Civil-Military Relations

1
Civil-Military Relations

SAIS
Maxwell
2
Definitions

• Presidential appointees relationships with
  military leadership and the military institution
• Military relationship with civilian community
• Relationships between civilian and military
  career professionals

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Appointees Senior Military Professionals

• Tension as old as the Republic itself
• Why is civilian control important?
• Fundamental underpinning of democratic systems of
  government
• Difference between policy and operational
  responsibilities

4
Evolving Relationships

• Von Clausewitz vs Jomeni
• instrument of foreign policy, or
• expression of nationalism
• defining civil-military relationships defines
  culture
• democratic trait that leadership control of
  military conferred with the consent of the
  governed

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Evolving Relationships

• posse comitatus
• Forrestal era (1938-1949)
• War Department Navy Department
• 1947/49 National Security Act
• Eisenhower Era - establishment of National
  Security Council Advisor
• Legacy of Viet Nam Desert One
• Goldwater-Nichols Act

6
Civilian Community

• At one level
• Not uniquely military personnel -- rather,
  relations of military institutions with the
  civilian community
• At another level
• Perspective of military about the civilian
  community -- representation in senior leadership
  positions
• effect of Generation X and the disenfranchised

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Civilian Military Professionals

• Different career path
• Different expectations
• Qualifications for assignment
• personnel rotation base vs. expertise
• acquisition corpsrationale
• Stove pipe vs. generalists or community
  orientation