Civilian, Military Both Morally Obliged to Make War Work
Civilian, Military Both Morally Obliged to Make War Work by Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik, U.S. Army Retired, Army Magazine
Generals and admirals are mistaken if they believe their only job in war is to execute the policymaker’s war aims, requiring of them merely an “end state” and the time and resources to accomplish the job. Political leaders are wrong if they believe their job in war is to make policy decisions, getting only options from military leaders that are to be used in discussions from which military leaders are excluded. While convenient because each can “blame” the other when things go wrong, such attitudes are based on a false understanding of the civil-military relationship necessary to wage war successfully.
That relationship is not simply a forum to establish civil control and dominance over the military, a way to demand obedience—as some have suggested—to any policy decision regardless of how potentially ineffective it may be. Rather, it is a forum that should recognize the final decision authority concerning consequential strategic and operational matters rightfully rests with senior civilian leaders; and that the purpose of the relationship is to ensure those final decisions are the best, all things military and nonmilitary considered…
