In your opinion, how has the military changed from the 1960s and 1970s until the present day?

I was in the Army in the 70's after Vietnam. In those days the Army was much less technologically advanced. We wore steel pots, body armor was rare, and we carried just plain M16s with iron sights. No knee pads or sunglasses. I think technological improvement is beneficial, but I worry that it might cause character and unity of purpose to be undervalued. I think our recent defeat by the Tailiban should encourage us to see what they had that we didn't.
The Army was less political then. We trained for war. We weren't tasked with fighting climate change or promoting social justice. There was less concern about soldiers' personal preference. It was the Army way or the highway. You frequently heard "That sounds like a personal problem to me." There was a consensus that our being members of a band of soldiers with one central mission overrode considerations of race or ethnicity. I think many of these changes have been detrimental because they distract from the core mission of defeating America's enemies and focusing too much on the individual's wishes detracts from esprit de corps.
Women had a much rawer deal back then. I understand that sexual harassment was much less likely to be taken seriously by the chain of command, and women just had to deal with it themselves. Now the Army takes it seriously. This is definitely beneficial.

I can't begin to compare. I served in Vietnam and came home to the VOLAR army. But believe me CONEX counseling was the theme of the day if you screwed up. A lot of old timers NCO's earned their stripes under the old blood strip environment. And they wouldn't hesitate to lay hands on. The Army was changing from straight leg infantry to mechanized. I served my first stateside duty at Ft. Carson. They had the modern barracks, with beer machines in them. That caused a lot of problems for the 1st Sgt. I hated it. I had to do my first re-enlistment to get out if there and go to the 9th Infantry at Ft. Lewis. They were the last Straight Leg Infantry Division in the Army. Had a good life in the military. However as years passed, it got much more lax than I was use to. Did 3 years as a Drill at Ft. Dix, and that was a wake up for me. Only hands on when there was absolutely no one around. But that always got their attention. Compared to what our brave soldiers face today, with the BS rules of engagement, and what's going on in Afghanistan, disgust me. The civilian leadership just hung us out to dry. West Pointers, who you could count on for Duty, Honor, Country, now are political. Those 3 words mean nothing to them. Not like they use to when I was in. By the way, I got out in 1992. Gays were not allowed in the military then, they are now. Enough said.

One thing that has definitely changed for the better: Tobacco use is not recognized as the danger that it really is. Smoking is no longer permitted in Federal Buildings.