Do elements of military service hinder ones ability to build meaningful personal relationships?

Whether people want to admit it or not, it does. Regardless if you saw combat or not the institutionalization of the service, to connection with your peers, and other elements don't exist in the 'real' world, at least not at the same level. Then when you add being deployed into the mix it does change who you are. Once you include combat, both being in danger zones and being the one actually involved in combat operations, it will for ever be a part of you. We all change with our environment. Some of those are subtle, others are more obvious. The make us who we are. And I know some say I am mistaken, but denial is not just a river in Egypt...

I was all of those things before I went into the military. Didn't need any help being an SOB. Just had to find a woman who would put up with it. Been married to her for 40 years now.

Having served 10 years in the USMC, I found it a bit difficult to relate to people who had never served, at first. When you are used to carrying heavy responsibility, and have been other places in the world and seen other cultures.....hard to relate to people who have left the neighborhood they grew up in. But over time, assimilation does occur.