Letters to the Editor
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Swilldog...
It's been my experience from posting on various semi-military blogs ("semi" meaning retired or wannabe - there's alot of wannabes out there - funny cause the army could really use the help) that they are unusually offended at the mere mention that their black and white worldview is in direct correlation to the "deprogramming" that happens in basic.
Instilled with a zealousness that is only reinforced by the fact that they spend 99% of their lives with other military personnel or families of the military, they are unable to see any other viewpoint but their own infallible, programmed and government-approved viewpoint.
I've spent hours trying to explain to right-wing bloggers that mili-bloggers who write about the overwhelming success of the "surge" are only parroting, knowingly or unknowingly, their superior's viewpoints. Superiors, who in turn are only parroting their superiors' ad infinitum all the way up to the commander-in-chief.
Like your original post said, its what the basic training program was designed to do: "Question Authority" could be deadly when bullets are flying by. But it does fuck with your independent reasoning skills.
Just don't mention it to active military. No one likes to be told that they are unable to think for themselves, despite whether its rather obvious that they can't.