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The “voice” of military personnel in the media involves two realities: the words directed to their fellow-citizens and the way that the media report these words, setting the tone for dialogue between the political leadership and military commanders. The “voice” of the military in the media has a place but follows repetitive and often simplistic formulas. Since the end of the Algerian War, the framework of this media narrative is anchored in a binary distribution of roles: politicians decide, and the military executes. Ultimately, the French are given very little opportunity by the media to understand the role that can be played by the opinions of military personnel, who are now the only citizens with first-hand experience of war, and the subtle exchanges that take place between military commanders and the political authorities.