The Doctor is very familiar with the military, and has been part of it (after all, he fought in the Time War). Danny spotted it straight away:
DANNY: One thing, Clara. I'm a soldier, guilty as charged. You see him? He's an officer. DOCTOR: I am not an officer! DANNY: I'm the one who carries you out of the fire. He's the one who lights it. DOCTOR: Out. Now. The Caretaker S8.06
CYBER-DANNY: Clara, watch this. This is who the Doctor is. Watch the blood-soaked old general in action. I can't see properly, sir, because this needs activating. If you want to know what's coming, you have to switch it on. And didn't all of those beautiful speeches just disappear in the face of a tactical advantage? Sir. DOCTOR: (sighs) I need to know. I need to know. CYBER-DANNY: (sotto) Yes. (normal) Yes, you do. CLARA: Give me the screwdriver. DOCTOR: No. CLARA: Just do it, Doctor. Do as you are told. (The Doctor meets Cyber-Danny's gaze then gives Clara the sonic screwdriver.) CYBER-DANNY: Typical officer. Got to keep those hands clean. Death in Heaven S8.13
Death in Heaven is also the episode where Missy gives the Doctor an army. He is a very good and effective warrior, but it's not who he wants to be.
DOCTOR: There's no such thing as the Doctor. I'm just a bloke in a box, telling stories. And I didn't come here because I'm ashamed. A bit of shame never hurt anyone. I came because you're sick and you asked. And because sometimes, on a good day, if I try very hard, I'm not some old Time Lord who ran away. I'm the Doctor. The Witch's Familiar S9.02
Being a soldier is an identity that he refuses (even though it fits well), which is why he gets so antagonistic.
Aaargh. You see this is why I want to know what the rules are! Oh I understand. But this is why I say it helps to think of it as a fairy tale. There are big, basic rules, but most of the resolutions rely on resolving the underlying issues/symbolism rather than hard sci-fi. (Look at The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. The resolution turned around Nancy acknowledging that she was the little boy's mother (rather than his sister) and *that* was the thing that solved everything else.)
no subject
DANNY: One thing, Clara. I'm a soldier, guilty as charged. You see him? He's an officer.
DOCTOR: I am not an officer!
DANNY: I'm the one who carries you out of the fire. He's the one who lights it.
DOCTOR: Out. Now.
The Caretaker S8.06
CYBER-DANNY: Clara, watch this. This is who the Doctor is. Watch the blood-soaked old general in action. I can't see properly, sir, because this needs activating. If you want to know what's coming, you have to switch it on. And didn't all of those beautiful speeches just disappear in the face of a tactical advantage? Sir.
DOCTOR: (sighs) I need to know. I need to know.
CYBER-DANNY: (sotto) Yes. (normal) Yes, you do.
CLARA: Give me the screwdriver.
DOCTOR: No.
CLARA: Just do it, Doctor. Do as you are told.
(The Doctor meets Cyber-Danny's gaze then gives Clara the sonic screwdriver.)
CYBER-DANNY: Typical officer. Got to keep those hands clean.
Death in Heaven S8.13
Death in Heaven is also the episode where Missy gives the Doctor an army. He is a very good and effective warrior, but it's not who he wants to be.
DOCTOR: There's no such thing as the Doctor. I'm just a bloke in a box, telling stories. And I didn't come here because I'm ashamed. A bit of shame never hurt anyone. I came because you're sick and you asked. And because sometimes, on a good day, if I try very hard, I'm not some old Time Lord who ran away. I'm the Doctor.
The Witch's Familiar S9.02
Being a soldier is an identity that he refuses (even though it fits well), which is why he gets so antagonistic.
Aaargh. You see this is why I want to know what the rules are!
Oh I understand. But this is why I say it helps to think of it as a fairy tale. There are big, basic rules, but most of the resolutions rely on resolving the underlying issues/symbolism rather than hard sci-fi. (Look at The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. The resolution turned around Nancy acknowledging that she was the little boy's mother (rather than his sister) and *that* was the thing that solved everything else.)