Annotations on A Primer on US Civil–Military Relations for National Security Practitioners

FEATUREFEATURE
A Primer on US Civil–Military Relations for National Security Practitioners
DR. JESSICA D. BLANKSHAIN
Abstract
Whether or not they realize it, military ofcers, federal civil servants, and po- litical appointees take part every day in interactions that shape American civil– military relations. Tese national security professionals can beneft from familiar- ity with academic studies of civil–military relations, which ofer key insights on debates over the proper relationship between the military and the government, the military and society, and society’s role in overseeing government foreign and military policy, as well as important information on the current reality of these relationships. In an efort to make the academic feld of civil–military relations more accessible to national security professionals, this primer will discuss promi- nent analyses of each of the three key relationships—between civilian government and military, between military and civilian public, and between civilian public and civilian government. Te objective of the primer is to enable national security professionals—military and civilian—to critically evaluate arguments relating to civil–military relations and to be aware of the implications of their own actions.
Introduction
When we hear or think about American civil–military relations, it is often in the context of major stories at the highest levels of government. Pres. Harry Truman fring Gen Douglas MacArthur.1 Friction between Pres. Bill Clinton and Chair- man of the Joint Chiefs Colin Powell over allowing gay service members to serve openly.2 Te “Revolt of the Generals,” a period of sharp public criticism from re- tired generals, faced by Pres. George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in the midst of the Iraq War.3 Pres. Barack Obama requesting the resig- nation of Gen Stanley McChrystal after a Rolling Stone article revealed a command climate that openly disparaged civilian leaders.4 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley publicly apologizing for “creat[ing] a perception of the military in- volved in domestic politics” by appearing at a photo-op with Pres. Donald Trump
during protests against police violence in Washington DC, as the president threat- ened to use federal troops to quell civil unrest.5
Despite our tendency to focus on these attention-grabbing incidents, the truth is that military ofcers, federal civil servants, and political appointees at all levels take part every day in interactions that shape American civil–military relations. It is therefore crucial that these individuals understand the dynamics and stakes that shape these civil–military relationships. While there are certainly eforts to edu- cate military ofcers, in particular, about the norms of civil–military relations and the profession of arms, such eforts are not uniform and are not matched on the civilian side of the relationship. Moreover, they often do little to connect national security practitioners to the booming academic literature on American civil–mil- itary relations. Academic studies of civil–military relations ofer key insights on debates over the proper relat...