Veterans gain access to perks that make them more efficient with certain weapons, use explosives without blowing themselves, apply medkits "for maximum damage" or simply make them run as fast as a vehicle and take more bullets to the forehead.
Almighty Janitor: new recruits are just as capable of kicking ass as veterans.All Your Base Are Belong to Us: One of the final missions has the enemy sending a surprise attack against your base while you're attacking theirs, earning you a Non-Standard Game Over if you can't prevent it in time.
The game provides examples of the following tropes: