Well said, Sergeant, well said indeed.

Traditions and ritual are the base of military service. They are there for a reason.

I am the last person in the world who enjoys any type of drill and ceremony, but it's vital, especially in the first stages of recruit training. I despise parades, but understand their worth as a matter of espirit de corps. They should be extremely limited in their scope however.

One thing I think needs to be focused on in the military of the 21st Century for all service is the development of self disclipline, rather than what I call "pressured discipline." I need to expand my thoughts on this before posting any further...