The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Iran Is a Test of Trump’s National Defense Strategy
English Summary
The column argues that Trump’s 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) is built on prioritization and burden-sharing, but the Iran crisis could expose a gap between that framework and the president’s willingness to intervene aggressively. Froman points to NDS language that shifts U.S. focus toward homeland and hemispheric defense, expects allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific to assume more conventional responsibilities, and seeks a limited “decent peace” with China rather than outright dominance. He contrasts that restraint with Trump’s military signaling toward Iran, including carrier redeployment and maximal demands, while warning that Iran is far harder to coerce or reshape than Venezuela and could produce prolonged instability after any regime shock. The strategic implication is that U.S. policy must keep Iran actions tightly bounded to avoid a costly quagmire that would undermine NDS prioritization and broader force posture goals.
中文摘要
該專欄主張，川普於2026年提出的《國家防衛戰略》（NDS）建立在「優先排序」與「責任分擔」之上，但伊朗危機可能暴露此一框架與總統積極干預意願之間的落差。Froman指出，NDS的措辭將美國重點轉向本土與半球防衛，要求歐洲與印太盟友承擔更多常規防務責任，並尋求與中國達成有限度的「體面和平」，而非追求全面主導。他將此種克制與川普對伊朗的軍事訊號形成對比，包括航艦重新部署與極限施壓式要求；同時警告，伊朗比委內瑞拉更難以脅迫或重塑，任何政權衝擊後都可能引發長期不穩定。其戰略意涵在於，美國政策必須將對伊行動嚴格限縮，以避免陷入高成本泥淖，進而削弱NDS的優先排序與更廣泛的兵力態勢目標。
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