Lloyd Austin is the leader our military needs right now

America’s system of checks and balances relies on safeguards to prevent the concentration of power. One of those safeguards is civilian control of the military, including the constitutional restriction that only Congress can declare war. Behind this is the notion that our military commanders should have limited influence over the decision to use force because, as I often say, if you’ve spent your life carrying a hammer, a lot of problems start to look like nails. One important barrier between the leaders who authorize force and those who have spent their lives applying that force is the National Security Act of 1947, which requires a “cooling off” period for a secretary of Defense nominee...