assessment of flawed assumptions in US military training strategies in foreign nations

In a groundbreaking study recently published in International Security, Renanah Miles Joyce, an assistant professor of politics at Brandeis University and a 2022 nonresident fellow at the Irregular Warfare Initiative, has shed light on potential pitfalls in the United States' approach to foreign military training.

The study identifies three key blind spots that, if left unaddressed, could undermine the objectives of the training programme.

The first blind spot is the failure to acknowledge that training also cultivates the norm of cohesion. This norm, while beneficial in fostering unity and effectiveness, can also lead to increased capacity for committing human rights abuses or interfering in politics. General Carter Ham, a former commander of US Africa Command, has expressed concerns that more training might inadvertently heighten soldiers' prioritization of cohesion under pressure.

The second blind spot is the potential for conflict between liberal norms, such as obeying political leaders and protecting populations, which can create a dilemma when political leaders order the military to repress human rights. This dilemma is particularly relevant in conflict-active states, where the US has provided substantial military training. For instance, Ukraine, due to its ongoing conflict, has been a significant recipient of US military training, with the US military base in Wiesbaden playing a central role.

The third blind spot is the tendency to prioritize individual training over institution building. Strong institutions, such as transparent and accountable defense institutions, can help regulate behaviour when norm conflicts create incentives to violate norms. The US has made efforts in defense institution building, but these efforts are often disconnected from the machinery of foreign military training.

Critics argue that US efforts to impart norms may not always be effective, and some instances suggest that the US has inadvertently encouraged militaries to violate norms. For example, during the Cold War, Latin American militaries were taught how to torture.

Joyce's research, however, shows that while training can impart liberal norms, it is not a sufficient solution to prevent norm violations. Instead, institutional change is crucial for regulating behaviour and locking in protections for human rights and legitimate civilian control.

In 2019 alone, the United States trained over 71,000 students from 157 countries. Despite the vast investment in training, without institutional change, norm violations are likely to persist.

Recognizing that training imparts additional factors, such as cohesion, beyond technical skills and liberal norms, can help create more realistic expectations about what norms training can accomplish. Expressing a clear preference-ordering for norms (e.g., "people first, governments second") could also help minimize the risk of militaries avoiding hard choices between liberal norms and defaulting to prioritizing cohesion.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense. The US should focus on addressing these blind spots in its approach to foreign military training to ensure that its efforts are more effective and align with its stated objectives.

assessment of flawed assumptions in US military training strategies in foreign nations