> which actually is somewhat easier in the military because much of the career progression is study/competency based
This is an interesting point. Being an ex-submariner, I do miss the unambiguous nature of knowing precisely what I needed to do next in terms of career progression. We had manuals for everything (big thick ones on the nuclear side), and anyone that was ahead of you had already learned what you were studying, so in (most) cases, you could ask questions and get reasonable answers. Everything was laid out in qualifications and each qualification had a static set of requirements that were well documented.
This is an interesting point. Being an ex-submariner, I do miss the unambiguous nature of knowing precisely what I needed to do next in terms of career progression. We had manuals for everything (big thick ones on the nuclear side), and anyone that was ahead of you had already learned what you were studying, so in (most) cases, you could ask questions and get reasonable answers. Everything was laid out in qualifications and each qualification had a static set of requirements that were well documented.