Ukraine and the institutional value of combat experience

The Russo-Ukrainian War shows how combat experience can accumulate before a larger campaign. Ukraine had eight years after fighting began in 2014 to reform its army and keep personnel engaged in continued operations. Survivors of such deployments may be lucky or capable, but either way they return with experience that the rest of the force lacks. When only part of a military deploys, personnel who remained behind may become jealous and obstruct veterans' lessons to protect their own positions.