Every time that I write, I do this. Why?
Because throughout my twelve years of schooling, I attended thirteen different schools while traveling around the US. These schools also included locations in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia.
Four years after graduating from high school in Colombia, I joined the U.S. Army Special Forces. I was enlisted for seven years (1980-1987), married (to Trena), and together we had two children. One of my assignments was in Berlin when the wall still stood intact. I left the Army in 1987 to attend college and complete ROTC. In 1990, I returned to the Army as a Commissioned Officer in Military Intelligence. I did a tour in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm in 1991. In 2005, I retired as a Major after two tours to Iraq. My experiences have been a book.
Making assumptions about their emotions, however, I have been married to a woman for 38 years, have a daughter, a daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters. I like making female heroines my lead characters. One of my favorite characters, Asha Hawkins, plays a huge role in The Hawkins: Army of One, and the book, Millennial Girl is all about her.
Plagiarism is the most unethical by far. This applies not only from authors stealing your ideas for material but also to directors and producers who make money on movies from an author's ideas.