Considering the rich and varied menu of threats to our national security on offer these days, the leadership at the Department of Defense—the part of the government meant to secure us from foreign enemies—can at times seem to have misplaced its focus.
Take the curious fact reported in the press over the weekend that General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was heard to say in a "recent meeting" that "combating Ebola" is the DOD’s "number one priority."
Really? It seems that fighting the Islamic State might be a greater priority just at the moment—or the broader counterterror effort in general. Or, for that matter, preparing for the awful prospect of a more significant conflict with a state like Iran, or a major power like Russia or China. No one actually wants a war with a major power, but inasmuch as they are preparing for war with us, it surely must be the military’s job to prepare for one with them.
Say what you will about the question of appropriate focus—at least Ebola could actually be a bona fide threat to America and, perhaps, to American security. At other times, though, the senior leadership of the Department of Defense seems to be focused on issues driven more by the politics of Washington than by the pressing necessities of being ready for war, even while hoping for peace.
Take, for example, the substantial amount of energy recently expended by the military on ensuring that its hairstyle policy for women is sufficiently racially sensitive. Or the Army’s concern that it has insufficient diversity among those leading its combat units. Or the continuing drive to achieve greater levels of gender equality in the ranks of combat arms units—and of course continuing focus on the issue of sexual assault in the military.
The reason for the curious focus on these sorts of issues—considering the dangerous character of the world in which we live—is two-fold. For one, the military answers to civilian leaders, and those leaders are appointed by the president. Thus, the president’s political concerns, and those of his allies in Congress, will be addressed, regardless of the preferences of military professionals.
The second, and perhaps just as significant, factor is that the military is under a tremendous amount of pressure in the press to achieve greater social justice, whatever the cost to its effectiveness.