Probably I missed something, but it seems that the airline was willing to ask its customers to make sacrifices, through an appeal to emotion (or guilt?), while at the same time intentionally overbooking. Wondering why the airline wasn't willing to also make a sacrifice- like giving free tickets to returning military.

The airline gets to seem like a good guy, and it wins twice- fills up a plane with revenue seats, and does not have to pay the federally mandated involuntary bumping fees. A good business move, says overly cynical I.