Huston Smith once lectured on world religions to highly enghusiastic officers at Maxwell Air Force Base.  Why were they so enthusiastic? he wondered.  His answer:

“as a unit they were concerned because someday they were likely tyo be dealing with the peoples they were studying as allies, antagonists, or subjects of military occupation.  Under such circumstances it would be crucial for them to predict their behavior, conquer them if worse came to worst, and control them during the aftermath or reconstruction.”

The kicker: “This is one reason for coming to know people”!!