First, I appreciate that he chose to serve as a Marine (as someone with a dad and a brother who were Marines).
Second, your choice about what roles you get assigned are limited.
Third, there are still gradations to me and not all military service is equal. Being a rifleman is different from being a military journalist or media relations officer. Heck even John Kerry was under fire. Heck Donald Trump may have been shot at more than Vance ever was. (Although Vance was deployed to Iraq where something could happen to anyone at any time.)
I would also rate those who were JAG officers in a similar light.