Yeah, my mileage does vary, in fact. Sounds like you're hanging out with the wrong servicemen.
Yeah it certainly isn't everyone that is acting that way but I have seen it more and more since 01.
Heck I respect the 10 pound heads at Harris and Raytheon and the like that keep us on the technological edge. Bureaucracy procurement process be damned, there are some great civilian inventors out there that have put forth some great ideas to mitigate risk and enhance lethality, but ya know we gotta give our money to foreign countries so ground guys can deal with getting shot and blown up with stuff bought with American greenbacks.....ah well.