There's nothing stopping these veterans from going to a regular university, college, or community college and getting a real degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field.
Nothing? Have a little empathy, buddy. While I have some sympathy for your opinion of coding bootcamps, just bear in mind that it's not easy giving up something you've been doing for a couple of decades and going back to college with people half you age and then having to restart your career in an entirely new profession. The mental flexibility one has when one is young just isn't there anymore for these individuals.
They'd have exactly the same problem with any other profession that requires a degree, and lowering standards isn't the answer.
I was extremely lucky because I already enjoyed math and coding on my own. How much Trig do you remember? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but for a vet who has a lot of real world experience - going back to high school math can be a real challenge in unexpected ways.
Let me know if you can't access the full article/the abstract is not enough.
Also, let me tell you. When I started engineering school I nearly failed out. 5 years of 0 school and it was very difficult to go back to school. I eventually graduated and landed a great job, but there aren't a lot of 4.0 high school valedictorians going to the Army. My point here is that it's complicated.
I do agree though that it's good that these coding schools are not covered. But! The GI Bill IIRC does provide support for trade schools. So if you were able to create a coding trade school (which is what most devs are doing in their daily work) you could be able to train veterans.
fear, uncertainty, and doubt. And some self-loathing.