I think so too; if our leaders were all disciplined through such training and experience, we would have bypassed a lot of messy troublemakers, specifically Carter and Clinton and now Obama. McCain is a bit of a dolt, but being subjected to torture can mess you up pretty badly and I think his flip flopping is a habit learned in the torture chamber of Vietnam; kind of like adapting to situations in which you’re held as a captive.
I agree with you on McCain. Jimmah Cawtah was a Naval officer. I think that spending a year on the DMZ in Korea and a year in Vietnam or some current hot spots would make a valuable difference. It would certainly add respect for the troops.