S Desch, I'm still in the military and am also an officer.  One thing is certain about speaking your mind, you do it and if your superior decides against it, that's that.  

The one an only rule is: 'lawful order.'  If the order is legal then you follow it.  It's not that officers are spineless, is that they really believe that what they are doing is the right thing and it's not unlawful.  In the miliary structure, speaking out against your boss is 'inconceivable!'  Something about good order and discipline.

If you don't, you resign and complain about how dumb all the things you saw where just like General Zinni and General Batiste.

Being a military officer is a lonely life.  You have to achieve missions you may not agree with and take care of troops that think you're stupid because of what you tell them to do, although it wasn't your idea.  You stay with it expecting to someday being high enough to make the decisions, then realize that you'll never be that high.  

I may sound disgruntled, but I'm not.  I think the US model is the best around.  It creates a volunteer force which I think is the strength of our armed forces.