[djmcmath]

The Navy has just transferred me into a new job working for the Commander of the Submarine Force. One of the things I've been tasked with is looking at the way that the Sub Force learns lessons. We absolutely suck at learning from our mistakes, and current efforts to implement knowledge management are not helping. In my mind, it's really a knowledge management question -- how do you take knowledge that one element of the force has and get it to the people who need it?
I've been reaching out to other military and government knowledge managers (Navy Lessons Learned Database, Army Knowledge Online, Battle Command Knowledge System), and (no offense intended to the hard-working and well-meaning administrators of said systems) they all have a lot of the same stuff. There's some great ideas mixed in with some terrible ideas, but overwhelmingly, they don't work. I've been pulling my hair out trying to find a good round wheel so I don't have to re-invent the thing, but it seems like all of the mil/gov wheels are square.
Then I realized: for the past several years, I've been a part of a brilliantly successful knowledge management forum -- Pelican Parts. If I need information on anything from rebuilding a transmission to growing orchids in the desert, I can do a search and find what I'm looking for. The forum here is invaluable -- it is quick, efficient, and full of valuable information.
The hard question is "why?" I'd be particularly interested in Wayne's inputs, as the driving force behind the success of the forum, but I'm sure that the rest of you have valuable inputs too. What makes it work? What ideas do you have that could cross-apply to a military-based forum?

Thanks in advance,

Dan