Cal! I need your help!

[derspiess]

Mission-specific and task-oriented, yes.  Ability to think for oneself and question authority, not so much.   

  Maybe for lower enlisted, but for NCO ranks on up, there is a lot of emphasis placed on decentralized leadership and decision-making.  It's not the Soviet Army.

The biggest issue for ex-military in the civilian world IMO is that they lived in a bubble.

[CountDeMoney]

Mission-specific and task-oriented, yes.  Ability to think for oneself and question authority, not so much.   

  Maybe for lower enlisted, but for NCO ranks on up, there is a lot of emphasis placed on decentralized leadership and decision-making.

Sometimes.  But even ex-junior officers don't always question their leadership to the degree necessary around the conference table.

Except maybe Anchorclanker, I'm sure he tells the King of Jordan what the score is these days.

The biggest issue for ex-military in the civilian world IMO is that they lived in a bubble.

Depends on the environment they're in.  Structured and among each other, sure.  But there's chafing if it's too fluid and wide open.