None of this is to denigrate the vocation or contribution of the U.S. military and its members; or to ignore that their profession may require them to go into harm’s way. Rather, in view of the institutional mechanisms created from the U.S. Constitution until the present, the culture established within society and the military itself and the respectful manner in which members of the military are treated during active duty and after, there is virtually no issue of control. In this regard, President Obama and his predecessors have had one less worry that many of his counterparts throughout the world lose sleep over.

Thomas C. Bruneau is a Distinguished Professor of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School. The views expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Navy or the Department of Defense.