Why do some assume some military jobs were purely an office job?

Edit: I think I need to note It's hard to avoid talking about my disability in person because I'm on oxygen and doing lung transplant work-up with the VA.

To preface, I was Navy Nuclear Electronics Technician. I was a reactor operator that was stationed on CVN-65 Big-E. I asked a group of people online as to why their state requires disabled vets to live in the state for 5 years before getting a property tax exemption, because the state is trying to get vets to move there and the incentive doesn't seem that good. It's been a while but I got the response of "Why should you even get disability compensation? You did an office job."

It doesn't upset me anymore and I see it as an education opportunity to possibly shift the perception that it's not some cozy job of only sitting at a panel doing rod control. But it got me wondering, what modern imagery whether it be from mainstream media or rumor is so pervasive that quite a few people have this grossly inaccurate perception that it was a comfortable office job on a ship?

This goes for both military and civilian. Even soldiers have barked at me in person that I apparently had a nice air conditioned space to work and not worry about a thing. That was far from the truth as it's a boiler plant with minimal air circulation in the shipyard or insanely hot with just enough enough circulation while doing circles in the 120° Persian Gulf. The shipyard being its own monster.

I personally think everyone has their job and each job has its own risks. The logistics guy loading sodas can have a machine fall over on them or a damn pallet of g-dunk snacks dropped on them in a freak accident. I get exposed to radiation (I had to go do maintenance in the compartment). Others get exposed to a larger fast moving projectiles, jump out of planes, dive underwater for unnatural amounts of time, etc.

Where does this perception come from so I and others can better address it? I would normally pay no mind, but these people also tell their elected officials they think we deserve no to little benefits after service.