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LISTEN UP! “ More than half of active-duty troops say politics is driving them out of the military. Nearly half point to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. That’s according to a poll by Common Defense, a progressive veterans group, which surveyed service members in September and released the results last month. Fifty-three percent of active-duty respondents said they want to leave because their service has become too politicized. Another 45 percent said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s policy changes have them thinking about leaving early. Two-thirds believe recent military decisions are being made for political gain, not mission readiness. Common Defense executive director Jose Vasquez, an Army veteran, called it “a readiness crisis.” Half of the troops surveyed disapproved of Trump as commander in chief. Hegseth’s approval stood at 45 percent, while their own commanders fared better at 56 percent.” From Adam Kinzinger newsletter