Very interesting question. There's obviously a lot of similarities. Main similarity is teamwork. Take 18+/- year old young men and women from Maine to Florida; Michigan to Texas; Montana to Arizona; and Virginia to Hawaii. Totally different backgrounds, beliefs, likes, dislikes, cultures, etc... Strip them or their individuality. Force them to work as a team and present tasks that can't be completed individually. Teach them that the Whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. That a painting is more beautiful than the pallet of individual colors. And when you can't find something for them to have in common; use the Drill Instructors or Cadre to PISS THEM OFF so they all hate and despise the same thing. Thus, their commonality.
Many of the classes and military knowledge is taught to both cadets and enlisted basic trainees. After completion; both trainees will move on to school. Cadets to 4 years of college; enlisted to weeks, months, or close to a year of training depending on the job (AFSC) they will be in. The physical fitness, discipline, military customs and courtesies; etc... are usually all the same. They are taught however from 2 totally different perspectives. One learning how to follow so they can to lead. The other learning how to trust those that they follow. And in time; they too will be leaders but at a different level.
I know this will be misunderstood so give me the benefit of the doubt here. But generally; academy grads have a deeper respect for the enlisted force than ROTC/OTS grads. Not that ROTC/OTS doesn't respect the enlisted force, just different. The academy cadets are trained by some enlisted, they work with enlisted, they have enlisted grades during their tenure, etc... And also; enlisted personnel respect all officers; but those they find out are academy grads, they have a different level of respect for.
Everything about the two basic trainees are very similar. It's about physical fitness; about team work; about breaking down and building up. I would say that there is a lot more in common than different. But the enlisted training structure is designed to be done much quicker than the academy. After 6 weeks of Basic training; a graduate will be working and perform their job within months of graduating. For the cadet; after 6 weeks, then have 4 years. But all in all, they are very similar. later.... mike.....