A quote from the story you linked to:

'"The report notes that UW and WSU athletic department staff are not paid by taxpayer dollars because the departments are self-supporting. And university researchers, who are also at the top of the list, are paid through research grants, not taxes or tuition.'
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A veteran - whether active duty, retired, or national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including my life."