GeronL: “am I supposed to feel sorry for these people?”
Perhaps, depending on the nature of their crimes and the quality of their service, but then the law needs to be enforced anyway.
When I was in the military, I had some people kicked out. I didn’t wish them any ill will at all. Some were simply not fit for service. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t sympathetic to their plight, but I still did what I thought was in the service’s best interest.
Someone suggested in the Comments section that they might not have had honorable discharges..
that would stop them from getting benefits..
I think that a veteran has to be honorably discharged to get medical, claim disability benefits etc..
They may have been “booted” from the military before they were so called “booted” from the country...