What are the Armed Forces dedicated to?

One should not confuse the principal with the accessory, even though the latter may be very noble and well-received by citizens. Why do I bring this to the attention of readers? Because it should not be the case that, when reaching the section on the Armed Forces in the Constitution, someone becomes confused or unclear about their existence, or determines that they do not deserve to be mentioned in the Constitution, something to which they have an indisputable right, due to possessing the monopoly on arms and the use of force alongside the police.

In a recent column I indicated that the purpose of the Armed Forces is to defend independence and sovereignty, and to protect national interests wherever they may be located.

Some were surprised that I excluded a series of secondary or non-primary activities from their purpose, which may seem very important to many, especially in these times. These are activities that Chilean legislation considers, or that are carried out, in times of peace, due to the versatile capabilities of their human and material resources. The problem arises when, because these activities become very habitual, some confuse it and assume as normal that we have the Armed Forces deployed in a state of constitutional exception due to a pandemic for more than 16 months, or that every summer they form forest brigades, or that they are in charge of polling places, something that the president of Servel finds commendable, along with many other tasks that increasingly become more normal and distance them from their primary roles.

Why do I bring this to the attention of readers? Because it should not be the case that, when reaching the section on the Armed Forces in the Constitution, someone becomes confused or unclear about their existence, or determines that they do not deserve to be mentioned in the Constitution, something to which they have an indisputable right, due to possessing the monopoly on arms and the use of force alongside the police.

One should not confuse the principal with the accessory, even though the latter may be very noble and well-received by citizens. I say this because what is not principal should only be exceptional and should not distract efforts and budgets from the work and time that preparation for defending independence and sovereignty requires, and the human and material capabilities needed to defend national interests wherever they may be located.

The above also applies to the criteria by which weapon systems, tanks, combat and support aircraft, and ships required by the Navy are chosen, as it is very easy to fall into the trap of choosing what is more versatile versus what is more effective in combat, where the prevailing criterion is effectiveness over efficiency.

In no way do I want to deny the potential support that institutions can provide as long as it does not distract them from what is important and principal, and is only exceptional efforts.

The Armed Forces of Chile have been effective in preventing wars because they have very well-trained human capital and the appropriate equipment. They act through deterrence, which requires, to be effective, the ability to convince others that I will have the will to use force, and that the forces at my disposal are highly effective and lethal, and that, if necessary, they can be deployed outside national territory, bringing the war to where it hurts our potential adversaries the most.

If anyone has doubts, please read the recently published Defense Policy of Chile, the most comprehensive document produced in recent times that clearly outlines the above points.

A separate chapter deserves the Navy, which also has the role of maritime authority and the custody of the riches provided by the sea of Chile and a very extensive exclusive economic zone, along with the obligation to keep open the maritime communication routes through which our exports and imports circulate, which sustain us, and which may well be located in the Strait of Malacca or the Panama Canal.

The Air Force, along with its primary role in terms of its contribution to the defense of Chile’s sovereignty and independence, ensures that our airspace operates and is safe for passenger and cargo traffic, and, together with the Navy, is responsible for the fourth largest search and rescue area in the world, a responsibility that often does not receive the due attention and budget from political authorities.

On the other hand, the Army has played a key role in the fact that we have gone over 200 years without being invaded, has taken the war to enemy territory when necessary, has always been victorious and has never been defeated, and this has been possible because it has not forgotten its purpose, despite the multiple distractions that frequently cross its path, and which every July 9 are remembered by honoring the memory of the 77 young men of La Concepción.

I hope this column helps you better understand what the Armed Forces do, what is principal and what is secondary, and that the success of national defense lies in not forgetting their purpose.

Richard Kouyoumdjian
Vice President of AthenaLab