Relationship Between Civilian and Military Leaders Essay

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Civilian & Military Leaders

Why is the relationship with civilian leaders crucial to military leadership?

Much as military leaders might like to ignore the need to foster fulfilling civilian relationships, ultimately it is the civilian component of the U.S. government that makes policy-related decisions regarding peace and war. On one hand, there is a continuing trend towards democratization and transparency in the developed world, and citizens are demanding increased accountability of their governments in terms of how their leaders, particularly of the military, conduct themselves at home and abroad. On the other hand, we also live in an increasingly dangerous world, which means that the cries for vigilance regarding protecting civilians from national and non-national threats are equally strident.[footnoteRef:1] [1: Gregory Foster, "Civil-Military Relations: The Postmodern Democratic Challenge, World Affairs; Winter 2005; 167(3): 91]

Congress has the power to declare war; the executive branch selects the heads of the Departments of State and Defense; the judiciary exercises discretion over which actions are considered constitutional and unconstitutional. Non-military aspects of the government will invariably influence military policy, such as the decision to enter into a conflict, defense spending, and creating the delicate balance between protecting individual vs. collective liberties.

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The image of the U.S. around the world in terms of its adherence to the spirit as well as the letter of international law is also of great concern. "The threat to civil society, then, is that which, in the process of providing for the common defense, creates or feeds injustice, foments civil unrest; diminishes the general welfare; infringes on civil liberties."[footnoteRef:2] Democracy cannot be destroyed from within in the name of preserving it, and while some censorship may be necessary in the name of national security, there are concerns that too much has been concealed from the public to enable voters to make intelligent decisions or to gain the public's support for military actions. This was seen most notably during the Vietnam War after the release of the Pentagon Papers and the divisiveness amongst in the public when no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq post-invasion. Today, there is tremendous distrust regarding proposed attacks upon Syria in retaliation for the government's use of chemical weapons upon its own people. The….....

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