> instead they get a bunch of attention seeking people who have never served
That's a bit harsh. Seems many of the people writing in that thread have relatives that did serve, but now are unable to tell their own story, for one reason or another.
I'm glad people are telling their stories about it, but you're probably right as well that social media might not be the best area to drum that up, as it's hard to have real conversations about whatever subject.
On one hand, OP is almost certainly right about attention seeking, and I'd go as far as to expect that many of the stories are outright fabricated. There is a well known (and growing) phenomena of military imposters that falsely claim service [1], and the secondhand stories here are even harder to verify and present a clear motivation for falsehood.
On the other hand, there is also plenty of evidence that growing PTSD rates [2], and overall worse outcomes [3] for service members, is a real phenomenon. The true stories here that deserve analysis will have to compete with other stories that angle towards particular or personal ends.
End result: every viewer sees plenty in this thread to confirm their own expectations.
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/aug/21/usa.internatio... [2] https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwij... [3] https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwic...
My Uncle served, Marine Corps and then Army and he retired CW4. He died young of horrible cancers, we contend, most likely, though no one can prove it now that he's dead and forgotten, due to exposure to Agent Orange in-country in Vietnam. He spent the last ~10 years of his life fighting the VA.
My father served, Navy, he's a disabled veteran who has had the majority of his insane health complications linked to Agent Orange exposure in-country in Vietnam. I had to take 2 years off of my life to, among other things, help him fight the VA to get disability status and to get his disability / health complications service linked. The VA is still jacking him around today. He, and his cohort, have a mantra that they operate on. "Delay, deny, and hope that we die." That's how Vietnam veterans have been impacted by serving.
My brother served, Army, 10th Mountain. He had an equipment malfunction in Haiti _destroy_ his left ankle and, many surgeries later, still cannot walk properly. As a civilian, he was a line cook, then a sous chef, then a chef. He then fell in with a group of serial restaurateurs. He has spent his life on his feet in pain. He's also had to spend a ludicrous amount of time fighting with the VA.
This is a small sampling of the men in my life who have been impacted by serving. I'd say, overall, no, my family has not been impacted well by serving. And we've overwhelmingly not been served well by the US Government and VA upon separation or retirement.
This is a perfect example of why social media increases depression and isolation.