Malcom Nance served in the Navy from '81 through '01, in cryptology and as in instructor in SERE training (surviving being captured). Being age 60, having no familiarity with infantry tactics or weapons, and probably not speaking Ukrainian, his "suiting up" is a symbol at best.
"Lil’ Dan Crenshaw" was a SEAL and fought in Afghanistan. His eye patch is not affectation, he earned it the hard way.
A "devastating parallel" needs, first, to be parallel. NoelCaslerComedy's shtick was an irrelevant attack on a man vastly more honorable than NoelCaslerComedy.