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Heidi Urben

@heidiurben.bsky.social

1.2K followers 300 following 53 posts

Prof of the Practice @GeorgetownCSS | Non-Res Senior Associate @csis_isp | civ-mil, natsec | Views mine alone | Go Irish, Hoya Saxa https://www.cambriapress.com/PoliticsArmy

www.cambriapress.com

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Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · 4d

Great piece, Greg.

Reposted by Heidi Urben

Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 9d

While every administration has fired some military leaders, none has relieved so many, so early in their tenure, and in this dramatic fashion.

How Military Leaders Should Respond to Trump’s Norm-Busting

There’s no shame in getting fired when it is not for cause.

foreignpolicy.com

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · 18d

Holy cow! Look at that. I had so much fun yesterday talking to Domers. It’s been so good to be back…even if half of campus is entirely unrecognizable to me.

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Aug 27

Congrats again! So glad it’s here and can’t wait to host your book talk at @georgetownssp.bsky.social

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Aug 11

Way to go! I know the feeling. One of my top 10 most tiring events ever.

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jul 12

I’m so sorry, Russ

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

To me, it really just confirms how you can’t separate the Army and parade from the context of it all.

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

This all shows the perils of politicizing the military - Americans are desperate to see it as their co-partisan - and how all sorts of narratives can easily take root about the military when you don’t really know it at all. Fin/

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

I can be critical of the Army, but it did the best it could do under the circumstances. Perhaps there’s a silver lining in that it did give the public some insights into its Army at a time when it’s hard for the public to really know its military. 7/

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

People who are surprised by how the Army went about fulfilling this task it was handed, haven’t been to an installation-wide 4th of July fest or division week. I’d much rather the parade have that vibe than something more ominous. 6/

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

In any case, many who feared the optic of goose stepping soldiers down Constitution but are now calling it low energy should be glad our Army doesn’t put a high premium on marching and parades. 5/

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

And if you can’t hear the drum beat over music being played, it’s easy to get out of step. To members from the other services who are sniping about this or other aspects of the parade, be glad your service wasn’t put in this position. 4/

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

Some are suggesting the troops marched in formation poorly on purpose. I hate to break it to folks, outside of the various bands and the Fife and Drum Corps whose jobs are to march in formation for a living, it’s not something troops spend a lot of time doing, nor do they really want to. 3/

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

In short, I think the criticism demonstrates two things: the impossibility of separating the Army/parade from the context in which it occurred and how little the American public knows its Army. 2/

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 15

I’ve found the parade criticism™ fascinating and maybe even a little disappointing, and this comes from someone who would have preferred the Army not to be put in this position in the first place. 1/

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 14

Wise words from GEN (Ret) Dempsey on the Army’s 250th birthday - on the importance of the military being nonpartisan and having leaders of character who carry themselves, and therefore the institution, with humility.

warontherocks.com/2025/06/a-so...

A Soldier For Life – War on the Rocks

warontherocks.com

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 12

Thanks, Elizabeth!

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 12

Fair. I purposefully chose to make a very narrow argument here and focus on the breakdown of the military’s norm of nonpartisanship, but yes, that’s occurring amidst a much larger breakdown of norms, etc.

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 12

I use this clip in my civil-military relations class all the time.

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 12

Thanks so much, Risa.

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Jun 12

Thanks to @defenseone.bsky.social for publishing my latest on the military’s norm of nonpartisanship and why Army leaders must uphold and teach this, now more than ever.

www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025/0...

The military must remain nonpartisan. America depends on it

The soldiers who cheered partisan applause lines at Fort Bragg, and their leaders, erred in a spectacular way.

www.defenseone.com

Heidi Urben @heidiurben.bsky.social · Apr 5

I’m so sorry to hear this, Brad.

Reposted by Heidi Urben

Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · Mar 6

With his permission, I'm sharing Dean Treanor's response to Ed Martin's letter:

Reposted by Heidi Urben

Lawfare @lawfaremedia.org · Feb 27

@lindsaypcohn.bsky.social writes that President Trump's removal of top military leaders and uniformed lawyers increases the likelihood that the military will obey orders to suppress domestic protest or civil resistance and reduces the military's effectiveness in other missions.

Trump’s Military Purge Spells Trouble for Democracy and Defense

Firing military leaders for perceived disloyalty is often part of a strategy to consolidate regime power—even as it weakens the military.

www.lawfaremedia.org

Reposted by Heidi Urben

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Feb 23

A useful thing that academics and others can do is provide explainers to local media.

This is a nice example from my former @mccourtschool.bsky.social colleague Bill Gormley.
www.post-gazette.com/opinion/insi...

Bill Gormley: A word in favor of the bureaucrats

Almost every American has suffered an annoying or even angering encounter with a bureaucrat. An obstructive response after a long wait at a DMV line. A...

www.post-gazette.com