Episode 68: Panel on Civil-Military Relations

On this episode of the Precision Guided Podcast, Max Caplan sits down with three experts on civil-military relations: Dr. Alice Friend, Dr. Michal Robinson, and Dr. Heidi Urben. We discuss what civil-military relations is and the origins of American civilian control of the military. We touch on key topics including how our polarized political climate affects civil-military relations and what to look out for during this election cycle. Finally, our panelists discuss the state of the field and give reading recommendations for those who are interested in furthering their knowledge of civil-military relations. 

About the Guests

Alice Friend is a defense policy expert and has served in several civilian roles at the Pentagon. Most recently, she was the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Dr. Friend earned her Ph.D. in international relations at American University. She has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and American University. She has held research positions at the University of Pennsylvania, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. Army War College, and the Center for a New American Security.  She has just released a book titled Mightier Than the Sword: Civilian Control of the Military and the Revitalization of Democracy.

Michael Robinson is an active-duty Army strategist and an adjunct associate professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He holds a PhD in political science from Stanford University and is the author of the book Dangerous Instrument: Political Polarization and U.S. Civil-Military Relations.

Heidi A. Urben is Professor of the Practice and Director of External Education and Outreach in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University. She is also a Senior Associate (Non-Resident) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Urben is a retired U.S. Army colonel and holds a Ph.D. in government from Georgetown University. Her research interests focus on civil-military relations, military and defense policy, and national security, and her book, Party, Politics, and the Post-9/11 Army, was published with Cambria Press in 2021.

Views expressed are personal and do not represent the views of GSSR or any other entity.