The Canadian Army Journal

NOTE TO FILE—REACHING INTO THE ORACLE:
REFLECTIONS OF A COLD WARRIOR ON THE ISSUES AND
CHALLENGES IN DEFENCE
Shaye K. Friesen
In antiquity, individuals sought out the advice of expert advisors at oracular sites
such as Delphi or the Temple of Ascleipeus. For most contemporary defence and
security matters, however, advice is gathered from colleagues or immediate co-workers
within the same chain of command. The limited availability of subject matter experts and
short deadlines required to produce deliverables impose constraints on our ability to
consult with experts in the broader defence and security network. Because the
Canadian Forces (CF) don’t know what they don’t know, the benefits of working with
other agencies and outside experts, such as transferring experience, developing a
network of trust and information sharing, can be squandered.
Fortunately, the basic principles of policy and strategy formulation remind us that,
when developing a strategy, it is important to create synergy by consulting a larger stable
of experts to generate support and develop content. This involves casting as wide a net
as possible and engaging in a dialogue and debate that provokes critical thinking before
(not after) strategies are developed and implemented. Often the experience and
expertise of external advisors yield rich dividends because they are able to shed new
light on existing problems and present concepts in innovative ways that have not been
previously been considered. Just as the advice from the oracle played an important role
helping understand issues ranging from everyday life to geopolitics, so too should we
benefit from the specialized knowledge of modern day of subject matter experts.
Enter Dr. George Lindsey. Dr Lindsey served in the Royal Canadian Artillery during
the Second World War, and with the British and Canadian Army Operational Research
Groups. He later became the Chief of the Operational Research and Analysis
Establishment (ORAE) in National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) in 1967, and held this
position until his retirement in 1987. During this time, he became one of the most
influential people responsible for moulding the direction of Canadian defence science
during the Cold War. As 2007 marked the launch of the 60th anniversary of defence
science in Canada, it is important to pay tribute and recognize those who have
contributed to building defence science. The Centre for Operational Research (CORA)
offers a wealth of expertise and brings together different scientific disciplines together
that provide enhanced analytical support for the CF. Old-timers such as Dr Lindsey can
be used as strategic “force multipliers” on a part time basis, or employed as peer
reviewers to ensure the best possible advice is provided to the CF. They may have even
encountered similar problems in the past that could lend assistance to priority research
areas.
In a time of constant change, it is necessary to pause and gather our thoughts by
reflecting on the past, using the past to gain a broader understanding of how people in
our organization approached similar problems in the past, and how we can build on this
knowledge today. This article unearths some high-level guidelines to better illustrate
how contemporary issues and challenges in military operational research (OR) have
some historical precedent from which valuable observations, insights and lessons can
be drawn. In doing so, it demonstrates how the knowledge and experience of senior
members of the defence scientific community can be applied to provide meaningful
context and clarification for today’s defence and security challenges.
Canadian Army Journal Vol. 11.1 Spring 2008 113