I'd startup a conversation with these folks www.botball.org. My son and several of his friends have participated and it was a great experience for them. While the kits are a pricey, the setup they use for competition isn't. Once you have the kits it shouldn't take that much effort to let the vets do their own thing or even organize botball-esque events within the VA.
CPL
U.S Army
1985-1990
Medical Hold
1989-1990
"This is, without a doubt, a really stupid thing to actually try. So don't."
Hmm, wow. Nope the really stupid idea is posting a story on the InterWeb about a really stupid idea and warning us that it's "a really stupid idea". Road & Track should be ashamed that many Slashdoters are now searching E-Bay, CarMax and the trades for an S-Class to try this out in or texting their friends (hopefully not while driving to see them) with S-Class' to try this out. Responsible media, right! Telling geeks about a hack, is like giving crack to a junkie. Tomorrow's lead, dozens die recreating S-Class hack.
Oh, yeah, please PM me your findings.
Don't panic.