But then on the other hand AYW does show him back at to where he was before, which (sadly) undermines the lessons he learned.
I disagree with this. Yes, it shows he's back in the military, and yes that's going to be more regimented than the anarchy often surrounding Buffy. But we're given no details about how his unit works; it most certainly isn't anything like the ridiculous depiction of the Initiative. One key thing to note is that special ops groups are mavricks. Independent thinking is encouraged. Mayhem and chaos are part of their arsenal. So he very well may be applying everything he's learned from his time with Buffy. In some ways he'll do better than Buffy, understanding the value of teamwork and that you can (and must) rely on your friends (something Buffy loses in S7) Don't let the mere presence of a uniform determine your view of what Riley has become.
no subject
I disagree with this. Yes, it shows he's back in the military, and yes that's going to be more regimented than the anarchy often surrounding Buffy. But we're given no details about how his unit works; it most certainly isn't anything like the ridiculous depiction of the Initiative. One key thing to note is that special ops groups are mavricks. Independent thinking is encouraged. Mayhem and chaos are part of their arsenal. So he very well may be applying everything he's learned from his time with Buffy. In some ways he'll do better than Buffy, understanding the value of teamwork and that you can (and must) rely on your friends (something Buffy loses in S7) Don't let the mere presence of a uniform determine your view of what Riley has become.