JOs: Stick Your Neck Out

I think the reality, sir, is that there's a strong feeling of self preservation in all of us, so we have to walk a very fine line while trying to innovate. And I think the more senior an officer (or NCO) becomes, the more latitude he/she has with voicing innovative ideas that go against established norms.

As the article says (and I think this applies to all the services): "the US Navy seems to have institutionalized and incentivized intellectual conformity in both strategy and policy through a culture that discourages professional intellectual dissent in favor of promotability."

There are exceptions, such as the special programs the article points out (and similar ones in other services), but for the most part, conformity is the name of the game.