Civil-Military Relations and the Operational Leader.

Abstract

The Army Forces of the United States stand ready to support national interests by translating policy into military action. That this military action remains subordinate to national policy is generally accepted as an article of faith. Accurate translation of stated and implied policy, then, is of paramount importance. The primary vehicle for this translation is the pattern of civil-military relations a nation forms. Nations which develop an effective relationship enjoy tremendous advantage at both the strategic and operational levels. The pursuit of proper relations, however, has received scant attention at the operational level. Focus has long remained at the strategic level. History has shown, however, that operational leaders-specifically Unified Commander-in-Chiefs-have tremendous impact on the shaping of civil-military relations. How they choose to fulfill their representative, advisory, and executive responsibilities to the state often becomes the pivotal factor n whether the state enjoys an advantage in the pursuit of military security or the squandering of opportunities.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 06, 1996
Accession Number
ADA307332

Entities

People

  • Daniel T. Pedersen

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Combatant Commanders
  • Communication Systems
  • Department Of State
  • Geographic Regions
  • Korean War
  • Mental Processes
  • Military Operations
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • New York
  • Rules Of Engagement
  • Security
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies