“What about military retirees?”
I would always except the military.
They are not “civil servants” and serve a completely different purpose than the bureacracy that controls us.
They cannot unionize either.
Do you not realize that the military is composed of far more than just the active duty force? The DoD employs quite a few civilians, and some of those are deploying and working side by side with the GIs. Others are back home ensuring the GIs in the field have what they need.
I understand the anger, but you paint with too broad a brush. The federal government has enumerated powers, and I dare say a lot of federal employees are doing work that falls into one of those legitimate functions.
What would you have federal employees do? Should they refuse the government jobs that feed their families because you think they are paid too much?
You should WANT talented people in government, especially conservatives. Good talent costs money. In my opinion, the salaries and benefits aren’t the problem so much as too many people want the government to do too much.