Value of Part-Time Forces

Ever since the inception of volunteer system all over the world, there is a feeling that the part-time forces have been commonly misunderstood and many a times badly ignored. Their overall structures have always been controlled by the regular armies and the situation has always been anomalous.

This situation can be solved by giving the part-time forces full control of their internal command and control systems and also providing them with full autonomy. This not only would lead to the betterment of the morale of the amateur soldiers but on a larger prospective would also improve their efficiency. By giving full autonomy to the part-time forces, the regular armies to a great extent would also be in a position to reduce the acute shortage of officers who otherwise are required for manning the part-time forces. These officers so relieved could focus on their prime role of defending  nations against foreign aggression. The classic example of this is the British Armed forces, where part-time officers also command regular formations and where competence and the ability to do a job is the sole criteria for any appointment instead of petty service concerns. There is no doubt this cannot be practiced in India.    

The famous United States General Douglas MacArthur, in his article titled, ‘The Citizen Soldier and His Role in Our National Military Policy’ in the American Legion Magazine, January 1952 had stated that:

“In all our wars, from the Revolutions to Korea, the citizen soldier has met the full shock of battle, has contributed all but a fraction of the dead and maimed and has accepted the responsibility for victory.

Yet despite all this, he has never received either from our political or military leadership full credit for his role in safeguarding the security of the nation, nor the support in peace which would better prepare him to carry his responsibilities in war.

The tendency has existed, as it still now exists to regard him as an auxiliary rather than the main pillar supporting our national military strength.  Only in rare instances have his views been sought or considered in the shaping of high policy governing the conduct of war or plans to secure the peace. Indeed, only in most exceptional cases he has been called to share the authority of higher command or staff administration……

……..A military state…….historically under the control of professional military thinking……….has found in freedom possibly its greatest single impediment…… To avoid this historic pitfall, it is essential that civilian control over the citizen army be extended and intensified. Particularly is this true in the administration of the program of Universal Military Training, if the youth of our land is to avoid being corrupted into a legion of subservience to the so called military mind.

This calls for a reassessment of the role of the citizen soldier now to become the major element of our military establishment during peace as well during war. It calls for a realistic appreciation of the potential in professional competence which the citizen soldier can bring to the fulfillment of our military policy and aims. It calls for the elimination of arbitrary restrictions upon the advance of the citizen soldier in the ranks of military leadership, for which he may be trained or is already reasonably qualified. It calls for a much broadened opportunity for the professional preparation of the citizen soldier to permit his integration into the higher staff duties and planning designed to avert war if possible, to prosecute it to early victory if not.

This requires a basic change in attitudes. It requires recognition of the fact long understood but covertly denied that our Army, as befits a republic, is a citizen army. It requires that leadership from the top down be selected upon merit, carefully avoiding arbitrary class discrimination. It requires that the citizen soldier, if otherwise professionally qualified, have the opportunity to voice his views in the formulation of military and related political policy – recognition that none have any monopoly upon the attributes to military leadership. It requires that we carefully avoid yielding to professional ambition at the expense of the primacy of the national interest

Unless these principles are recognized and adhered to, we shall find that our citizen army lacks the spirit essential to the building of invincible force – that its officers lack the incentive to advance their professional competence – that the people lack faith in the integrity of their military arm.” 

(Published by the team of Territorials)