The Civil-Military Gap: Why It Exists And What Should Be Done About It
Abstract
There has been a great deal of literature and discussion recently about the civil-military gap and whether it represents a crisis or not. The gap does indeed exist, but it has existed since the creation of the United States and is an inherent result of the difference between the liberal democratic values of society, and the conservative values required for military efficiency. It is also a function of the combination of various factors, many of which have lately served to widen the gap. The fact that it exists is not negative, but it cannot be ignored as simply a fact of life and allowed to fester and widen to the point of dysfunctionality. The Marine Corps recruits from, is supported by, and serves society, so it cannot divorce itself totally from society and proceed along the course it deems best. It also has to deal with other services who recruit from the same society, but indoctrinate their recruits according to their own standards, which results in different service cultures. Conclusion: The Marine Corps needs a balanced, multi-pronged approach that emphasizes civil-military relations education at all levels. This education needs to focus on the nature of U.S. society, the nature of a political service to that society, and the nature of the different service cultures the Marine Corps comes in contact with. The formulation and enactment of this approach is vital in order to successfully navigate today's turbulent times and progress into the future rather than backing in to it and potentially becoming irrelevant.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 16, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA511234
Entities
People
- William F. Mullen Iii
Organizations
- Marine Corps University