Specialist institutions preserve knowledge that officers on three-year rotations cannot build during a single posting. Accumulated information and intelligence help successive officers as they move between roles. Astrophysics supplies an example of expertise requiring twenty years of specialization. Closing internal think tanks therefore raises a different concern from removing an unnecessary command layer: the loss of knowledge that supports the officers doing the work.
Notable Point · 4:04:48-4:05:38
Specialist institutions and officer rotations
Closing specialist military institutions risks losing expertise that short officer postings cannot replace.