The military system, unlike the academic side of the U of O, more closely approaches a meritocracy.  There are conditions, tasks and standards which must be met to succeed.  The sports side also has that sort of system.  One is required to meet or exceed standards or you lose your position, whether as a player or as a coach.  The academic standards are subject to less rigor and certainty, based on my experience as a student.  They more closely match with the rest of societies' concept of 'sucking up'.  To get a good 'grade' one is required to parrot the information nearest and dearest to the heart of the instructors involved.  I am given to understand that there is also a thing known as 'grade inflation' which is a corollary of the Lake Woebegone Principle that 'everyone is above average'.  Those who successfully parrot the appropriate information are all then found to be in the highest percentile.  These tendencies are most prevalent in the squishy 'sciences', of course.