Military Experience And Politics

The Washington Post printed an interesting opinion piece a couple of days ago by retired army colonel John Nagl, "Does Military Service Still Matter For The Presidency?"

"In every presidential election since 1992," Nagle observes, "the candidate with the less distinguished military résumé has triumphed" (I would add 1972 and 1980 as well). Nagl sees this as a dramatic change, pointing out that "The crucible of combat not only created these United States but has also given us many of our most successful presidents." He lists some of those presidents with their military service.

Nagle might have pointed out, but did not, that twelve of the twenty-three presidents who served in the nineteenth century had previously served as army generals. But an even more interesting factoid is that none of the presidents who led the nation during five of our major wars had any significant military service:

1. James Madison (War of 1812);
2. James Knox Polk (War with Mexico);
3. Abraham Lincoln (Civil War - not declared);
4. Woodrow Wilson (World War I);
5. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (World War II)

Only President McKinley (Spanish American War) had significant military service. He had been a major during the Civil War.

On the face of it, then, lack of military service does not seem to have prevented past presidents from being effective leaders during our greatest wars. I am more disturbed by the fact that in today's America, only one percent of adults have served in the military. I mentioned a while ago my discomfort that service to the nation in a cause greater than one's own prosperity has become rare, rather than commonplace.

Last month, Thomas Ricks suggested in the Washington Post a concrete measure to address this problem: toss out the all-volunteer military. Reluctantly, my own thinking has been evolving in that direction.

Ricks explains: "Resuming conscription is the best way to reconnect the people with the armed services. Yes, reestablishing a draft, with all its Vietnam-era connotations, would cause problems for the military, but those could never be as painful and expensive as fighting an unnecessary war in Iraq for almost nine years. A draft would be good for our nation and ultimately for our military."

I think this is a conversation worth having.