I never had a military career myself, but have been nearby the military culture most of my life. My dad was Seabee's Reserve since I was in my mid teens, and in my career I have worked on at least twenty military bases in all branches except the Marine corps. There is definitely a culture difference for non-comms between the military and civilian world, that goes beyond just the command structure. I have noticed some civilians who were military which showed signs of not having adjusted entirely to that difference, and other vets whom you would not identify except that the topic eventually came up. The above comment about supervisor-employee socializing patterns is thus indicative, and might stand as an example of a relatively minor case of implied value inconsistency. In the civilian work environment, you do not typically place your life in the trust of your team members. In the military, often the opposite is the case, and it seems to create bonds that last a lifetime. Some civilian work relationships do approach that level but they are the exception rather than the norm. And those vets who are scarred by their duty experiences are legion (use intended); the lack of help they appear to have gotten, in the hard battle to re-assimilate to civilian society, is a black mark upon this nation. Those vets made a sacred commitment to their country and every voter, as well as every elected official who advocates "cutting taxes" while those vets' needs go unaddressed, are accountable.