BtH: Civil-Military Relations
The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University hosted a special summer edition of its Beyond the Headlines @BUPardeeSchool, or BtH, series on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. During this session, panelists discussed civil-military relations and the politicization of the U.S. military.
The panel was moderated by Lt Gen Jack Weinstein, USAF (Ret), Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Pardee School, and featured Dr. Risa Brooks, Allis Chalmers Associate Professor of Political Science at Marquette University, Brig Gen Christopher “Mookie” Walker, USAF, Assistant Adjutant General-Air and Commander, West Virginia Air National Guard and Air National Guard Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, as well as Dr. Rosella Cappella Zielinski, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Boston University.
Panelists explored ways to improve diversity in military leadership, the role of social movements like Black Lives Matter in promoting military inclusion, the importance of maintaining a non-partisan military ethos, as well as public confidence in the military. With two scholars and two military personnel – one currently serving and one retired – the panel brought a diverse set of perspectives on how to improve interaction between military and civilian populations as well as the role both play in reinforcing an inclusive military that encourages crucial conversation.
A recording of the session can be viewed on the Pardee School’s Youtube channel or below.
Beyond the Headlines is a regular series at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies which seeks to cultivate informed conversations among experts and practitioners on issues that are currently in the news headlines, but to do so with a focus on intellectual analysis and on longer-range trends. Recent Beyond the Headlines discussions have focused on topics including Brexit, International Women’s Day, Russia-U.S. relations, and the crisis in Kashmir.