Do you think American soldiers are put on too high of a pedestal

[Minimalist]

You have a point.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/spo...honor.html

Military tributes are a staple of professional sporting events, from surprise homecomings of veterans, to color guards, to enlisted men and women throwing out ceremonial first pitches. But according to an oversight report released Wednesday by Sens. Jeff Flake and John McCain of Arizona, many of these seemingly genuine displays of patriotism have actually been marketing stunts paid for by the Department of Defense with taxpayer money.

According to the latest report, a follow-up to one McCain released in May, military services have dished out $53 million in sports-related marketing and advertising contracts since 2012. Of that, more than $9 million went directly to teams in the five biggest American professional sports leagues (the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS).