road map for moving the country forward. critics say the latest action moves egypt backwards. atika examines the role of the egyptian military past and present. >> is egypt's military a hero helping in to restore order or threaten to put the country under indefinite military rule? since the 1952 coup the military has always been crucial to securityi securing and maintaining political power in egypt. the supreme council of the armed forces is massive, more than 450,000 personnel taking up 3% of the country's budget. under president hosni mubarak, retired officers staffed the highest levels of government. in 2011 when protesters filled tahrir square and demanded mubarak step down, it was the military that offered to run the country for six months to widespread public support.