe the dysfunction and torment. I lived with and continue to live with, but I now understand that at the age of 19 I was already the victim of two felony crimes love against me back to back by a US Army SSG, David Garcia, and US Army medical core, That I was chapter out, medically, discharged, and kept from the medical exam as I exited to keep my rape covered up at my expense because it is the medical exam that launches medically, discharged service members benefits the day after they end their time and service, provided by a former US president. If it wasn’t for my mother‘s neighbor, Arthur Wilson commander of an American Legion Post in St. Louis Missouri, I don’t know when this all would’ve come to light… In 2006 he made me aware of my VA healthcare, took me to John Cochran to sign up; I was directed To vet center to Dr. Linda Hausman, who covered my rape again, committing another crime as she had taken an oath to do no harm, Then ended my counseling, but wouldn’t tell me why. Three years later, Dr. Patrice Pye Asked me in the lobby of the women’s clinic (Breach of HIPAA)“Were you sexually assaulted in the military“ which caused me, for the first time to fully understand that I was indeed raped, and that rape is indeed a felony crime, and that it is because my rape was not acknowledged treated and adjudicated that I turned down three marriage proposals, lost jobs and was in counseling for three decades with nothing resolving because the problem was the rape, but the rape was unbeknownst to me. Dr. pi heard my full story and directed me to a particular VO to file a claim for in-service Disability. I wrote my statement about my rape and gathered Records, which is how I discovered Dr. Linda Hausman wrote in my file strongly, suspect military Sexual Assault doesn’t seem ready to discuss it which is a lie. I was there to discuss why I was losing jobs and relationships which caused pain and suffering for my young daughter and myself, she asked me why I got out of the army early and I told her about SSG David Garcia telling me, he was my other boss and asking if anyone had shown me around yet telling me to get into his car and raping me at the edge of a cliff over a canyon… She simply asked the next question calmly as if I hadn’t said anything significant. Dr PYE popped my balloon, heard the understanding gush from my mouth and knew I was suicidal and let me walk out the door telling me she would set up therapy which she had no intention of doing when I went back to see her two weeks later to beg for Help working through the rape she wouldn’t come out of her office sent the receptionist a yellow sticky, which I still have directing me to Socialworker Joanne Bystrom, who I went directly to she said she would send me to Palo Alto residential treatment facility and did the same thing I never heard from her when I called her desperate to work through the rape to keep from killing myself because I was a mother of a daughter that already suffered enough because SJ David Garcia raped her mother and then the army medical Core covered it up at my expense, which became my daughters expense Joan Bystrom simply said oh OK I’ll call them. Oh yeah the Florida facility is full. I said Florida you said this place is in Palo Alto. Oh, OK I’ll call them and then , never accepted and returned my phone calls. After that my daughter knew I was suicidal and then I got the breast cancer diagnosis, and there was no support from the V A John Cochran on the contrary they did everything in their power to push me away and keep my army crimes covered up And it took me 10 years to figure out that Dr. pi didn’t document my rape VO Jason Blakemore. I asked to look over my file before we send it in May 2011 and as I look through it, I said I don’t see Dr. Pye‘s notes in here he assured me “they’re in there“ Trusted him, handed it back to him and he knew Dr,‘s notes were not in there. He knew Dr. pi didn’t document the rape he he filed the claim for Ptsd with no mention of MST although he would’ve understood what PA RA 5–31, AR 635–200 meant And that combined with my rape story should have directed him to seek further assistance for me. I said to Blakemore this claim will go back to the originating event, right. “Nope, only goes back to the day you file“ he said. “That’s not right“ I said. he said nothing. During the second CMP exam in 2012 Dr. Lightfoot left the room abruptly, I now assume to have a word with Dr Pye, Leaving my file open to the page of the ER note that read 11/20/79 private bus arrived by ambulance in a state of extreme emotional distress doubled over abdominal pain with low blood pressure. Then, Her scribbled signature. There is no ER exit note-because they rolled me into the morgue to die and to hide me from the next ER shift, so that is few people as possible knew about They’re covering my rape by SSG David Garcia, whose wife was a nurse at Silas Hayes.
My question is, when will our US Army make this right for me and every American taxpayer that continues to pay my rapist and his family, The commander of our seventh infantry division and his family, and the accomplice of my rape crime such as the ER nurse the ER doctor in charge, who I of course, never saw and captain William Melanson, my rapists boss, who covered for him, even remaining In touch with me until 2011 when I ask him, not knowing that his friend Pedro Garcia was under his command, “did you know SSG David Garcia raped me?“ No, Melanson said and I never heard from him again. In 2019 I was encouraged by a soldier at Fort Ord where I pilgrimaged to the site I died at on November 20, to go to the police station on the hill and file a report so I did they called in Blake investigator Blake who recorded my story Including telling him the names of the people involved he said you’ve given us a lot of good information. We should be able to apprehend these people with no problem. I only heard from him like twice in the next two years while I remain hopeful, that nightmare of my life could be resolved once and for all only to when I question him, have you talked with? Have you found Garcia and have you talked with Melanson and he would say oh the numbers never reached him. I can’t find any of them then he instructed me to change my address to his office at the Presidio so that he could get my Records… I never heard from him again and he never returned any of my calls after that. I deserve justice for myself and my family and for all Americans that put their trust in the US Army please pay my 32 years of missed benefits and show me some respect and support inputting my life back on track while there is still time even though it’s 44 years late
I’m putting my trust in you Again,
Disabled American Veterans Patricia T Buskuehl [login to see]
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MAJ Pete Hegseth,

Do you have any thoughts of how everyday citizens can overcome powerful lobbyists, SUPER-PACs, etc. to have meaningful input? What civic duties other than voting can the average citizen be participate in that would make a positive change in the functioning of our republic?

It means being able to live free. Right now our Second Amendmen has become a privilege instead of a right. It became a privilege when money got involved. Now I have to pay money, and ask permission to do something from men, I am guaranteed by god. I should be able to buy property, maintain a lovely home and produce what I need to support my family. Instead, doing that has been ade illegal. I am required to pay a lifetime tax to an electric company, and water company in order to get permission to move into a house I have built or build myself. That is not freedom. That is oppression.
This country was founded on freedom. What happened? Are politcians so utterly worthless we have allowed freedom to slip from our hands? Why in the world did we allow a ruling class to supplant true leadership? Being a citizen means by rule of law, if we citizens have become so dissasitified with the corruption in government we are required to get up, take up arms, and overthrow that corrupt government. How many are willing to do that in accordance with their responsibilities laid down in our most basic founding documents? If only 10% do we have a nation of citizens, or do we have a nation unworthy of the freedoms they enjoy as a citizen?

We live each day in a nation whereby our freedoms were written down for all to read and heed. Our identity is in what we believe. How many various immigrants post their homeland from their mirror or a sticker on their vehicle.
In Roosevelts time there was not the diversity of faith in America and you didn't have lgbt agenda back then!
A true citizen of a nation wears his armor and carries his shield ready to answer the call or lend a hand in need!
They give freely with out expectation!

Sir, Just wanted to say I support you, from one Forest Lake Ranger to another. Keep up the good work!

Hey, how & who the Hell are ya;) Got that after 1st time FTNavy from a truck trainer. Care to help with Hands4America to #JoinHands4th of July? Maike chains across US-50&83 in Garden City, KS, but time is running out:(