But that tuition is unrelated to your military work...
Not so! When the military does this with MDs, they expect them to work, for the military, as that kind of MD. Therefore the tuition is being paid so that you can do the job you were hired for.
The parallel is very good. The military wants to hire you. They want you to do a job you don't have skills to do. While employed by the military you undergo training that is approved by the military. If you serve the military long enough, they will pay off that training, else you are liable for the cost of the training.
The important differences are that in the military case the training is received at an organization that is clearly separate from the military, the degree received is generally recognized as being very valuable, and the candidate has input into what kind of training they wish (within limits) to receive.
For a similar example, lots of private companies provide employer tuition reimbursement as a benefit. For instance they may pay for an employee's MBA, with the condition that the employee work for the employer for a fixed period of time. And typically companies that do this try to use the employees in ways that match the skills the employee is gaining. This is both legal and common in the USA.
I agree that the situations are similar, but like you said, the fact that the training you are receiving has a market-value outside the company and is worthwhile elsewhere does make a difference. The biggest difference, though, seems to be the clarity. In the military, the terms are very clearly spelled out up-front. If his situation is the same, I can't say I feel terribly bad for him, but if they were "fuzzy", which is how it sounds, its definitely shady behavior.
Not so! When the military does this with MDs, they expect them to work, for the military, as that kind of MD. Therefore the tuition is being paid so that you can do the job you were hired for.
The parallel is very good. The military wants to hire you. They want you to do a job you don't have skills to do. While employed by the military you undergo training that is approved by the military. If you serve the military long enough, they will pay off that training, else you are liable for the cost of the training.
The important differences are that in the military case the training is received at an organization that is clearly separate from the military, the degree received is generally recognized as being very valuable, and the candidate has input into what kind of training they wish (within limits) to receive.
For a similar example, lots of private companies provide employer tuition reimbursement as a benefit. For instance they may pay for an employee's MBA, with the condition that the employee work for the employer for a fixed period of time. And typically companies that do this try to use the employees in ways that match the skills the employee is gaining. This is both legal and common in the USA.