Mark Hertling

“Nearly 600 high-profile, right-wing social media accounts, podcasts and other online media have published more than 7,000 statements questioning the election’s integrity so far this year, a Washington Post analysis found. That messaging has, in particular, pushed overstated claims…”.

Watch the full episode of Command Post with Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social and Ben Parker:

Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social is live with @pennbarker.bsky.social, covering the latest military and foreign policy news. Join their conversation:

"There is an important distinction between wanting the fighting to stop and wanting peace." Donald Trump wants one of those things. ICYMI @markhertling.bsky.social:

substack.com/@markhertlin...

George Washington’s legacy of religious freedom and the promise in our Constitution. My latest in @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/george-was...

Humiliating and dangerous: Trump has now finally just made America an ally of the Kremlin and is aiding Putin in his war against an American friend and partner. Shameful betrayal of a US friend, and pathetic submission to a US enemy. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/1...

Should senior generals quit in protest of Trump? Eliot Cohen and @markhertling.bsky.social argue they should stay, tell the truth, refuse unlawful orders, and risk being fired. Their obligations extend to the troops who can't simply walk away. www.thebulwark.com/p/generals-m...

Students from North Carolina A&T can be seen marching back to their HBCU after voting on the first day of early voting in the state. The Guilford County Board of Elections voted to remove the school’s on-campus polling site. (video via Todd Simmons) greensboro.com/news/local/g...

Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social joins @pennbarker.bsky.social as they cover the week's latest military and foreign policy stories. Catch their conversation live:

The sheer complexity of the world, compounded by a lack of leadership, is preventing us from connecting the dots. It might be good to look at the overlap of these issues. @markhertling.bsky.social on everything that's going on right now:

"I hope Trump's military advisors bring him a map that extends well beyond Tehran and the Strait of Hormuz, and describe several scenarios that begin with the phrase 'what if?'" ICYMI @markhertling.bsky.social on the Iran war's penumbra:

Insightful analysis by @markhertling.bsky.social and Angus King.

Iran has suffered enormous military and economic damage, and the United States has demonstrated overwhelming conventional military superiority. That does not mean we know how this will end. NEW from @markhertling.bsky.social:

Pete Hegseth wants to turn the Fort Hood mass shooter's execution into a public spectacle, complete with a livestream. Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social and @samsteindc.bsky.social react: "This is depravity, and it's not something we should be doing or leaders in the army should be allowing."

This was a necessary stream; lots of people are appalled. Thanks to @samsteindc.bsky.social

TONIGHT: @markhertling.bsky.social joins @jonathancapehart.bsky.social on The #LastWord at 10pm ET.

Atlanta! @eggerdc.bsky.social, Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social, and @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social are joining @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social, @samsteindc.bsky.social, @jvl.bsky.social, and @timmiller.bsky.social on October 20 at The Eastern. Get your tickets now:

"I have questions. Lots of questions. Before committing people and resources to a plan, military leaders often ask: what, who, when, where, how, and why?" ICYMI, @markhertling.bsky.social asks those questions about Hegseth's "State of the Force" speech:

My latest in @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/pete-hegse...

If you’re in Chicago, come join us at Barbara's Bookstore. Looking forward to meeting you and introducing you to our niece, who will moderate!

What a unique opportunity to be with these three military veteran physicians talking about how leaders deal with crisis. At the 2026 Women in Medicine conference.

My latest in the @thebulwark.com

"In theory, the idea of adding a written test or wargaming exercise to the promotion process for senior officers isn’t preposterous." Unfortunately, this isn't theoretical. @markhertling.bsky.social on Hegseth's new top officer test:

Whatever the reasons for the president’s change of mind, there remains a fundamental question: Why does Saudi Arabia need us to fight the Houthis in the first place? NEW from @markhertling.bsky.social:

My latest in @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/why-saudi-...

We’re coming to Atlanta on October 20th! Join @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social, @eggerdc.bsky.social, and Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social with @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social, @samsteindc.bsky.social, @jvl.bsky.social, and @timmiller.bsky.social in Georgia.

This week, I'll be doing 3 book signings in Chicago: -Thursday, 24 Sept w/ the "GI Partners of Illinois'" at the Chicago Union League Club -Friday, 25 Sept at the @WimedicineOrg  conference at the Drake Hotel, -Saturday, 26 Sept at Barbara's Bookstore on State Street. Come join us!

"Congress can appropriate money relatively quickly for today’s fight. It cannot appropriate military capability for tomorrow’s." @markhertling.bsky.social on the true costs of the Iran war:

The long term cost of the war in Iran, beyond the CBOs report. My latest in @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/the-true-c...

It’s National Women in Medicine Day, and I’m thankful for all women who serve as healthcare professionals! Selfless servant leaders.

The important question is no longer whether the United States has the military capability to destroy. It is whether those tactical actions are moving the United States toward a defined political objective. NEW from @markhertling.bsky.social:

Lots going on over the last 7 days. My latest in @thebulwark.com www.thebulwark.com/p/the-iran-w...

I've often said, "I'm not really a podcast listener." But that changed when I learned about @artofmanliness.bsky.social with @brettmckay.bsky.social. Podcast #1,132: “If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal” content.production.cdn.art19.com/validation=1...

"You're seeing a multifaceted approach that Iran is using to disrupt the world's economy based on oil." @markhertling.bsky.social breaks down Iran's coordinated squeeze on energy infrastructure across the Arabian Peninsula.

Shana Tova, the best to all my Jewish friends on this Rosh Hashanah!

A powerful read from our @markhertling.bsky.social: "Twenty-five years later, I know things that I could not possibly have known as I turned on the television just in time to see the second plane hit. This is the letter I would send to myself if I could, warning about what was to come."

If you read nothing else today, read this. Thank you for your service, Lt. Gen. Hertling @markhertling.bsky.social

Excited to be called up from the minors to join the veterans at the @thebulwark.com Atlanta event. Come join us!

Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social and @pennbarker.bsky.social are live, covering the latest military stories. Join their conversation:

"You’ve learned in war college classrooms that military power is only one element of national power. You’re about to see that proven in real life." @markhertling.bsky.social on some of the many lessons of 9/11:

The @thebulwark.com editors asked me to do a “letter to myself” imagining I could go back to 9/11 to tell myself what I would experience over the next 25 years. www.thebulwark.com/p/a-letter-t...

I’ll be at the USF campus in Tampa on Wednesday doing a fireside chat and book signing. Come join us if you can.

We’re bringing a live show to Atlanta. @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social, @eggerdc.bsky.social, and Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social will join @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social, @jvl.bsky.social, @samsteindc.bsky.social, and @timmiller.bsky.social in Georgia. Get your tickets for The Good Fight Tour!

Watch the full episode of Command Post with Mark Hertling and @pennbarker.bsky.social:

Lt. Gen. @markhertling.bsky.social on Howard Lutnick’s claim that there haven’t been any American deaths in the Iran War: “You might want to stay in your lane because there have been deaths, and this is not going to resonate well with those who are fighting this conflict.”

"The Book exists to identify risks before they become vulnerabilities—and the secretary’s job is not merely to read those warnings, but to act on them." @markhertling.bsky.social on leaks, risk, and a secretary of defense who might not be considering it:

For years, the West asked what weapons it could afford to give Ukraine. Increasingly, Europe is asking what Ukraine can teach the West. The U.K.'s new missile-and-AI partnership shows how profoundly that relationship has changed. www.thebulwark.com/p/inside-ukr...