Does the tree that falls in an empty forest make a sound?

“Esse est percipi” — to be is to be perceived; 1710, George Berkeley.

Now we would love to begin a philosophical debate about what it means to be, or to exist, but alas this is not the point.

Militaries have long relied on systems that translate individual battlefield actions into tangible rewards. In ancient armies, achievements were recognized through formalized gifts or monetary bonuses. Roman commanders, for example, distributed dona militaria to soldiers who demonstrated effectiveness in battle.

As warfare modernized, the connection between quantifiable results and rewards became more explicit. During the world wars, fighter pilots received credit for confirmed kills, which influenced promotions and honors. Submarine crews in several navies were granted bonuses based on tonnage sunk, and armored units tracked destroyed enemy vehicles as part of their evaluation and incentive structures.

What is occurring in Ukraine today represents an evolution of these earlier systems. Facing a highly decentralized, drone-driven battlefield, the Ukrainian military has introduced a standardized program that assigns points for verified strikes against enemy assets. Rather than simply paying cash bonuses, the system lets units redeem these points for military equipment and technology via a digital marketplace. Verification of the strikes typically relies on drone footage, geolocation, and digital reporting.

In effect only those units that fell the tree and are there to see it fall can be rewarded.