By naming Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his new national security adviser, President Donald Trump has taken a critical first step toward restoring confidence in the White House’s ability to meet the challenges of a trying time. Simultaneously the choice raises profound questions about the relationship between the American military and our government and society as a whole.

In adding McMaster to a line-up that includes retired Marine generals James Mattis at the Department of Defense and John Kelly at the Department of Homeland Security, the Trump policy-making team is now undeniably dominated by military officers, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson the lone civilian voice at the top of the relevant agencies. White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, adviser Steve Bannon, and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, whatever their relationship with the president, do not have the same institutional strength to command.