Episode Details

Reviving the Citizen Soldier Ethos. War Face vs Society. Remembering the Founder’s Vision. Lessons Learned in Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Army Ranger Adrian Bonenberger has just thrown his hat in the ring for Governor of Connecticut — as an independent. In a wide-ranging conversation with host Paul Rieckhoff, Bonenberger unveils the centerpiece of his campaign: reviving the Connecticut State Guard as a voluntary, citizen-soldier force that would decentralize defense, create meaningful service opportunities for ordinary Americans, and counter the overreach of a federal government that has increasingly turned law enforcement into a militarized tool against its own citizens.

The two combat veterans pull no punches on ICE — comparing its enforcement culture to the military's "warrior ethos" and explaining why deploying a kill-or-be-killed mindset against civilians is not just dangerous, but a fundamental betrayal of the founders' vision. Bonenberger draws on his experiences training troops in Afghanistan and volunteer fighters in Ukraine to make the case that America's civil-military divide is a national security vulnerability — and that a voluntary state guard is the constitutional remedy hiding in plain sight.

Bonenberger also reflects on post-industrial New England, why Congress is effectively unfixable, ballot access hurdles facing independent candidates, and why he believes the governor's office is where real change can happen on day one.

About Adrian Bonenberger: Adrian Bonenberger is an Army Ranger, Afghanistan combat veteran, journalist, and author. He co-founded American Veterans for Ukraine alongside Paul Rieckhoff and Bonnie Carroll and has lectured at Springfield College in Massachusetts. He is now running for Governor of Connecticut as an independent.

-WATCH video of this episode on our YouTube channel.

-Learn more and support Adrian’s candidacy for Governor of Connecticut here.

-Learn more about Paul’s work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America.

-Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here.

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