Of course, ring-knockers and Regular Army types were given preference at the trough.
As for my branch, Air Defense Artillery, the unofficial motto was: We Eat Our Young.
Judging by what I've read from the accounts of Kerry's OERs, his OERs were even worse than a couple of mine! And I worked my ass off for those reports (let's just say my rating officer and I had strong differences of opinion regarding each other's style of leadership)!
In my case, my education at a Jesuit university did not lend itself to a prolonged career in the army!