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Accession Number:
ADA505011
Title:
Civil-Military Relations: From Vietnam to Operation Iraqi Freedom
Descriptive Note:
Monograph
Corporate Author:
ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED MILITARY STUDIES
Report Date:
2009-05-01
Pagination or Media Count:
59.0
Abstract:
The end of the Cold War did not bring about the grand peace that was anticipated for four decades. Instead, the world has become more dangerous. Military institutions worldwide must learn to adapt to the ever-changing face of the terrorism threat. Services can no longer look within their own ranks to accomplish the mission all operations must be joint to succeed in the contemporary operating environment. This monograph examines civilian-military relations during two wars the Vietnam War and the Iraqi War. The military must know what the civilian leadership requires and must, in return, articulate a clear path to achieve it, if feasible. The U.S. military never lost a battle in Vietnam, and yet that conflict is looked upon as an American defeat. The war in Iraq began to look like a repeat performance. The military was clearly winning engagements on the battlefield, but the talk at home, in the media, was of a quagmire and stagnation two terms used to describe Vietnam, and ultimately, defeat. Although this monograph uses two snapshots in time of civilian-military relations, the significance of its findings apply, in general, to all students interested in civilian-military relations, as well as decision making. Whether looking at times of war or peace, civilian-military relations play a significant role in all matters pertaining to the running of our military. The decisions made by our civilian leadership can influence even the smallest facets of military life.
Distribution Statement:
APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
