President-elect Biden's nomination of retired U.S. Army General Lloyd Austin to serve as Secretary of Defense was contentious from the start.

Civilian-military scholars decried his nomination as an erosion of civil-military norms, at risk of 'politicizing' the military, and diminishing civilian control of the military. But is this handwringing justified? Should a U.S. President have the latitude to bring in the people he or she desires into this position? Does a prohibition against military members serving as Secretary of Defense--created in very different times in 1947--still have merit today?

Thanks to our longtime listeners for your patience as we took a break while I launched my second book, TOPGUN'S TOP 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit, now available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and local bookstores. It's not too late to grab a copy as a stocking stuffer.

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