So I'm semi-surprised you didn't bring up John Scalzi's modern take on Forever war (the cleverly titled Old Man's War) just for comparison/contrast as you did with Starship Troopers
You discussed the differences between Haldeman and Heinlein's take on the military mindset, and I would like to offer a counterpoint.....it's the difference between an officer (Heinlen) and a draftee (Haldeman). many things the military does appear to make no sense to the grunts on the field. (such as building bridges as exercizes) however on the grander scheme it may be more important for things like training the unit to work together, bonding etc. Less tangilbe skills to be sure, but has some effectiveness.
