Everyone is hard-wired differently. DW, for example, fretted and stewed and gritted her teeth over academic bureaucracy. I didn't. My attitude was: If it doesn't affect my day-to-day teaching and research (or my salary), I don't sweat it. Just go with the flow.
I envy you former (or current) military types who evidently didn't (or don't) have to put up with military bureaucracy--based on your inability to swallow academic bureaucracy. My experience, however, is that academic bureaucracy (I taught at or attended six different universities) pales in comparison to the monumentally massive military bureaucracy that I experienced while I was an Army officer (1971-83) in the Reserves and National Guard.
The difference is the military bureaucracy is well defined, and comes with the job. There's a chain of command to address problems. At universities, there;s staff and there's students. And the students are all treated like 19 year old kids, whether they are or not, no exceptions.
My expectations as a college student, was to show up to class, take notes, do homework, and pass tests. My experience was that this university used all students as defacto student workers.
I'll give an example: I had a course in Educational Psychology, taught by a graduate teaching assistant. The drill was when certain assignments were completed, the professor who was supposed to be teaching the class, had to sign-off on them. All well and good. Except the professor was never in her office, and next to impossible to make an appointment with. I don't need to put up with that kind up crap, and I didn't. Wouldn't it been easier for the assistant to gather the assignments and present them to the professor? Sure, but they liked to play mind games, and the typical student put up with it.
I don't need a college degree to validate my self-worth. When the bullsh-t exceeded the value of my monthly GI Bill check, it was no longer worthwhile.
