The US Military as an American Institution and US Military

OrganizationLsn 5

American Traditions Stemming from the Colonial Period

• Militia and volunteer forces

• Fear of standing armies

• Supremacy of civilian authority

• Colonial separatism George Washington is often compared to Cincinnatus who resigned his absolute authority as dictator of Rome

Characteristics of the American Military Experience Prior to the Civil

War

• Nonprofessional

• Based on copying Europeans

• Limited war

• Enemies mainly British and Indians

King’s Mountain by Don Troiani

Characteristics of the American Military Experience Prior to the Civil

War

• Coast defense and Indian Removal used as post-war remedies (defensive plans to avoid war)

• Militia• West Point was the

only real contact with professionalism

Sylvanus Thayer: Father of the Military Academy

Elements of a Profession

• Initiation/apprenticeship• Body of specialized knowledge• Expertise• Standards• Self-regulation• Service is in demand• Profession-related publications• Education system

The Army as a Profession

• In The Soldier and the State, Samuel Huntington identified three criteria for a profession and indicated that the military profession met all three of these:– Expertise in the management of violence– Social responsibility; Financial remuneration is not the

primary aim of the professional soldier– Corporateness; There are certain standards for

admission to the ranks and a set of competencies that soldiers are required to exhibit

The Army as a Profession

• In The Professional Soldier, Morris Janowitz took a more sociological approach to military professionalism

• Argues that the military will be a reflection of the society it serves, although it will not be a carbon copy

• There are real limitations to the civilianization of the military, including the military training system, duty assignments, and daily living conditions that may isolate military people from civilian society

• Still, the military will and should reflect the dominant values of the society it serves

Military Integration in Context• 1948 Executive Order 9981• 1954 Brown vs. Topeka Board of

Education• 1957 Little Rock Central High

School desegregated• 1961 James Meredith becomes

first black to enroll at Ole Miss• 1964 Civil Rights Act• 1965 Voting Rights Act• 1965 First black students enroll at

Southern Miss• 1967 Loving v. Virginia rules that

prohibiting interracial marriage is unconstitutional

• 1971 Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education upholds busing

Clyde Kennard, a former Army paratrooper, tried

unsuccessfully to enroll at USM in 1957, 1958, and 1959

Civilian Control

• In Huntington’s model, there is “objective” civilian control of the military– The tenets of military professionalism

themselves keep the military apart from prevailing fashions and intellectual currents in society

• For Janowitz, there is “subjective” civilian control of the military because some civilianization of the military occurs as it interacts with society

Civilian Control of the Military

• President serves as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive– Ensures civilian

control over military policy

– Appointment of officers

– Appointment of Secretary of Defense

• Congress provides for the common defense…– Declares war– Raises and supports

armies– Provides and maintains a

Navy– Controls budget– Make rules for the

government and regulation of the land and naval forces

Characteristics of American Culture which have Molded the Army

• Individualism• Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and

peace as basic goals• The desire to achieve decisive results quickly• A talent for the design and use of machinery• Highly developed productive capability and

managerial skills• Great material wealth• Belief in the supremacy of civilian authority

Characteristics of the American Soldier

• Individualistic

• Resists discipline

• Wants to get home quickly

Navy

• Safeguards maritime commerce

• Shows the flag

• Enables land power

Air Force

• Maximizes technology

• “Gratification without commitment”

• Sends a message, but seldom can be decisive

Army

• Can achieve decisive results

• Provides “boots on the ground”

• Represents maximum commitment

• Very costly (casualties, time, logistics, etc)

Basic Army Elements

• Squads• Platoons • Companies• Battalions • Brigades

– Regiments

• Divisions• Corps• Armies

Platoon Structure

PlatoonHeadquarters

Squads

Platoon

HeadquartersSection

Platoons

Company

Company Structure

HHC Companies

Battalion

Battalion Structure

SpecialPlatoon

SpecialPlatoon

HQSection

HeavyBrigade

InfantryBattalions

TankBattalions

MICompany

SignalPlatoon

EngineerBattalion

ChemicalPlatoon

HHC

SupportBattalion

ArtilleryBattalion

MPPlatoon

ADBattery

HeavyDivision

ManeuverBrigades

DivisionArtillery

EngineerBrigade

MPCompany

SignalBattalion

MIBattalion

ADBattalion

CavalrySquadron

DISCOM

ChemicalCompany

AviationBrigade

HHC

Echelons Above Divisions

• Corps are two or more divisions

• Armies are two or more corps

Next

• The Mexican War and Introduction to the Civil War