Military professionalism and political use

The appearance of professional American line infantry connects military organization with the American War of Independence. Professional troops are a serious campaign threat, and the professional army was crucial to American success in that war. The discussion then moves to modern civil-military attitudes: students may take pride in the capability and bravery of their armed forces while criticizing how politicians use them. Political leaders sometimes prefer a catchy public rationale to a more legitimate but less marketable reason, separating military competence from the wisdom and presentation of policy.