'The real challenge is how to harness these professionals and benefit from their knowledge and experience' (pg.4 first paragraph).

Col. Maxwell writes on the US experience, I have doubts - as an outsider - that the military tolerate and encourage what maybe seen as dissident thought. In wartime that should be different, looking at the UK in WW2 some of the developments required external political support, scientific discovery and removal of obstactles. Plus in-service realisation that old methods had failed.

Today the USA is at war, so dissident / new thought can be heard and listened to. I've not read much on the Iraqi campaign, unlike many here, but it appears to be a combination of factors that led to the changes. Interestingly we appear to see now in the Afghan policy sphere a re-think on the strategy and aims.

Hopefully Col. Maxwell's test will be passed. Now back to my armchair.

davidbfpo