Op-Ed: Veterans Fought For Justice Abroad. We Deserve It At Home.

By MIKE DOYLE
U.S. Air Force Veteran and Trial Attorney
Los Lunas

Every veteran knows that service doesn’t end when you take off the uniform. As a U.S. Air Force veteran and a trial attorney, I’ve fought two battles — one wearing a uniform and one in a courtroom. The first taught me discipline and sacrifice. The second has shown me how easily justice slips away from the people who risked everything to defend it.

A study from the Center for Justice & Democracy, “The Costs and Legal Obstacles Facing America’s Service Members and Veterans,” outlines how service members and veterans face staggering barriers when they assert their basic rights. Whether it’s medical negligence, toxic exposure, sexual assault, or predatory financial schemes, too many of our nation’s defenders come home to face new battles — against systems designed to deny them recourse.

The study highlights legal roadblocks. Chief among them is the Feres doctrine — a 1950 Supreme Court decision that bars active-duty service members from suing the federal government for injuries “incident to service.” If a civilian suffers from a botched surgery, they can sue. If a soldier suffers the same fate, they’re told it’s “part of service.” That isn’t patriotism — it’s institutional abandonment.

Then there’s forced arbitration. It strips away a veteran’s right to a public trial, forcing disputes into secret proceedings that overwhelmingly favor corporations.

Add to that the crushing bureaucracy that governs veterans’ benefits and the shortage of legal aid.

New Mexico should lead by example. We can fund legal clinics, strengthen consumer protection laws, and ensure veterans’ housing and employment rights are actively enforced. Gratitude alone doesn’t pay rent or secure justice. Action does.

It continues in how you live, how you advocate, and how you stand up for others. That’s why I’m speaking out — because justice for those who served isn’t charity, it’s a debt owed.