Based on your comment below, tool, it appears you have a real axe to grind.
"So I'm supposed to pay tax dollars for your salary and then give up my seat on a plane because you're working just like the rest of us?"
Your 'closest friends in the military' are giving you a skewed view of reality, and I am sorry for it.
1)It sounds like your friends were not in combat so their experiences are not comparable to the author's experiences. BTW, the author plays into the narrative of 'veterans are victims' perfectly.
2) If your friends are fabricating their relationships with servicemen who were killed, it sounds like they will fabricate anything they tell you.
3) The military is like any other organization, with good employees and less than good employees. Your friends appear to fall into the latter category.
4) In my experience, there is a population of service members who got to do what they signed up to do (pull triggers, of course) and who have reintegrated into society such that you would not know that they served, nor would they advertise that fact. I believe that these 'good employees' comprise the majority of veterans but they aren't a vocal group (unlike the author) so you will probably not hear their opinions.
It's interesting how easily I can point out the willing bias in both of our comments. Either way, you're probably right about the majority of veterans doing just fine. That's why I lead with the qualifier of veterans who lead with their title. No one leads introductions with "I used to service vehicles.", except in very relevant situations. While being a veteran for some people (as you say likely a small minority) is a token to deserved respect.
"I didn't fight for your freedoms so you could do XYZ" is not an uncommon phrase on social media for me. I've never heard "I didn't build houses for 20 years so city council could draft up unsafe regulations" or anything resembling the veterans mantra.
"So I'm supposed to pay tax dollars for your salary and then give up my seat on a plane because you're working just like the rest of us?"
Your 'closest friends in the military' are giving you a skewed view of reality, and I am sorry for it.
1)It sounds like your friends were not in combat so their experiences are not comparable to the author's experiences. BTW, the author plays into the narrative of 'veterans are victims' perfectly.
2) If your friends are fabricating their relationships with servicemen who were killed, it sounds like they will fabricate anything they tell you.
3) The military is like any other organization, with good employees and less than good employees. Your friends appear to fall into the latter category.
4) In my experience, there is a population of service members who got to do what they signed up to do (pull triggers, of course) and who have reintegrated into society such that you would not know that they served, nor would they advertise that fact. I believe that these 'good employees' comprise the majority of veterans but they aren't a vocal group (unlike the author) so you will probably not hear their opinions.