I do not think you can make the argument just on historical precedent alone. The federal troops lit savages up from time to time without a declaration of war. Hell, the guys who wrote the Constitution made punitive raids on tribes in their militias.
We kind of need a new Articles of Confederation at this point. I'd rather see the Army as it's own thing, independent of democracy, so that voters have no means to drag us into endless wars, and the Army has the freedom of action to engage, disengage, and wage war as they see fit.
If the democrats and republicans want to start a war, they should make their case to the Strategos. Even now, if Thunder Mountain decides it is go time, the missiles fly . They won't ask for permission.
The military should not be beholden to non-serving civilians. That was a huge mistake.
