ABSTRACT
A relational dialectics perspective assumes a "both/and" feature to human relations in which relationships are experienced through, and defined by, the negotiation of ongoing contradictions. This research utilizes a structural analysis of relationship narratives, relying on the Dialectics of Relational Transition—an interpretive, qualitative approach that emphasizes intelligibility, offering a particular understanding of the phenomenon in question. These veterans' personal stories serve as the basis for understanding the military conflicts in the civil–military relationship. The contrast created by the pictures of unknown veterans as family and kith and kin as unknown entities brings the civil–military divide into sharp focus. Civil–military relations theories suggest elements of communication in their outlines of control, such as the maintenance of a professional culture and a free press, shared social norms, military education, and celebration of the esprit de corps. This project was a foray into the cultural and interpersonal areas of civil–military relations.
