Hasan made his opening statement on Tuesday and is representing himself in court. He does not deny that he carried out the November 2009 rampage at Fort Hood, one of the worst mass shootings in US history.
"Witnesses will testify that war is an ugly thing. Death, destruction and devastation are felt from both sides, from friend and foe. Evidence from this trial will only show one side. I was on the wrong side but I switched sides," said Hasan in his two-minute statement.
He is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
Thirteen officers from around the country who hold Hasan's rank or higher will serve on the jury for a trial that will likely last one month and probably longer.
He has suggested he wanted to argue the killings were in "defence of others'' - namely, members of the Taliban fighting Americans in Afghanistan.
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