Mackubin Thomas Owens
Encyclopedia
Mackubin Thomas Owens is an American military
historian and conservative political figure
. He is currently the Associate Dean of Academics for Electives and Directed Research and Professor of Strategy and Force Planning for the Naval War College
, as well as a contributing editor to National Review
.
He is a senior fellow at the Program on National Security of the Foreign Policy Research Institute
, and edits its journal, Orbis
, starting in 2008. Owens has previously served as a national security
advisor to Senator
Bob Kasten
and in the Department of Energy
under the Reagan administration
. From 1990 to 1997, Owens was editor-in-chief of the defense journal Strategic Review and an adjunct professor of international relations
at Boston University
.
Owens' oldest son, Mackubin Thomas Owens III, attends Suffolk University
in Boston, MA. His younger son, Benjamin Owens, lives in Williamsport, PA. His oldest daughter, Cynthia, lives outside Washington, D.C.
with his grandson, Henry; his younger daughter, Miranda, lives in Oxford, UK.
Owens served as an infantry
platoon
commander from 1968-1969 in Vietnam
during the Vietnam War
, during which he was wounded twice, and awarded the Silver Star
. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel
in 1994. He holds a Ph.D
in politics from the University of Dallas
, a Master of Arts
in economics from the University of Oklahoma
, and a Bachelor of Arts
from the University of California, Santa Barbara
.
Owens contends "that women in combat undermine unit cohesion
and thereby generate Clausewitz
ian friction."
His book, US Civil-Military Relations After 9/11: Renegotiating the Civil-Military Bargain, was published by Continuum in January 2011. It explains some of the key issues that surround the relations between the military and its civilian control in the US today.
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
historian and conservative political figure
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
. He is currently the Associate Dean of Academics for Electives and Directed Research and Professor of Strategy and Force Planning for the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
, as well as a contributing editor to National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
.
He is a senior fellow at the Program on National Security of the Foreign Policy Research Institute
Foreign Policy Research Institute
The Foreign Policy Research Institute is an American neoconservative think tank based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is "devoted to bringing the insights of scholarship to bear on the development of policies that advance U.S...
, and edits its journal, Orbis
Orbis (foreign policy)
Orbis is a quarterly American journal on international relations and U.S. foreign policy. It is the flagship publication of the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute , an international affairs think tank established in 1955....
, starting in 2008. Owens has previously served as a national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
advisor to Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Bob Kasten
Bob Kasten
Robert Walter "Bob" Kasten, Jr. , is a Republican politician from the state of Wisconsin who served as a U.S. Representative from 1975 to 1979 and as a U.S. Senator from 1981 to 1993.- Background :Kasten was born in Milwaukee...
and in the Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
under the Reagan administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
. From 1990 to 1997, Owens was editor-in-chief of the defense journal Strategic Review and an adjunct professor of international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
Owens' oldest son, Mackubin Thomas Owens III, attends Suffolk University
Suffolk University
Suffolk University is a private, non-sectarian, university located in Boston, Massachusetts and with over 16,000 students it is the third largest university in Boston...
in Boston, MA. His younger son, Benjamin Owens, lives in Williamsport, PA. His oldest daughter, Cynthia, lives outside Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
with his grandson, Henry; his younger daughter, Miranda, lives in Oxford, UK.
Owens served as an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
commander from 1968-1969 in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, during which he was wounded twice, and awarded the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in 1994. He holds a Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in politics from the University of Dallas
University of Dallas
The University of Dallas is a private, independent Catholic regional university located in Irving, Texas, established in 1956, which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. According to U.S...
, a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in economics from the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, and a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
.
Owens contends "that women in combat undermine unit cohesion
Unit cohesion
Unit cohesion is a military concept, defined by one former United States Chief of staff in the early 1980s as "the bonding together of soldiers in such a way as to sustain their will and commitment to each other, the unit, and mission accomplishment, despite combat or mission stress"...
and thereby generate Clausewitz
Carl von Clausewitz
Carl Philipp Gottfried von Clausewitz was a Prussian soldier and German military theorist who stressed the moral and political aspects of war...
ian friction."
His book, US Civil-Military Relations After 9/11: Renegotiating the Civil-Military Bargain, was published by Continuum in January 2011. It explains some of the key issues that surround the relations between the military and its civilian control in the US today.
External links
- Thomas Owens columns 12-month archive at National Review Online.