**11.8 The military**

The military on Mars may exist in order to protect one settlement from another's transgressions once they begin to appear. Another possibility is providing defense against entities on Earth that they fear may interfere with their operations and priorities. This latter situation could be complicated if they a Martian settlement possesses valuable Martian in situ resources that an Earth-based entity covets. A military presence may exist just because it is how things work on Earth. The possibility of a military existence is something for astrosociologists to monitor because its members may interfere with civilian authority in inappropriate ways.
