“The Army is at war and America is at Walmart.” Americans love their military and are proud of its accomplishments. But most today have little idea what military service entails. In turn, service personnel see themselves as having little in common with the rest of the country. Not only do they see themselves as “different” from the civilian population, but also often “better” by virtue of the self-sacrifice, competencies and discipline characterizing their lives. The civilian-military gap has taken on an edge, contributed to a public detachment from conflicts, and loosened civilian control of the military.