[HalcyonicStorm]

I imagine part of it is that it's far easier to lose your job disagreeing with your superiors in the private sector ("Not a culture fit", "Not a team player"). It's better to just go along with stuff sometimes because most of the time systemic failure takes years to manifest.

[warner25]

I think you're right. Within the DoD, you see a dichotomy between uniformed military service members and federal civilians. The people in uniform (especially officers, especially between years 5 to 15 of their careers) exist in a brutal up-or-out promotion system. The civilians, on the other hand, are known to be impossible to fire and can remain in their positions for life (it's hyperbole, but there's some truth to it). In general, I think you can see it in the degree to which they "[treat] their superiors like infallible god-emperors."