Why armed forces need civilian translators for policy

Which Royal Navy mess dinner was especially memorable?

A dinner at Lympstone illustrated how familiarity with both military and civilian language can help the services explain their needs to politicians.

Alex Clarke recalls a dinner at Lympstone where a Royal Marine questioned the usefulness of a civilian intermediary. Asked how he would explain a service issue to politicians, the Marine gave a response that made sense in Royal Marine terms. The difficulty was whether someone outside the service could understand it. Familiarity with both groups made it possible to translate the service's needs into terms a civilian audience could follow. The incident illustrated the value of unpaid communication work between the military and politicians.