The US Military as an American Institution and US Military Organization

1. The US Military as an American Institution and US Military Organization Lsn 5

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Characteristics of the American Soldier • Individualistic • Resists discipline • Wants to get home quickly

13. Navy • Safeguards maritime commerce • Shows the flag • Enables land power

14. Air Force • Maximizes technology • “Gratification without commitment” • Sends a message, but seldom can be decisive

15. Army • Can achieve decisive results • Provides “boots on the ground” • Represents maximum commitment • Very costly (casualties, time, logistics, etc)

16. Basic Army Elements • Squads • Platoons • Companies • Battalions • Brigades • Regiments • Divisions • Corps • Armies

17. Platoon Squads Platoon Headquarters Platoon Structure

18. Company Headquarters Section Platoons Company Structure

19. HQ Section Special Platoon Special Platoon Battalion Structure Battalion Companies HHC

20. Infantry Battalions Tank Battalions Heavy Brigade Artillery Battalion Support Battalion AD Battery MI Company HHC Chemical Platoon MP Platoon Signal Platoon Engineer Battalion

21. Maneuver Brigades Heavy Division DISCOM Cavalry Squadron Division Artillery Aviation Brigade Engineer Brigade AD Battalion MI Battalion Chemical Company MP Company Signal Battalion HHC

22. Echelons Above Divisions • Corps are two or more divisions • Armies are two or more corps

23. Next • The Mexican War and Introduction to the Civil War