In this episode of Uncommon Knowledge, Hoover Institution fellow Kori Schake talks with me about her book Warriors and Citizens that she coauthored with General James Mattis, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of maintaining a world-class military managing worldwide issues with an all-volunteer force.

Although Americans have great respect for the military, most civilians have lost touch with it. This means that US  citizens are not attuned to what the military needs because so few Americans volunteer to serve; this lack of understanding reduces not only battlefield effectiveness but the military’s role in American life. Schake talks about the effect of high levels of public support for the military combined with low levels of trust in elected political leaders. She also reflects  on whether American society is becoming so divorced from the requirements for success on the battlefield that not only do we fail to comprehend the enormous responsibilities of our military but we also would be unwilling to endure a military constituted to protect us.