The exit of consultants from the office of Defense Minister Beit Higseth affects the American forces away from the Pentagon – highlighting the importance of strong civil leadership.
In the United States, the American bases are not answered across the Atlantic Ocean, as the inquiries and employees of the Secretary have not been answered, the documents are not signed, and the decisions were delayed for weeks, including a great review of the presence of the American force in Europe.
“You have a feeling of turmoil in the Pentagon – there were no decisions because they deal with employment issues,” said a senior US military official in Europe, like some other members of the service who were interviewed in this story.
Why did we write this
Many American military officials welcomes the idea of rethinking the defense and situation policies. But they also say it is vital in democracy for the president and defense minister. Anxiety is now about the driving vacuum.
These accumulated works are reported, in addition to leaks using the statute of the “sensitive operational details that we will carry greatly”, as the official said, confidence in the Minister of Defense has diminished between many uniforms.
Security experts say all this can also feed fears between other countries about the American military readiness to respond in a crisis.
Pentagon’s emptiness and emptiness of the Pentagon have become more urgent in recent days, as Minister Higseth has launched many close advisers, pushed as part of the former chief of staff, and the military advisers threatened with lying tests for leakage.
While leaving civilian positions is not full, or when people are forced to go out and prepare, “do not get a strong invitation to the president’s work schedule,” which in turn feeds suspicions that he is frustrated.
But although army members may harmonize criticism, officers often indicate that at the level of politics, generals aim to direct, not bullets. They add that it is also not good for democracy, when the US military is forced to fill the leadership gaps.
“It is not our duty to be adults in the room,” says the senior military official. “Our mission is to be the best level to be politicians and advise.”
In addition to believing in civil control, many within the US military support the Trump administration’s desire to reform spending, rethink politics, and demand generals in wars. Many officers also believe that the country has become very certain of armed services in its favor.
“I will be the first to tell you that the position of defense minister needs new blood, especially after its administration by a long time retired generals,” says Jason Dempsey, an army guard, who worked as a special assistant to the chief of joint staff.
“I think every person wants an army that is not dominated by both politics and direction by players wearing the uniform. He needs a different perspective.” “What he does not need is to go from the general perspective to the perspective of specialization.”
At President Donald Trump’s first term, he held this position by a four -star retired General James Mattis, who was often referred to as “adults in the room”.
Within the ranks, mixed positions on Higseth
The point related to the fact that Mr. Higseth is “only” is a specialty that leads a lot among his military critics. One of the senior defense officials says that the term of Mr. Higseth has t to date with the moral spirit -building programs that are equivalent to high -performance young forces by allowing them to be “one -day leader.”
They stop in the place of the leader and stand in front of the unit that provides orders, which tend to involve the generals who perform physical training. It was one of the first directives issued by Mr. Higseth to change the PT test. “This is what the private sector does when he made the leader for one day,” says the defense official. “Our opponents are watching.”
Others refer to the Al -Amin’s social platform’s publications, including the threat of the bow this week to put women’s products in military toilets, which some see in the stereotypes of the events of what the service member should be and distracts his attention from the Pentagon policy.
Such criticisms are a sign of resentment between suspicious upper ranks of a new sheriff in the city, some say. Others add that they appreciate the Trump administration’s apparent convergence of the beginner forces.
One of the American military officials in Europe marveled that when Vice President JD Vance, who served as a low -bond navy, visited a base, “He was surrounded by these young Marines who were euphoria. All of them kept saying,“ He is one of us. “
The US military official adds that the Trump administration is talking about cutting the ranks of senior generals by half, a step that will be welcome among many Midcareer officers.
“When you have a lot of presidents, they all require a brief,” he says. Less number of generals may mean less summaries, faster decisions, and enable new officers. “This is a good thing.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Dempsey, who is now an assistant army colleague and a community program at a new American security center.
“This institution needs a closer look. There is this real desire, even between the old warriors and people in the army, in order to happen.” But it seems that Mr. Higseth is mainly focused on “renaming rules, banning books, and superficial cultural war issues,” he says, instead of what will be a deep diving in the direction of US defense policy.
The need for civil leadership
Dr. Schmidt, retired colonel, while many in the Ministry of Defense are eager for a clear civilian leadership, the service members are more likely to national security as an urgent existential issue because they put their lives and their families on the fighting wars line.
Thus, when they see that the Pentagon is chaos, in this or in previous administrations, they quickly try to fill the gaps – and adds that their strength is growing.
A serious charge this week is the accusation by Trump administration officials that the first American commander of the Middle East, General Eric Corella, has leaked details of Mr. Higseth Sign Communities In order to enhance the goals of his own policy by distorting the reputation of the Secretary.
SPC. Andrea Nima/US Army/AP/File
The relevant report is that Mr. Higseth discussed sensitive information, including the planned strike against the Houthis, on a platform reference with his brother, who is now working in the Pentagon, and with his wife, who does not do that. A sign, while the encrypted, is not considered safe.
It may also be that military officials have leaked to the press because they believed that the secretary was neglected with the operational details that could kill their forces – while they deny them a big problem.
These important details are aside, for years, the defect in the civil military was “less about the strength of the army and more about the collapse of our political system”, Dr. Schmidt. He says.
To move forward, if the lawmakers and civil leaders are in any administration, they must face this dangerous dynamic, “they need to focus less on the army and more on themselves,” he says.
Currently, Mr. Higseth seems to have the confidence of President Trump. Ultimately, it is important that you have a reliable and effective communication to the leadership, says the higher military official in Europe.
“We want a secretary who can make decisions and can advise the president,” he says. “I think everyone wears a costume that wants every defense minister to succeed.”