The Importance of Civil-Military Relations and the Future of the United States as a World Superpower

Abstract

Abstract : The relationship between the United States' public and its powerful military may ultimately determine the outcome of the Global War on Terror. A separation between the military and the democratically elected governing public has always existed; however, in the last half century the civil-military divide has grown to an alarming level. This disparity has undermined the nation's foreign policy, has placed its civilian leadership at a disadvantage in negotiations, and has weakened the influence the U.S. military has in safeguarding the country's interests at home and abroad. To maintain America's influence as a world power, the United States must improve civil-military relations by increasing the public's knowledge of military history and its armed forces, reconnecting communities with the military, and emphasizing the importance of civil-interaction with service members.