Reserve units in the military really get the short end of the stick, especially during dangerous deployments.  I was deployed to the Gulf during the first Iraq war while in the 82nd ABN Div and while I was there, Reserve Units, like the National Guard and other branch reserve units, were often times in more danger than I and many other active-duty soldiers ever were and for much longer times.

During my time, many of these reserve soldiers were sent right to the most dangerous places and never really got the credit they deserved in my opinion.  Back then, it was not uncommon for active-duty soldiers, and others, to look down their noses at these "part-time warriors" while many do not realize that sometimes these reserve members get sent in pretty early and often stay longer than active-duty units.

So these fuckers that are denigrating his service are just that: fuckers.

Lastly, almost everyone I know who has been in the military embellishes what they did or exaggerates to some amount (I mean, look at me - I was never in any real danger, and for my time in the Gulf I was awarded the honor to wear a combat patch on my uniform (a combat patch can be a status symbol and consists of being able t wear a unit patch on both shoulders instead of just one shoulder).  So, in a way, isn't that an embellishment not necessarily earned? That is how I felt about it - kind of like being a Bush that is born on third base thinking he hit a triple.