H-43, my training wasn't exactly 'free'. True, I didn't have to pay money out of my pocket, but then Uncle Sam did extract something in return. There was a small unpleasant situation in Southeast Asia at the time, and he needed young men willing to fly helicopters where pieces of metal were flying through the air, through helicopters, and through human bodies. I gave several years of my life wearing a uniform in return for that training, along with many thousands of others before and since. If you don't want to pay out of your pocket, the recruiter's offices are still open, and Uncle Sam still needs lots of helicopter pilots. Whining about free training doesn't move my heart in the least.