June 30, 2011

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates likes to say that some of the biggest doves are in uniform. It’s the kind of counterintuitive declaration that, in fact, the military is very skeptical when it comes to military action, and prefers peace to battle almost anytime.

That’s true, says Col. John Maraia, who spent the last year with the United States Institute of Peace as a military fellow. “We would like all options short of force to be exhausted before we commit our people to a fight,” he says. “Exercising the military instrument of power is more expensive in blood and treasure (particularly blood) than any other approach, and I think those of us in uniform have a clear understanding of what the human cost will be, and we don’t like to accept that cost if it can be avoided.”

Maraia returns to active duty this month after spending a year at USIP studying and writing about Islamic extremism in Indonesia. He has also spoken numerous times around the country to students, civic groups and others about the military and the work USIP does. Maraia says he is struck by how USIP experts “intuitively look for the deep roots of a given conflict” in a way that may escape military planners who can be focused on shorter-term solutions.

“Collectively, USIP experts will look at issues of good governance, economics, religion or the rule of law that may be feeding hostilities below the waterline,” Maraia writes in an e-mail. “As a result, USIP experts may have a better sense of what will be required to achieve a lasting and durable solution to problems because they will be able to identify the deeper issues that need to be addressed.” And, his experience at USIP has convinced him of the importance the role that groups such as USIP and more conventional think tanks play in foreign policy.

“To me, USIP, as well as other organizations with a similar focus, should be on the speed-dial of intelligence officers and operations officers employed by leaders in the Defense Department, the Joint Staff and the Combatant Commands,” he writes. Those various groups, he says, “bring different analytical tools (and a different viewpoint) to the process.”

That recognition doesn’t always come quickly to some in the military, says Paul Hughes, a retired Army colonel now at USIP. “Very few officers understand the multitude of actors and efforts involved in resolving conflict without the use of violence,” he writes in an e-mail. “Those fortunate enough to have a fellowship at USIP find themselves in a world of vastly different actors who also seek to prevent, and if necessary, resolve conflict.”

Maraia, a career officer with 22 years in the Army, has spent most of his years in uniform as a Special Forces officer, with multiple assignments with the 1st Special Forces Group in the Asia-Pacific region. Naturally, Special Forces units are known for high-intensity, offensive action. But by doctrine, “SF” also focuses on lower-end-of-the-spectrum work, like building military and security assets in foreign countries. This past year at USIP, Maraia says, has expanded his own awareness of the impact military operations have and how good planning can mitigate those effects.

“Military planners will be looking for a solution to the problem and they will obviously want to avoid creating a bigger problem in the future,” he writes. “Understanding the deeper issues that USIP concentrates on will help to ensure that we don’t create a mere short-term solution that leaves problems in our wake.”

Explore Further

• The Impact of Osama bin Laden's Death on al-Qaida
  On the Issues by Colonel John Maraia | May 2011
• Military Action in Libya
  On the Issues by Paul Hughes | April 2011