State retirees here in Louisiana pay about $150/month for medical/dental/eyes/drugs. That is damn near free compared to what civilians pay.
That’s a lot cheaper than what I pay as retired military with “free healthcare for life”
Back 50 years ago people didn’t reckon that if they wanted a cushy nest for life the way to get it was to get into local or state government
No moves, no one trying to kill you , no family separations