With a $500 billion Department of Defense annual budget, the idea that relatively small-scale private assistance can contribute to mission success is counterintuitive. But the unconventional threats America faces place a premium on speed, flexibility, and innovation. And that is where the resources and brainpower of our citizens—unfettered by bureaucracy and the inevitable restrictions on the use of taxpayer funds—can have an off-scale impact. Civilian support is akin to venture capital: risk tolerant, responsive, and able to help military personnel capitalize on windows of opportunity.
