Donald Trump said repeatedly during his campaign that he would treat military veterans better than they have been in the past.

On Veterans Day, former servicemen told NBC 10 News they are eager to see if he follows through on his campaign promises.

Malkus Mills served in the United States Navy more than 40 years ago. He had a few complaints about how the government has treated him, as well as some concerns about the president-elect.

“I’m not sure what's going to happen with us,” Millis said. “I hope that they're going to keep doing the right thing and keep taking care of veterans who go off to war.”
But Joe Northrop, an Army vet, has faith in Trump.

“I'm very happy with him,” Northrop said. “I voted for him. I think he’s going to follow through on pretty much everything he said.”

Dave Smith of Disabled Veterans of Rhode Island is also hopeful.
“He said a lot in his campaigning that he was going to do a lot for veterans,” Smith said. “Let’s wait and see. He hasn't taken office yet, but I really hope he follows through on his commitment.”

While some vets said they have no love for Trump, veterans always put their country first, regardless of how they voted.

“I don't have a good feeling about it and I hope that I'm wrong,” said veteran John Roberts. “But we will support our country.”

The surprise felt by many Americans the day after the presidential election was noticeable at the Pentagon, where U.S. service members said they never expected Donald Trump would become their new commander-in-chief.

"I stayed up until about 1:30 in the morning, and I couldn't believe it," said Air Force Maj. Todd Watson, a 42-year-old programs manager at the Defense Department.

He said he voted for Trump, despite the candidate's "rough-around-the-edges" image.

"A lot of times what he said concerned me, and I thought he would have had a better time if he would have used a different tact," Watson said. "I was bothered by a lot of the same stuff most folks were put off by, but at the end of the day, I don't know if the lesser of two evils was the right terminology ... but it was a vote against Hillary Clinton."

With Clinton, "there was a trust thing," Watson said, who described Trump as "an outsider who will try to inject something different into the system."

He added, "There may be some pain with that, but I think it will be a positive thing in many ways too."

About a dozen service members said they didn't feel comfortable talking to a reporter about the election. Half of those were female service members.

A U.S. Navy officer, who asked not to be identified, said he was very surprised by the election's outcome.

"It was kind of shocking. It just seemed like by all the polls that were coming out; everybody seemed to be saying Clinton was a shoo-in," he said, adding, "I didn't vote for either one of them."

The personnel policy specialist with 19 years of service said he voted instead for Gary Johnson, the libertarian candidate.

"I wasn't impressed with some of the things I was hearing about Hillary Clinton," he said, referring to the FBI investigation into her emails as secretary of state.

As for Trump, "some of his personal actions were very concerning," such as the negative comments he made about women.

"A lot of it just didn't seem very presidential," he said.

Veterans Day came and went with millions of Americans around the nation coming together to share a somber embrace of dignity, honor, and respect for those who have served, or are actively serving, in the United States Military. One face was notably absent from the thousands of celebrations dotted across America; President-elect Donald J. Trump, who apparently did not attend a single Veteran’s Day celebration despite his impending rise to Commander in Chief of the entire United States military in just a few short weeks. If Trump were looking for a way in which to endear himself to the troops, of which Trump is solely responsible for issuing orders for them to risk their lives, this was likely not the best route.

After spending months describing how much respect he has for the military, while simultaneously attacking veterans like Sen. John McCain for being captured during Vietnam and disrespecting the family of fallen service members like Humayun Khan for the calamitous offense of being a Muslim, Trump was nowhere to be found. There is not a single note, record, or press release of Trump making any public appearances on Veteran’s Day. In fact, unless one follows Trump’s Twitter feed one might believe he was completely unaware the national holiday was even happening. Trump wrote on Twitter:

Today we express our deepest gratitude to all those who have served in our armed forces. #ThankAVet

That was it. Nothing else. He didn’t visit a graveyard, he didn’t make any telephone calls to military families, he didn’t visit the thousands of Americans recovering from various wounds and afflictions in our nation’s veterans hospitals, he didn’t even bring a dish to pass at a local community center potluck for veterans. When a minor gesture can make the difference to so many who have put their lives on the line to defend America, Trump decided that no gestures were required.

One can imagine the outrage of conservatives if the roles were reversed and President Barack Obama failed to make an appearance at a public event honoring veterans. There would be calls for Obama’s lack of patriotism, and that he was a traitor to those who serve under him. They would say that Obama is a weak leader, and does not inspire the troops. The babble would be endless and full of empty righteous indignation. Those scenarios didn’t happen, however, because President Obama was at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day where he gave a humble speech about the thousands who are laid to rest, and to offer his sincere gratitude for the bravery of the fallen. That’s what a president should do, that is the duty of a president, which is something Donald J. Trump clearly does not understand.