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.