'Military-Political' Relations: The Need for Officer Education
Abstract
To underscore the diversity of missions now being carried out by the U.S. military, consider the following examples. First Marine Expeditionary Force sent 15 Marines to Foreign Service Institute courses and conducted 2-day "economic reconstruction roundtables." Third Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Soldiers have been conducting a comprehensive assessment to revitalize Iraq's aquaculture industry. The Navy's amphibious dock landing ship, the USS Fort McHenry, hosted nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on board to facilitate fisheries conservation. And Army and Marine Corps commanders are serving as de facto town mayors. While Civil Affairs units have always conducted such missions, in the current environment they are no longer alone. Today, all Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen participate in what was formerly the domain of the specialist. As the House Armed Services Committee notes in the epigraph above, where inadequate civilian capacity exists (in and out of combat zones), military personnel will be employed whether they are prepared or not.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA515305
Entities
People
- Derek S. Reveron
- Kathleen A. Mahoney-norris
Organizations
- National Defense University