It was part of my pay and benefits. They teach me a skill set in trade for me killing people with nuclear weapons on command.
Look you may or may not agree. Military pay is low for what you are required to do. Transfer and move your entire family every few years. Going on long deployments away from family and friends, my longest was 7 months with an expecting wife back home. I didn't even see my son until he was a month old. Going to sea on submarines with no contact at all with anyone for 90 days at a time. Get called in to work and leave for a few weeks or longer without any notice given.
In return I received top quality training, pay, medical & dental care, housing or housing allowance, meals or meal allowance and after 20 years I receive 50% of my highest pay for the rest of my life. Medical coverage (Tricare / Tricare for life) for my wife and myself. Oh and lets not leave out the GI Benefits for school which I did not use as I already had an excellent career as an electronics tech lined up. I have since retired from that also and receive a company pension. Social Security & Medicare which I paid into for 50 years. No teat sucking going on at all. It was a contractual agreement between uncle Sam and myself. I do my part and then he does his.
Sorry that all the youngsters have hurt feelings. No pain no gain.