The Civil-Military Thing: How Does a Soldier Get It Right

Abstract

Abstract : The subject of civil-military relations is worthy of study by military and civilian leaders. Many individuals have attacked the current state of U.S. civil-military relations. Due to the foundational nature of civilian supremacy over the military in our American brand of democracy, these criticisms have ignited a spirited debate. It can be argued that the military leader can gain some useful knowledge of the character of balanced civil-military relations by focusing on the debate. However, instead of choosing which camp' he should join, it would be better for the soldier to build a theoretical base that gets at the central question, How do we build and maintain a healthy, balanced civil-military relationship? The purposes of this paper are to address the current challenges to civil-military relations and propose a soldier's model for the maintenance of a healthy civil-military relationship.