Commentary The bedrock of U.S. security, those of its allies, and stability in international politics is the U.S. military. At a time when civil-military relations are strained by the policies of the Biden administration, by deeper tensions within U.S. society, and by the China threat, it is important to recall the importance of professionalism and its history within the U.S. military. In his study of civil-military relations, political scientist Samuel Huntington advanced the idea of objective civilian control—the military consists of professionals who obey civilian leadership. In turn, civilians recognize the appropriate military domain. Civilian control is assured if the officer corps is permitted to develop into a highly professional institution. With objective control, officers are given the necessary autonomy for operations for which they have expertise. The history of the U.S. military in the Cold War is a testament to the objective civilian control and serves as the model …