Generals as strategic amateurs

Military leaders are often expert at tactics and operational art but lack exposure to economic, diplomatic, and domestic‑political levers that define strategy. Because strategy requires whole‑of‑government coordination, relying on traditional officer career paths produces strategic blind spots and incentivizes political micromanagement. — This reframing shifts debates about civil‑military relations toward officer education, interagency career paths, and the institutional design needed to translate military success into national outcomes.