Abstract
Many conceptions of military professionalism in democracies assume that the military's role is primarily to address external challenges and confront foreign adversaries. Yet, militaries in democracies are increasingly being drawn into addressing internal crises. This has been especially evident in the COVID-19 pandemic, in which military personnel have been involved in everything from administering vaccines and testing to border control, and in some cases public advocacy and legitimatization of a government's policies. In recent decades militaries in democracies have also increasingly been involved in counterdrug, immigration, counterterrorism and policing functions. This trend is unlikely to reverse any time soon, given the growing climate crisis, the popularity of militaries in many democracies, and civilian politicians' inclinations to call upon them to manage domestic challenges. These internal missions are particularly worrisome in that research suggests they may politicize the military and draw it into domestic politics in new ways. Given these trends, this paper argues that new and more robust conceptions of military professionalism need to be developed. Its aim is to outline the particular challenges that come from military involvement in internal crises and to propose several key principles that could underpin a conception of professionalism adapted to the contemporary era.
Panel: Military Professionalism in Crisis: The Present and Future of Democratic Civil-Military Relations