Local Ties that Bind? Exploring Noncombat Contact and Understandings of Military Duty in Afghanistan

Abstract

AbstractContemporary “population-oriented” military intervention and the objectives of protecting, supporting, and fighting alongside host-nation authorities and populations pose new challenges to Western armed forces’ traditionally combat-oriented understanding of duty. The article argues that military personnel who engage in unarmed and nonthreatening interaction—noncombat contact—with host citizens are more likely to develop a stronger sense of duty—perceived obligations—toward the host-nation population. Interviews with US Army officers with experiences from Afghanistan show that noncombat contact with Afghan citizens led to increased willingness to safeguard the interests and well-being of the Afghan population and adapt the mission accordingly.