Military Review English Edition September-October 2013 | Page 51

THE APOLITICAL MYTH

Rather than seeking to remain aloof from politics in a quixotic quest for ill-defined “professionalism,” American soldiers have an obligation to seek greater understanding of the political context in which they operate, whether domestic, multinational, or hostnation. As Army Doctrine Reference Publication (ADRP) 6-22, Army Leadership, notes, “In today’s politically and culturally charged operational environments, even direct leaders may work closely with unified action partners, the media, local civilians, political leaders, police forces, and nongovernmental agencies.”4 The Army must remain both professional and nonpartisan, because we are in danger of being politically uninformed professionals, not uniformed professionals. The Army’s reticence to acknowledge the political dimension within which strategy, operations, and tactics nest is a significant contributing factor to our shortcomings in Iraq and Afghanistan, a mistake we can ill-afford to repeat should we find ourselves in Syria or other emerging hotspots in the coming decades.

If we keep in mind that war springs from some political purpose, it is natural that the prime cause of its existence will remain the supreme consideration in conducting it. That, however, does not imply that the politic ?????????????????%?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????A??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????I????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
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