Merit board reduces suspension of officer who ticketed 7-year-old

They only want it to be paramilitary when it suits them. Talk to a few of them, ask if they treat the dept. like a business. Be frank with your questions.

They want it both ways. They want you to act like you are in a business, until you, well, act like you are in one, then they want to hold you to the military standards, so they can force their opinion on you. Kinda like bullying.

The difference being, in a coporation or business, you are still in a democracy, meaning you have rights, you have an opinion. To a point, yes, but you still can be your own person. What you do outside of your work is your business.

In the Military, there is no democracy, cannot afford it. What you do while off-duty is no different than doing it while on-duty. For obvious reasons. (which is the same for the police)