{"id":1221,"date":"2026-06-08T14:38:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T14:38:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1221"},"modified":"2026-06-08T14:38:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T14:38:58","slug":"ex-army-commander-demands-trump-tell-troops-if-real-iran-plan-exists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1221","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Army commander demands Trump tell troops if real Iran plan exists"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As President Donald Trump\u2019s Iran war enters its fourth month, a prominent retired Lt. General is pressing the commander-in-chief to level with U.S. troops in the Middle East and tell them whether a plan exists.<\/p>\n

Read more Inside a plan to save America from MAGA\u2019s \u2018thieves and vandals\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) served as commander of U.S. Army Europe from 2011 to 2012. He also served in Iraq.<\/p>\n

Writing at The Bulwark, Hertling pointed to President Trump\u2019s explosive \u201cMeet the Press\u201d interview from Sunday, citing his remarks that it \u201ccosts us very little\u201d to keep troops where they are.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ll keep them there until such time as we have a completion,\u201d Trump told NBC\u2019s Kristen Welker. \u201cAnd when we have a completion, you will see things like you\u2019ve never seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hertling says that while the president may not have intended more than quick remarks, those remarks \u201cland differently\u201d for America\u2019s military families, deployed service members, and allies. He warns, \u201ccomments from senior leaders matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey raise questions that should have been answered long ago,\u201d says Hertling. \u201cIs there a plan? Is there a timeline? Has a decision been made? Has anyone informed the commanders and troops whose lives will be affected as to whether they might stay or go?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was also Trump\u2019s remark that he doesn\u2019t define whether his Iran excursion is an actual war: \u201cI don\u2019t think about it. I just do what I have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Hertling recounted his time in Iraq, when his division had been in combat for a year and was planning to return home. One-third of the 20,000 troops had already left, but when the \u201csecurity situation deteriorated\u201d and violence increased \u201cdramatically,\u201d rumors quickly spread that the troops might be forced to cancel their return home and extend their stay.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoldiers began asking questions: Were we staying? For how long? What did this mean for families already preparing for our return?\u201d he wrote. \u201cEventually, the decision came through official channels: The division would remain in Iraq. Even the soldiers who had already returned home would have to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the \u201cdisappointment was searing,\u201d troops and their families understood, because the decision to stay \u201cwas tempered by mission clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mission had changed because conditions on the ground had changed,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe decision came through the chain of command. Commanders explained the operational realities. Soldiers understood the purpose, even if they didn\u2019t like the outcome. Nobody celebrated the extension, but most accepted it because they understood why it was necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

America\u2019s soldiers can take bad news, says Hertling. They can handle \u201chardship, separation, and danger far longer than most people imagine\u2014as long as the mission is clear and they know all the sacrifice is worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Trump is killing MAGA men\u2019s fertility count<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As President Donald Trump\u2019s Iran war enters its fourth month, a prominent retired Lt. General is pressing the commander-in-chief to level with U.S. troops in the Middle East and tell them whether a plan exists.Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) served as commander of U.S. Army Europe from 2011 to 2012. H…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nEx-Army commander demands Trump tell troops if real Iran plan exists - Next Address America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextaddressamerica.com\/?p=1221\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ex-Army commander demands Trump tell troops if real Iran plan exists - Next Address America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As President Donald Trump\u2019s Iran war enters its fourth month, a prominent retired Lt. 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