Emerging Patterns of American Civil-Military Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa
The role of the Department of Defense in sub-Saharan Africa has increased significantly since 2001 as evidenced by its increased presence, personnel, and programming. Overall, this increasing role takes place in relatively close proximity to other, ongoing civilian efforts. Given this increasing role, a qualitative review of the emerging patterns of American civil-military relations and how they affect planning and execution in sub-Saharan Africa is useful and timely. The methodology relies on the application of selected elements of civil-military theory to the theater strategic, operational and tactical levels. Such elements include issues of control, monitoring, information-sharing, civilian and military preferences, and strategic assessment. Recent applications of institutional theory to civil-military relations, particularly Peter Feaver's agency theory, which derives from the principal-agent theoretical framework, and Risa Brooks'; recent work on the interface between strategic assessment and civil-military relations both provide relevant elements of civil-military relations for this purpose. Building on these efforts to bridge the gaps between theory and practice in American civil-military relations could enhance the discourse associated with civil-military issues, identify key issues, and formulate recommendations for improving operational planning and execution. Much of civil-military theory focuses on issues of civilian control at the highest level of decision-making (i.e., the principals) and often takes place in the context of planning for or executing military operations. However, the Department of Defense increasingly plays an important though decentralized role at the regional level through geographic combatant commands and emphasizes the importance of full-spectrum operations, including non-kinetic options. As a result, it is important to consider the often unexplored area of American civil-military relations as they play out on a day-to-day basis at
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