The role of the Department of Defense in sub-Saharan Africa has increased significantly since 2001 as evidenced by its increased presence, personnel, and programming. Overall, this increasing role takes place in relatively close proximity to other, ongoing civilian efforts. Given this increasing role, a qualitative review of the emerging patterns of American civil-military relations and how they affect planning and execution in sub-Saharan Africa is useful and timely. The methodology relies on the application of selected elements of civil-military theory to the theater strategic, operational and tactical levels. Such elements include issues of control, monitoring, information-sharing, civilian and military preferences, and strategic assessment. Recent applications of institutional theory to civil-military relations, particularly Peter Feaver's agency theory, which derives from the principal-agent theoretical framework, and Risa Brooks' recent work on the interface between strategic assessment and civil-military relations both provide relevant elements of civil-military relations for this purpose. Building on these efforts to bridge the gaps between theory and practice in American civil-military relations could enhance the discourse associated with civil-military issues, identify key issues, and formulate recommendations for improving operational planning and execution. Much of civil-military theory focuses on issues of civilian control at the highest level of decision-making (i.e., the principals) and often takes place in the context of planning for or executing military operations. However, the Department of Defense increasingly plays an important though decentralized role at the regional level through geographic combatant commands and emphasizes the importance of full-spectrum operations, including non-kinetic options. As a result, it is important to consider the often unexplored area of American civil-military relations as they play out on a day-to-day basis at levels well below the principals and in areas not dominated by military operations. Given the increasing role of the Department of Defense in sub-Saharan Africa, which is primarily a permissive operating environment, sub-Saharan Africa is an important and timely geographic focus. In conclusion, the key elements of civil-military theory are applicable to situations other than military operations, such as civil-military operations in permissive environments. Though the match between current theory to civil-military operations in permissive environments is not perfect, many of the key elements of current theory could provide a framework for identifying and discussing civil-military issues as they play out on a day-to-day basis. In addition, the increasing role of the Department of Defense in non-military operations warrants further attention to the implications for civil-military theory and practice. Further elaboration of such an analytical framework could help identify and address uniquely American civil-military issues. Without such a framework, analysis of civil-military issues at the field level run the risk of being excessively simplified and ad hoc in nature. Such a framework could also be useful for optimizing civil-military outcomes at the field level.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)