Sorry, I meant to reply to this a while ago. I got distracted what with the election and all.

I don't see any hypocrisy. My pension and TRICARE isn't just some program created out of whole cloth to pander to some special interest group. They are part of Congress' enumerated powers.

To whit:

Article I, Section 8, gives Congress the power to "raise and support armies".

They are by definition part of "small government".

Plus, I wasn't just gifted my pension and TRICARE. I rendered service to the nation to Support and Defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in that service if required. I became paralyzed while on active duty. The concept of an "all volunteer force" is impossible without just compensation.