re: #215 wheat-dogghazi-mailgate
Interesting to hear that. I never served, so I have a poor idea of how things really work along the chain of command. But what you say makes perfect sense. If every officer/NCO were a by-the-book dictator or yes-man, most recruits would bail out before their time was up, and no one would feel free to offer advice.
From my experience in education and else, the same holds true. The kind of authoritarian figure you describe doesn’t stay in his job very long.
Officers are not compelled to solicit or take advice from their subordinates, but only a very poor officer does not do so.