August 02, 2017
The Warrior Caste
When the new White House chief of staff, then a Marine general, John Kelly received a knock on the door in November 2010, he became the highest-ranking military officer to lose a child in combat. In addition to his son Robert, killed by a landmine in Afghanistan in 2010, his other son is also an active-duty Marine. The Kellys’ legacy of service is not unusual among military families. This type of lineage has led to generations of flag officers, fathers and sons who reunite while deployed, and families who bear the loss of a war America has forgotten we are fighting.
The U.S. military is comprised today of a large number of families who serve generation after generation. While the service and sacrifice of these families over the years are undeniable, the extent to which fighting America’s wars has become a family business should give us pause.
Read the full article at Slate.
More from CNAS
-
Video
National Security Human Capital
The Power of Influence Is Built in the Little ThingsIn this episode of Chief Influencer, Anthony Shop sits down with JoAnne "Jo" Bass, the 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the first woman to serve as the highest-...
By JoAnne Bass
-
Video
National Security Human Capital
Iran War Has “Real Human Consequences,” Marine Corps Veteran SaysNearly 100 service members have been injured in Iranian airstrikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East this month, officials told CBS News. Kyleanne Hunter, the CEO of Iraq and A...
By Dr. Kyleanne Hunter
-
Commentary
National Security Human Capital
The Kid Rock Flyby Controversy and the Erosion of Military ProfessionalismAdherence to high standards and a willingness to conduct investigations when those standards may have been violated are a feature of the American military and contribute in no...
By Dr. Jason Dempsey
-
Podcast
National Security Human Capital
Beyond the Selective Service MythsThe debate over resuming the draft often resurfaces during global tension, yet its complexities remain misunderstood. Editor-in-Chief JP Clark sits down with experts William T...
By Katherine L. Kuzminski
