This is an extremely odd meme, but it leeds off almost every news story about this guy.
He was in the Army for six years, and was kicked out 15 years ago.
So what is the rationale for making his line of work 15 years ago the Homeric epithet used to describe him?
Why is "former soldier" the default description, as if somehow it is the most important fact about him?
If he had just exited the service it might make some sense, but 15 years ago?
I think we both know why the media leads with it. They want to reinforce a notion that veterans are more likely to crack up and become dangerously violent. Then, they can blame Republicans for starting wars that make veterans crazy and violent, and they can make the public fear veterans, who tend to be more conservative, and natural obstacles to many lib goals.