Rough Seas Ahead: Steering the Military Profession
Dave Barno and Nora Bensahel
March 4, 2025
152nd Maintenance Squadron Swears in Newest Honorary Commander
The cyclone of rapid-fire actions taken by the Trump administration in its first weeks has affected every part of the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense and military services. The Feb. 21 summary dismissal of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and many other uniformed senior leaders without explanation was simply unprecedented, and signaled a serious assault on U.S. civil-military norms. Never before have so many senior military officers been fired without clear cause, much less at the beginning of a new president’s term. Some of the key cornerstones of the military — and the long-standing profession of arms — seem to be under direct attack.
In this disruptive and unsettling environment, we fear that leaders across the force may begin to question the value of their service — and their future prospects in an increasingly politicized force. We’ve already heard many of our military colleagues express growing concerns about the president’s apparent sympathy for Russia while spurning Ukraine and NATO; the sudden removal of the military’s top lawyers because they could pose “roadblocks” to the president’s orders; and the chilling effect of firing seasoned uniformed leaders, typically without explanation — especially women. The administration’s actions have reversed decades of U.S. national security policy and created an extraordinary civil-military crisis — and all indications suggest they are far from finished.
Protecting and stewarding the profession of arms through the turbulent years to come should be among the highest priorities of today’s military leaders of all ranks. As historian James Burk has written, a “profession is a relatively ‘high status’ occupation whose members apply abstract knowledge to solve problems in a particular field of endeavor.” The recognition of the military as a profession goes back to the 1800s, and mirrors those of medicine and law. Those of us seeking medical advice unquestionably turn to physicians, and those of us who need legal advice turn to attorneys, because of the training, expertise, and standards inherent in those two professions. In the same way, the nation’s repository of military expertise on the conduct of war resides in the U.S. military, especially in its officer corps. Protecting that domain of expertise, and shielding its precious human capital from an erosion of standards and accountability, are among the highest responsibilities of the stewards of the military profession — its uniformed leaders at all levels.
https://warontherocks.com/2025/03/rough-seas-ahead-steering-the-military-profession/
