It has been 2.5 years since I retired from the military. Never in the 22.5 years since I joined the military have I ever seen/heard a military member or veteran "demand" a discount. I have heard plenty "ask" if one is available/offered. Now I am not saying that it doesn't happen, and I have not been in the presence, obviously, of all military members and veterans at each point of sale policing this, but most military folks that I have come across tend to act with more humility than to "demand" or argue about a discount....most of the junior guys tend to not make waves in fear that their command will hear about it.
As a retired veteran of 3 wars, I have mixed feelings about military discounts. I often find it uncomfortable when someone says "thank you for your service". It comes across almost cliché and empty. I have tried to think through and reconcile why I and my fellow brothers and sisters in arms are gifted discounts at various retail locations....The only thing that seems to ring consistent is the expression that "every person who has joined the military has written a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including their life."
I don't think military and vets are entitled to any sort of discount...but if a business owner/manager understands the sentiment in quotes above, and chooses to extend the offer of a discount, I will graciously accept it, and I hope my fellow service members (active, retired, separated, etc)...graciously and humbly accept it as well.
If a service member is "demanding" a discount, being argumentative about it, or otherwise misbehaving, snap a picture of the person and send it with a note to the local base...they will be dealt with. For a vet, or someone not in uniform, don't be afraid to say something to them about how they are acting...a simple "you should be ashamed of...." will usually be enough to snap them in line...military personnel put up with a lot of frustration and uncertainty that does not exist in the civilian world...those robes are not easily shed once we leave service, and sometimes we are overwhelmed to the point we forget we are interfacing in the public etc....it does not take much to remind us and get us to fall back in line with the accepted standards of the venue/situation. I am not trying to make excuses, just trying to provide insight.
I do believe that there are folks out there that struggle more than the folks in the military. There are plenty of people living at or below the poverty line, there are plenty of people out of work, and there are plenty of people that struggle to feed and cloth themselves and their families. There are no specific discounts offered to those people. I wish there were, as they often need it more than the folks in the military.
Just my thoughts on the matter.
-Z