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Eight former US secretaries of defense and five former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have warned that civil-military relations are faltering, pointing to recent events at home and abroad that have shaken the military’s foundations.
“We are in a very challenging civil-military environment,” the former official said in an open letter published on the War Blog. I am experiencing the tension of
For starters, they point to the “reduction” of America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in which the military “must agree” with “a war effort that has not been entirely successful”, while at the same time with nearly equal rivals. “We need to prepare for a tougher competition in the United States.” Domestically, military officials argued they were “facing a very unfavorable environment” characterized by political polarization.
They also explained how the COVID-19 pandemic and US economic problems are “disrupting social patterns and placing enormous strain on individuals and families.”
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In light of all this, their outlook is less than optimistic, stating:[l]Going forward, all of these factors may get worse before they get better. “
The letter went on to explain the “basic principles” of civilian and military cooperation. First and foremost on this list was the “[c]Ivilius’ control over the military is part of the foundation of American democracy. ”
Former officials explained that civilian control of the military is shared by all three branches of the federal government. The executive branch, of course, manages it through the president as commander-in-chief, and the chain of command then goes to the secretary of civilian defense and then to the military commander. The legislative branch controls it through “extensive” constitutional powers such as declaring war, raising armies, and providing naval forces. In addition, the Senate has approval powers over secretaries and other high-ranking appointees. The judiciary, in turn, administers the military through the exercise of judicial review of policies, orders, and actions.
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Without citing specific events, the letter noted that elected and appointed officials “have the right to be wrong.” error.
President Biden has been accused of promoting the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan on the advice of his military advisers, an allegation the president denies.
With the midterm elections approaching, the letter said there were “significant limitations on the public role of military personnel in partisan politics” and that “leaders must be diligent about separating the military from partisan political activity.” It pointed out.
This comes just days after Biden was criticized by a group of veterans for standing behind US Marines while he delivered a speech in Philadelphia, with Biden calling former President Trump’s supporters ” He called it a “threat to this country” and attacked it.
Regarding the presidential election, the letter noted the complexities of having to prepare for the possibility of new elections while the military must “assist the current commander-in-chief in fulfilling his constitutional duties.”
They said trust is a key factor in maintaining military-civilian cooperation.
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“Mutual trust — upwardly trusting civilian leaders to rigorously explore the best options for their country, regardless of their impact on partisan politics, and downwardly trusting the military to dictate against their professional military preferences. Trusting to faithfully implement the — helps overcome the friction that has been built up into the process,” they said. “Civil-military teams build a storehouse of trust in their daily interactions and draw upon it in times of crisis.”
The letter was signed by former secretaries of defense Ash Carter, William Cohen, Mark Esper, Robert Gates, Chuck Hegel, James Mattis, Leon Panetta and William Perry. It was also signed by five former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, veterans. Martin Dempsey, Joseph Dunford Jr., Richard Myers, Peter Pace, and his retired Admiral Michael Mullen.