This is Democracy – Episode 8: The Military and Democracy

Jeremi sits down with Professor Aaron O’Connell to discuss the evolving identity of America’s military from 1776 to the present day.

Zachary Suri reads an original poem, “America.”

Aaron O’Connell joined the faculty of UT Austin from Washington D.C., where he served in the Obama Administration as Director for Defense Policy & Strategy on the National Security Council. Prior to working in the White House, Dr. O’Connell taught military history at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he was named the Admiral Jay Johnson Professor in Leadership in Ethics in 2015. In addition to his academic career, Dr. O’Connell is also a Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, and in that capacity, he has served as a Special Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a Special Advisor to the Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and a Special Assistant to General David Petraeus in Afghanistan. Dr. O’Connell holds a B.A. from Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut, an M.A. in American Literature from Indiana University, an M.A. in American Studies from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in American History from Yale University in 2009. When not reading or writing, he spends far too much time practicing the guitar.

Scholarly Interests: Dr. O’Connell’s scholarly interests span four inter-related fields: 20th-century military history, U.S. foreign affairs, cultural history, and American politics. His scholarly publications focus on understanding the effects of U.S. military influence and infrastructure inside and outside the United States. His public history pieces mostly concern how the U.S. military affects contemporary domestic and political culture. He teaches courses in military history, U.S. foreign policy, U.S. military culture, and the U.S.’s role in the world since 1898.

Publications and Appearances: Dr. O’Connell is the author of Underdogs: The Making of the Modern Marine Corps, which explores how the Marine Corps rose from relative unpopularity to become the most prestigious armed service in the United States. He is also the editor of Our Latest Longest War: Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan, which is a critical account of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan since 2001. He has also authored a number of articles and book chapters on military affairs and U.S. military culture. He has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and PBS’s NewsHour Weekend and his commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Slate, The Daily Beast, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.