well whether you realized it or not, you were a government employee while you were in the service and you were on the gravy train
As a retired Army Ranger with multiple combat tours, I did not have 8 hour days nor did I push paper for a greatly exagerrated wage, if anything, our salaries and benefits bring down the averages given out by the GAO and CBO - To say that I was on any kind of “gravy train” and compare me to a bureaucrat is offensive
Our 3 sons did 5 tours Iraq tours with the USMC. The oldest lost an arm and a leg on 11/8/2004 at Fallujah. The other two spent time at Ramadi, also cleaned up a helicopter crash site (31 Marines & Corpsmen killed) at Ar Rutbah.
Mortar rounds were constant during their time there. No showers, no running water, no hot food for many months. Pretty much a gravy train, right?