Quote Originally Posted by JMA View Post
My distaste for the political classes continues to grow as a result but I believe that the upper echelons of the military have to a greater or lesser extent been sucked into the political ways to the detriment of the military. I still cling to the hope someone will prove me wrong on this... but I'm not holding my breath. […]

It just gets so infuriating when the relatively simple gets turned into a complex and often unworkable operation. With the Brits the military only seem to complain when the leave the service with pension secured. Don't hear much from the US ex servicemen ever. (correct me if I'm wrong)
The phenomenon is not unknown in the U.S., though it seems that it might be more associated with members of the civilian leadership like Robert McNamara and Colin Powell.

I once worked with a retired career officer—certainly not upper echelon—who told me repeatedly that it was vital that the military never be involved in the formulation of policy, that in America the way it worked was that politicians formulated policy and that members of the military carried it out. His is just one interpretation, but I have assumed since knowing him that this is generally the way civilian control of the military is conceived by professional soldiers in the U.S. Anyone care to confirm or deny?