(2017, Jan 18). Historically, direct control over military forces deployed for war was hampered by the technological limits of command, control, and communications; national leaders, whether democratically elected or not, had to rely on local commanders to execute the details of a military campaign, or risk centrally-directed orders' obsolescence by the time they reached the front lines. “Commander-in-Chief – United States Constitution. 13 Aug. 2011. . N. p. , n. d. Web. our expert writers, Copying content is not allowed on this website, Ask a professional writer to help you with your text, Give us your email and we'll send you the essay you need, Please indicate where to send you the sample, Hi, my name is Jenn But, like every relationship, success in civil-military relations depends on trust and respect from both sides. The Coast Guard is exempt from Posse Comitatus since it normally operates under the Department of Homeland Security versus the Department of Defense and enforces U.S. laws, even when operating as a service with the U.S. Navy. The consent of both houses of Congress ought, therefore, to be required, before he should take the actual command. Civilian control of the military is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and is central to the professional ethos of the U.S. military’s officer corps. Milburn, Andrew R. “JFQ 59 – Redress of Professional Military Education. Essay on volleyball in urdu. Essay about memory and forgetting. The Secretary of Defense answers to the president. Historically they are associated most strongly with the Soviet Union and China rather than liberal democracies. [10] In Mao's theory, the military—which serves both as a symbol of the revolution and an instrument of the dictatorship of the proletariat—is not merely expected to defer to the direction of the ruling non-uniformed Party members (who today exercise control in the People's Republic of China through the Central Military Commission), but also to actively participate in the revolutionary political campaigns of the Maoist era. For example, the President has explicit authority under the Constitution and federal law to use federal forces or federalized militias to enforce the laws of the United States. But, fired? By placing responsibility for military decision-making in the hands of non-professional civilians, critics argue, the dictates of military strategy are subsumed to the political, with the effect of unduly restricting the fighting capabilities of the nation's armed forces for what should be immaterial or otherwise lower priority concerns. 11 Aug. 2011. . Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is the top military commander under the president. The "Revolt of the Admirals" that occurred in 1949 was an attempt by senior US Navy personnel, to force a change in budgets directly opposed to the directives given by the Civilian leadership. N. p. , n. d. Web. [3] This autonomous professionalism, it is argued, best inculcates an esprit de corps and sense of distinct military corporateness that prevents political interference by sworn servicemen and -women. net. As Commander-in-Chief, the system of checks and balances is observed. One author, paraphrasing Samuel P. Huntington's writings in The Soldier and the State, has summarized the civilian control ideal as "the proper subordination of a competent, professional military to the ends of policy as determined by civilian authority".[3]. This lose-lose situation was a clear political victory for President Obama. A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive, will not long be safe companions to liberty. Under a system of objective control, the military is conceded substantial autonomy in the areas just mentioned in return for its respect for and noninterference in the decisionmak-ing of the civilian leadership. Political or bureaucratic conditions periodically offer armed forces limited opportunities to disobey, circumvent, ignore, or defy civilian authority. In the 20th century the most-repressive nondemocratic regimes, most notably the Nazis in Germany and the Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union, were party dictatorships in which civilian control of the military was well established. Dangers of fast food essay the of on essay control military An civilian. Opponents of gun control have cited the need for a balance of power in order to enforce the civilian control of the military. While armed forces were built up during wartime, the pattern after every war up to and including World War II was to demobilize quickly and return to something approaching pre-war force levels. “In a democracy the military must know its role | Stop the F-35. ” Americans are fortunate to live in a democracy and an important facet of democracy is leadership. The act is often misunderstood to prohibit any use of federal military forces in law enforcement, but this is not the case. Similar prohibitions apply to the Navy and Marine Corps by service regulation, since the actual Posse Comitatus Act does not apply to them. The concept of civilian control of the U.S. military required by the law is one that dates to the nation's earliest days and reflects the balance of powers outlined in the Constitution. In 1833, Joseph L. Story, the Chief Justice of the United States of America, wrote a commentary on the Constitution of the United States. This tenet of civilian control and authority over the military is rudimentary to democracy. The United States military is one of the most important and celebrated institutions our country has. Combined with the idea that the military was to embody democratic principles and encourage citizen participation, the only military force suitable to the Founders was a citizen militia, which minimized divisions between officers and the enlisted.[5]. In some ways, the relationship between the military and the civil society it James Madison, another writer of many of The Federalist papers,[6] expressed his concern about a standing military in comments before the Constitutional Convention in June 1787: In time of actual war, great discretionary powers are constantly given to the Executive Magistrate. 26 that it would be equally as bad for a legislature to be unfettered by any other agency and that restraints would actually be more likely to preserve liberty. N. p. , n. d. Web. 47, continued Hamilton's argument that distributing powers among the various branches of government would prevent any one group from gaining so much power as to become unassailable. If all of the major political decisions were up to the military, many wrong decisions might be made and it … Given that broad strategic decisions, such as the decision to declare a war, start an invasion, or end a conflict, have a major impact on the citizens of the country, they are seen by civilian control advoc… Later in the year, immediately after the November elections in which the Democrats gained control of the Congress, Rumsfeld resigned. Institutions must be in place to check incompetent or malevolent leaders. However, after an interview with and embedded report, Michael Hastings, a contributing writer for Rolling Stones Magazine, McCrystal ended up resigning his prestigious position. ” Stop the F-35. Civilian control of the military is a bedrock of the American system. McCrystal’s statements in the article were not flattering of the president to say the least; his comments were viewed as offensive and belittling to President Obama, Vice-President Biden, as well as the U. S. Ambassador to Afghanistan. Civilian control of the military is a doctrine in military and political science that places ultimate responsibility for a country's strategic decision-making in the hands of the civilian political leadership, rather than professional military officers. ” Index Page – The U. S. Constitution Online – USConstitution. It bears repeating that any breakdown or erosion of constitutional process caused or used by the military or that permits the military to become independent represents a threat to democratic rule. If the trend toward increasing friction and hostility in civil-military relations during the last three [administrations]–those of Johnson, Carter, and Clinton–continues into the future, the national security of the United States will not be well served (Kohn). "Domestic Use of the Armed Forces to Maintain Law and Order – posse comitatus Pitfalls at the Inauguration of the 44th President", This page was last edited on 21 December 2020, at 15:33. During the 1990s and 2000s, public controversy over LGBT policy in the U.S. military led to many military leaders and personnel being asked for their opinions on the matter and being given deference although the decision was ultimately not theirs to make. Most Americans don’t realize how special the civilian-military relationship is and how it has contributed to the country. Smith, Haviland. Former rampant hostility toward the armed services during the Vietnam era, as well as periods earlier in American history, has faded. James Madison, in Federalist No. [4] Also, military personnel, because of the nature of their job, are much more willing to use force to settle disputes than civilians because they are trained military personnel that specialize strictly in warfare. As tactless as the General’s comments were, his comments spoke to an understandable deep-seated frustration within the U. S. military in Afghanistan and possessed a level of truth about Obama’s civilian officials that made the President decidedly uneasy. gov. ” Armed Forces & Society. your own paper. On the other, a weak military establishment also threatens the regime because of the likelihood that the former will fail to protect the latter. He foresaw the necessity of creating a civilian government that kept the military at a distance. He was highly respected and thought to be effective in strategies of counter-insurgency. In the United States, Article I of the Constitution gives the Congress the power to declare war (in the War Powers Clause), while Article II of the Constitution establishes the President as the commander-in-chief. The Official Home of the Department of Defense . N. p. , n. d. Web. Thus, all three branches of government must have some control over the military, and the system of checks and balances maintained among the other branches would serve to help control the military. ” Find Articles at BNET | N. p. , n. d. Web. Constant apprehension of War, has the same tendency to render the head too large for the body. Political officers screened for appropriate ideology have been integrated into supervisory roles within militaries as a way to maintain the control by political rulers. In the United States the Hatch Act of 1939 does not directly apply to the military, however, Department of Defense Directive 1344.10 (DoDD 1344.10) essentially applies the same rules to the military. [2] Affirmations of respect for the values of civilian control notwithstanding, the actual level of control sought or achieved by the civilian leadership may vary greatly in practice, from a statement of broad policy goals that military commanders are expected to translate into operational plans, to the direct selection of specific targets for attack on the part of governing politicians. Differing opinions exist as to the desirability of distinguishing the military as a body separate from the larger society. Was Obama justified in firing this Four Star general? In April 2006, Rumsfeld was severely criticized by some retired military officers for his handling of the Iraq War, while other retired military officers came out in support of Rumsfeld. ” Hence, the civilian chain of command has ultimate military authority. But this is possible only if the military is a profes-sional one. This helps to ensure a non-partisan military and ensure smooth and peaceful transitions of power. 12 Aug. 2011. . subordination to civilian control. 13 Aug. 2011. The reason is simple: on the one hand, the coercive power of a military establishment, especially a strong and effective one, makes it at least a potential threat to the regime. Finally, the ability of Congress to legislate changes to the structure of the military itself reflect ultimate civilian control. Advocates of civilian control generally take a Clausewitzian view of war, emphasizing its political character. Using the European experience as a negative example and the British experience as a positive one, he presented the idea of a strong nation protected by a navy with no need of a standing army. Like most liberal democracies, the United States has a long tradition of preserving civilian control over the military. Its loyalty is to the larger principles of the nation, to the rule of law, and to the doctrine of democracy itself. Cincotta, Henry. [citation needed] The words of Georges Clemenceau, "War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men" (also frequently rendered as "War is too important to be left to the generals"), wryly reflect this view. The role of Commander-in-Chief places tremendous power and responsibility in the hands of the president. Get Your Custom Essay on, By clicking “Write my paper”, you agree to our, By clicking Send Me The Sample you agree on the, American Civil-Military Relations: Argumentative, https://graduateway.com/civilian-control-of-the-military/, Get your custom Nuclear weapons in the U.S. are controlled by the civilian United States Department of Energy, not by the Department of Defense. Some news accounts have attributed the actions of these generals to the Vietnam war experience, in which officers did not speak out against the administration's handling of military action. S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 8 – The U. S. Constitution Online – USConstitution. Inasmuch as the U. S. ilitary is highly esteemed, it should be understood that ultimate military authority rests in the civilian chain of command. [5] Even more forceful are the words of Elbridge Gerry, a delegate to the American Constitutional Convention, who wrote that "[s]tanding armies in time of peace are inconsistent with the principles of republican Governments, dangerous to the liberties of a free people, and generally converted into destructive engines for establishing despotism."[5]. Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution says: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Office, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. calls “objective control” of the military by its civilian superiors. These concerns drove American military policy for the first century and a half of the country's existence. Com – Daily News, Polls, Public Opinion on Government, Politics, Economics, Management . The means of defense against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. However, with the advent of the Cold War in the 1950s, the need to create and maintain a sizable peacetime military force "engendered new concerns" of militarism and about how such a large force would affect civil–military relations in the United States.[8]. A more invasive method, most famously practiced in the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China, involves active monitoring of the officer corps through the appointment of political commissars, posted parallel to the uniformed chain of command and tasked with ensuring that national policies are carried out by the armed forces. 6 Given this centrality, it is unsurprising that civilian control has been defined in myriad ways. Author Biography. General Stanley McCrystal was the commander of troops and operations in Afghanistan. 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