Please believe me when I say that the REMFs who use those rituals as a way of polishing their own careers and justifying their own lack of actual combat skills / ability should be sent to Baghdad on 1 man missions. They are a disgrace not only because they do not have the skills and abilities they should have, and not only because they will lead their own men to death, which they probably will, but because they are breaking a covenant that streches back to your War of Independance.
Good Evening Marc !
Career justification and polishing is far too kind. Fortunately for those, they rarely attend the finals, when skills and abilities become reality. For somebody that never joined the U.S. Armed Forces, you seem to already grasp the often too obvious and better yet, eloquently pen it herein !

Regards, Stan