The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Is the U.S. Army Backing Off on Drones?
English Summary
Despite recent signs of organizational hesitation within the U.S. Army—including the phasing out of experimental drone units and the departure of key champions—the article argues that the rapid adoption of uncrewed systems is critical for future military success. Evidence from recent exercises, particularly those involving Ukrainian drone units, demonstrates that operational superiority hinges on the pace of adoption and integrating precise mass capabilities, rather than merely possessing the technology. Therefore, the U.S. military must accelerate its efforts to close the adoption gap with adversaries, ensuring that strategic focus remains on scaling drone integration regardless of internal leadership changes.
中文摘要
儘管美國陸軍近期出現組織上的猶豫跡象——包括逐步淘汰實驗性無人機單位以及關鍵推動者的離去——本文仍主張，快速採納無人系統對於未來的軍事成功至關重要。近期演習的證據，特別是涉及烏克蘭無人機單位的演習，顯示作戰優勢取決於採納和整合精準規模能力的速度，而非僅僅擁有相關技術。因此，美國軍方必須加速彌合與敵對勢力之間的應用差距，確保戰略焦點始終維持在擴大無人機整合的規模上，不受內部領導變動的影響。
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