Description
Book SynopsisExploring the profound differences between what the military services believeand how they uniquely serve the nation. When the US military confronts pressing security challenges, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps often react differently as they advise and execute civilian defense policies. Conventional wisdom holds that these dynamics tend to reflect a competition for prestige, influence, and dollars. Such interservice rivalries, however, are only a fraction of the real story. In Four Guardians, Jeffrey W. Donnithorne argues that the services act instead as principled agents, interpreting policies in ways that reflect their unique cultures and patterns of belief. Chapter-length portraits of each service highlight the influence of operational environment (nature) and political history (nurture) in shaping each service's cultural worldview. The book also offers two important case studies of civil-military policymaking: one, the little-known story of the creation of the Rapid D
Trade ReviewFour Guardians is a laudable effort that should be carefully and widely read by scholars and practitioners of civil-military relations. This ambitious project attempts not only to explore the impact that each distinct military service culture will have on civil-military relations, but also to extend and re-imagine one of the most prominent theories.
—
RealClear DefenseA great read for field-grade officers preparing for joint staff or any assignment that requires making predictions on other services' behavior in policy debate. Despite six years of joint experience, including five years on USA posts, I found new insights into understanding the other services. We are destined to fight together and Donnithorne's book prepares the reader for that destiny.
—
Strategic Studies QuarterlyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments
1. Principled Agent Theory
2. Thinking Like a Sailor
3. The Few and the Proud
4. Washington's Own
5. Fighting for Air
6. Getting There Fast
7. Getting to Yes
Conclusion
Notes
Index
