Military Officers and Politics: The Fraught Relationship between MacArthur and Truman
David Mattingly reviews award-winning historian H.W. Brands’ new book, “The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War.”
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Tag: civil military relations
How to Prevent the Army’s ‘Brain Drain’
West Point Cadet Bradley Baker argues that exit surveys for all officers leaving the Army with 8 or fewer years of service is a critical first step in understanding and eventually countering lower junior officer retention rates.
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Un-forgetting Afghanistan
MAJ Steve Ferenzi argues it is time to evaluate the post-9/11 Afghan state-building experiment and determine how best to influence its future trajectory in order to secure US national interests and achieve some measure of regional stability.
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Stars and Stripes, Forever?: Why New Zealand’s Flag Choice Matters
MAJ Matt Cavanaugh investigates the relationship between a nation’s flag and it’s Soldiers through the lens of New Zealand’s current debate over adopting a new flag.
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Is the Powell Doctrine dead and gone?
Major Mike Jackson argues whether the Powell Doctrine is still a useful or even relevant learning objective for junior officers.
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Why Percentages Matter—And Why We Should Ignore Them
Major Dan Maurer writes that the “one-percent” rhetoric, intended as a tribute and note of appreciation, is a subtle call-to-dissatisfaction and undermines the profession of arms.
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Can Silicon Valley Push the Pentagon to Innovate?
The Modern War Institute (MWI) and Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations (CSCMO) hosted a panel on Thursday, January 21, to discuss recent moves by the Pentagon and the secretary of defense, Ashton Carter, to reach out to Silicon Valley to find ways to spur greater military innovation.
Read MoreA Very Unequal Dialogue: Debating Civil-Military Relations with Tom Ricks
By Major Matt Cavanaugh *Note: What follows is the beginning of an essay of mine (“A Very Unequal Dialogue”) on the current state of civil-military relations, which is available in full over at The Best Defense. Tom...
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