In the old days, they would have mutinied. If employment was terminated, a person got another job — or made his/her own, whether it be military or private-sector.
But in today’s pu$$ified America, everything’s soft and safe and tidy, and everyone seeks permission for everything, lest he or she get — gasp!!! — criticized. The appearance (note that I said “appearance”, not “reality”) is that pensions and benefits matter more than country.