What makes him so special? SEALs are bound by the same employment regulations as the rest of the military.

It takes 20 years to vest unlike in the civilian world where pensions vest and accrue in a shorter time frame. The article also discusses this Seal's rather unique circumstances. His years of training have taken a toll on his body and he has yet to hear about a disability pension.

but if I started working at age 25, I could not retire at 35 and collect anything until I was at least 55. He seems to have screwed himself by quitting a mere 3 years before he could retire with full benefits.

I am curious about his disability. Two years ago he was part of an elite fighting force. Now he is disabled? What happened?

Where I live there are lots of young retired officers with full pensions. Not only do they retire before the age of 45, but after they retire, they have connections to get good paying jobs with military contractors.

Makes it kind of impossible for ME to get a job in this town with a military base to the north.

Truthfully, I kinda regret not joining the military right out of high school. I could have been a supply clerk or something, and retired at 38 and enjoyed my retirement these last 12 years.

I hit 30 years next year and, if I went to another job, can take the whole thing with me.

The Seal in question has physical limitations from nearly non-stop training and deployment; but I think it's the pyschological toll on him that's the issue. On one mission he shot two young parents - I think the military parlance is collateral damage - but those killings left him despondent and suicidal.

A relative's in-law returned from his second deployment to Afghanistan with a similar experience and has not been the same. It has been a struggle to get him the care he needs. There's a graphic in the article that shows the backlog of disability claims. We ask people to support the troops but what exactly constitutes support? Yellow ribbons and flag waving?

The consequences of these endless wars will be with us for decades. This Seal is just a representation of those consequences.

He might have qualified for a full or partial disability retirement from the Navy. And because, unlike VA disability, military disability comp is related to base pay, at his pay grade he would get a higher benefit than he would from the VA for the same percentage rating.