I'm really sorry, NuckingFutz, for any lousy attitudes you & your fellow vets are catching because you're veterans. I echo lizardlady, Thanks for you service.
I'm an alcoholic and I've been in rehab, where coffee & cigarettes were allowed. Being without alcohol or other drugs was hard enough on our sweet natures, but had smokes and coffee also been cut off ...
I'm not making excuses ... all of our country's veterans deserve respect & gratitude ... but they were perhaps taking out a resentment against their program's management unthinkingly against you folks.
Like the drying-out druggies they were, they made the stupid mistake of being mad at the wrong people. They're sorta my brothers & sisters ... I understand them, am embarrassed for them, and apologize for them. You & the veterans with you deserve so much better treatment.

Roadie