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The article presents information on the evolutionary status of the relationship between military and their family, in the U.S. Family bonding has been considered as obstacle in the completion of mission by the American Military Organization. The establishment of the Army Community Service Centre in 1965, has been the first formal policy response endowed to the families of military in the U.S. Widows and orphan of military personnel were provided with financial assistance for the first time in 1794. Attention towards families has increased from the period of economic vulnerability and shifting values brought by the revolutionary war and the civil war in the U.S.

US combat operations involving women and revelations of sexual abuse in the US military have periodically sparked intense political debates about women’s military roles. In the midst of these debates, US policy makers have repeatedly created independent advisory commissions on issues concerning women in the military. This article uses qualitative case studies of three such commissions to evaluate whether commissions can foster meaningful civil–military dialogue on contentious matters involving the military and society. This article finds that commission deliberations have sometimes led military professionals to change their views of sensitive issues, but that commissioners have been less open to deliberation if they have been affiliated with an organization possessing a distinct political agenda on women in the military. More broadly, the findings suggest that independent advisory bodies can provide valuable mechanisms for civil–military dialogue, so long as policy makers appoint to them individuals who are relatively open minded and unconstrained by political commitments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different countries have varying definitions of the word “veteran,” which in turn influence the benefits that ex-Service personnel receive. However, public opinion does not necessarily reflect official definitions. This article seeks to identify whether characteristics by which UK ex-Service personnel self-identify as veterans are aligned with official policy/public opinion, and which factors are associated with self-identification as a veteran. This article utilizes data from a structured telephone interview survey of UK Armed Forces personnel. All those who had left the military by the time of interview (n = 202) were asked whether they considered themselves to be a veteran. Their responses were recorded and analyzed. Only half of the sample considered themselves to be veterans. Definitions used by UK ex-Service personnel do not align with the official UK government definition or public perceptions of “veterans,” which tend to focus on older veterans and/or those who served in both World Wars. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite its social and political importance, veterans’ policy is an overlooked subject in the field of civil —military relations. This article aims to discuss the theoretical problems of studying veterans’ policy. It also proposes analysis of veterans’ policy in Russia. The aim of the theoretical review is to underline the limits of traditional ways of viewing veterans’ policy, which consider veterans’ policy as a consequence of the development of military institutions. The article stresses the importance of taking into account the effect of societal factors in explaining veterans’ policy. An examination of the Russian case demonstrates the historical development of an exclusive veterans’ policy, including the construction of the privileged position for veterans of the World War II. It also analyses the changes of veterans’ policy after the Soviet Afghan War of 1979 —89. Finally, the article highlights the principles of contemporary veterans’ policy in Russia and explains why it cannot be changed without reconfiguration of civil—military relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article summarizes results from a child care survey of military families conducted by the RAND Corporation in 2004 and draws policy implications for the military child care system. The article describes the military child care system, discusses the policy objectives of the system, and summarizes survey results that clarify the degree to which the Department of Defense is meeting its child care goals. The authors find evidence that despite its high quality, the military child care system fails to optimize readiness and retention of military members because these goals do not drive system policies or operations. The article offers suggestions for improving system outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the tension between military objectives and the "democracy value" cherished by Western civilian societies, using the situations of injured military members and the living conditions of civilian spouses; in particular, the responses of the Canadian Forces to members' posttraumatic stress disorder, and to spouses who are victims of domestic violence. The authors show how these responses currently privilege military objectives over the democracy value to an extent that is incompatible with the human rights of civilians or military members. They conclude by discussing how military leadership training could be modified to produce an altered balance between the two value systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important feature of civil-military relations is the way in which states recognize the sacrifices that the men and women of the armed forces give to their country and provide care and support for them and their families once they leave the military as veterans. Yet states differ not only in the levels and kinds of support provided for ex-service personnel but also in their very definition of what a veteran is. This article examines the case of the United Kingdom from an international perspective. It explains how and why the United Kingdom has developed a particular--and inclusive--definition of veteran and. in conjunction with veterans interest groups, a strategy for allocating scarce resources to this group. The article analyzes attempts to mitigate the effects of social exclusion suffered by some subgroups within the veteran population, although the great majority does well at least in terms of short-term employment prospects. It concludes with an analysis of the dilemmas that are likely to confront those responsible for developing policy on veterans issues in the future, especially where to target scarce resources in such an inclusively defined group of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years nonlethal weaponry has become increasingly available for widespread application as a means of promoting national security. Among the fascinating questions raised by this development, the deterrence impact of nonlethal weaponry seems particularly ripe for scrutiny. After a background discussion of definition, motives, history, and dangers surrounding this trend, this article develops a set of highly tentative propositions about the conditions under which nonlethal weaponry is most beneficial and detrimental as an instrument of deterrence. It is hoped that these propositions provide guidance for policymakers in using this coercive instrument to manage domestic and foreign turmoil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the military perceptions and attitudes regarding nationalism and national security in contemporary Brazil. The investigation of the Brazilian military perceptions of the new, military attitudes, emerging international order and the ongoing modification of military doctrine, appears to establish introductory view that the recent Brazilian Policy for National Defense hides more than it reveals regarding crucial ongoing processes in the military establishment. Threats of perception, which have been underscored are not the only causal factors in conditioning strategic planning.

The article cites a study that provides an integrated explanatory analysis of cross-national transactions and their implications for international security. Recently, these transnational flows have risen dramatically in conjunction with the growth of global interdependence. While most of these flows seem beneficial, some appear dangerous as they violate national laws and global norms, create potentially devastating political-military, economic, social, or environmental effects, and are virtually impossible to monitor and prevent. The article discusses four such ominous covert transnational flows, which include arms flow, illegal human migration, drug traffic, and unsanctioned hazardous materials.

Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has expanded its role in peacekeeplng operations around the world. However, budgetary pressures in the late 1980s led to a reduction, beginning in 1987, in the size of the active force that increased its dependency on reserve forces. This article presents an analysis of data on American soldiers in two different units, one reserve and one active duty, to determine the attitudes of soldiers in each unit toward peacekeeping norms of impartiality and the use of force, the role of the military in peacekeeping, and whether such missions are appropriate for their unit. Differences between reserve soldiers' responses from those of the active duty unit are discussed. In general, soldiers in both units accept most peacekeeping norms. Although both units felt that peacekeeping was not appropriate for their unit, soldiers in the reserve unit generally had more constabulary attitudes than those in the active duty unit. These findings suggest that members of the reserve components may be regarded as an appropriate source for peacekeeping personnel in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]