Set us as preferredThe Pentagon reportedly is considering eliminating civilian tenure across the military service academies and senior war colleges. Military and civilian professors contribute different strengths to professional military education. AdvertisementA civilian professor’s role is not to oppose the institution for the sake of opposition. Tenure gives civilian professors a measure of professional security when that work produces conclusions institutional leaders would rather not hear. A line-by-line review based on vague ideological standards would narrow the intellectual space in which professors teach and conduct research.