+1.
Similar to Tumbleweed, except I did contact guys I hadn't seen in years.
At the time, I just felt awkward/guilty asking for a letter of recommendation.
I just got a call yesterday from an old bud. I was happy to help.
The douches? Deal with them the same way you did in the military. But be careful about burning bridges: sometimes they worm their way into positions like VP of Flight Operations....