I'm against the government handing out checks to corporations as well. The only exceptions are those industries that need to be kept at home due to national security concerns: shipyards, aerospace, food producers, etc. Yes, overseas firms can build ships more cheaply than we can, for example, but if a war came and we suddenly needed to build a large number of ships quickly we might find ourselves unable to do so. Ditto food, airplanes, or anything else that has a national security role — there are some things we simply can't afford to have done in some other country.
Why, you're no different than the subjects of Stossel's book. You just want your own spot at the trough and you justify it with industries that are "vital" to national security. As a 10 year active duty veteran of the United States Marine Corp myself [my best John Kerry impersonation because I felt the need to address it, lest I be viewed, somehow, as anti-veteran]. I qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill and health care for life. Had I put in 20 years, I could have collected 40% of the base pay - including periodic pay increases as congress authorizes - for the pay-grade for which I was, for the rest of my life. Not a bad deal, payments would have begun at age 39 for me.
I'm still using my GI Bill at the taxpayer expense. I'm feeding from the trough right now! Can I justify this? only with the standard, "When I make more due to my government funded education, they'll collect more from me in taxes and I'll be a more productive member of society."
If you weigh all things, the non-disabled members of the military get compensated just fine. Disabled military members could be debated at quite some length but it's very difficult to put a price on service connected disabilities and I don't really want to enter that discussion - even though I happen to bring it up.