Looks like Defence Secretary Gates’ call for more support for US “soft power” tools is a view also shared by those under his command. A new poll of US military officers conducted by the US Global Leadership Campaign shows that they overwhelmingly support diplomatic tools to addressing the variety of security challenges the US faces. A majority of the officers also said that the US is doing too little to strengthen its use of non-military tools.
In a nudge to the State Department's Bureau of Public Diplomacy, a large majority of the officers agreed (77%) that the degree to which America is respected by people overseas makes a difference to the effectiveness of our military overseas. Furthermore, a 62% majority of officers surveyed rate "restoring respect for America around the world by playing a positive leadership role in addressing major global challenges" as a very important goal.
From the poll's summary of findings:
• Today's military officers believe we face very different security challenges than we did during the Cold War and must use different tools and strategies to address those challenges.
• A significant majority of officers surveyed embrace a new paradigm in which strengthened diplomacy and development assistance are important companions to traditional military tools for achieving America's national security goals. • A majority of officers serving in the post-9/11 era have seen the benefit of non-military tools such as development assistance and diplomacy firsthand, particularly those deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
• These poll results suggest the next Commander in Chief must understand that a strong military alone is not enough to protect America and that military officers believe we must also improve diplomatic relations and do more to promote stability in the world by improving health, education, and economic opportunity in other countries.”
This support for the use of soft power comes from an unlikely, but extremely important source. The military knows that it cannot confront the national security threats of the 21st century without diplomacy in its arsenal.
