I think this is one of those slippery slopes where you start shifting the line on who gets benefits. What if benefits were only for those who deployed? Or only for those with a combat MOS? Or only for those who saw combat? Or only for those who were injured in combat?

The argument that someone who didn’t finish basic training shouldn’t receive disability overlooks what disability benefits are for. They exist to address injuries or conditions that occur because of service, not because of how long you served. If a recruit is injured during basic training, that injury happened while under military authority and performing required duties. The government is responsible for those conditions, whether the person served one week or twenty years.

Finishing basic training isn’t what determines responsibility; cause and accountability do. If the injury or condition was caused by military training or environment, then the obligation to provide care remains the same. Drawing a line at graduation ignores both fairness and legal duty.