"It is the only USA institution where you can get total free health care coverage . The only institution that offers the socialized medicine option."

 Not entirely true. There are some costs involved with Tricare but they are minuscule. Military personnel place their lives on the line and are more than entitled to such a perk. Putting all Americans in the same pool with the 1.4 M who currently serve and the 2 M military retirees who are also on Tricare is not a fair comparison.