Not that I support his position of shitting on regular military, probably because of the decisions of a few ambitious but incompetent generals and naive politicians, but you really don’t have the right to tell someone who they can and cannot insult. The freedom that the military protects goes both ways. You can’t say they stand up for and protect someone’s rights and freedoms, including free speech, only to tell a punk with a big mouth to shut up.

Another thing, and don’t take this personally, but using personal experiences doesn’t really get you far with people who’ve already crossed the threshold for insults. Take it from someone who has had this argument countless times. It looks well intentioned, but it smacks of elitism. It looks more like you’re trying to tell him his opinion doesn’t matter, and you’re automatically better than him because of service. What would normally conjure sympathy only makes him angrier. I can’t tell you how frustrating that is when someone automatically disqualifies anything you have to say and treats you as if you were beneath them. Almost as frustrating as someone insulting your proud service so blatantly I’d imagine.

I too have a friend in the military, and whenever he runs into people like good ole’ Casemods up there, he just smiles and says something along the lines of, “Good, I know I did my job then if you’re still able to say those things to me.” As disgusting as the insults are, they can and WILL happen. It’s best to pick your battles, and I hardly see an internet mud match with a troll worth your time and energy.