Posted on Jan 21, 2015
SPC Larry Buck
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All active duty stand down(but don't walk away, this will effect you later) Veterans does it ever bother you to hear that? "Thank you for your service" I apologize but it mmmm...bugs me something awful, telling me " your done go sit down and grow feeble " needs changed to something that endures like we do something like "YO JOE!" or another saying meaning get outta my way theres work to do and I ain't done yet! Forgive if I wasted your time, just wondering.
Posted in these groups: Thank you logo Thank You577963 465023533533674 1675317474 n Service
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Responses: 623
SPC Ronald Treitner
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good question, it makes me both happy to hear it and rather awkward/uncomfortable at the same time.
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PO2 Michael Prudhomme
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No it does not. It sparks some real good conversations with others especially with the younger generation.
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SSG Timothy Lanham
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I never heard it much when I was active but I do hear it on occasion now. "Thank you for what you do or have done. Thank you for your service". This country would be a lot better off if we the people could say that to more of the people in DC
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A1C Michael Clarke
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I've been thinking about this very topic for some time. It used to bother me only for the fact that "thank you for your service" has become such an automatic response when someone discovers that you've served that it seems disingenuous. It would make me feel uncomfortable and put on the spot. I would respond with "yeah, sure" or "you betcha" and do my best to move on.

I've gotten to the point where I just say "thank you". I don't feel so uncomfortable any more. After all, disingenuous or not, someone is trying to show appreciation that you put your ass out there for them and that's a good thing.
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SSG Dwight Welsh
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It does not bother me at the least.
I am thankful for anyone recognizing that I (or someone with me) took the time to sacrifice some of their time, life, family,... to serve this Great Nation.
I am thankful that unlike how Veterans were treated in the 70's - 80's after Vietnam, people now-a-days actually understand that "first and foremost" we are and were not Baby Killers.
I don't feel condescended towards when someone says that to me.
HooooRAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!
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SSG Robert Webster
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My problem is that it has gotten to the point that it has almost become the "greeting of the day". Instead of being a true show of appreciation, it has now become almost meaningless due to its over use. To be honest with you, after a short meeting or discussion with a young NCO or Officer today, I would much rather be told - "Have a good day." The other problem that I have is that when said to me by an active duty service member in day to day conversation, it really becomes a meaningless statement, because rarely if ever does the service member even know a small fraction of what we may have done.

No matter who you are take a look at how any service member reacts to a veteran of WWII or Korea, to the way they react to a veteran of Vietnam, to the way they react to a veteran of Grenada, Panama, DS/DS or Mogadishu, to the way they react to a veteran of the Cold War era (without combat periods), and how they react to the current service members (and compare the reaction to CIBs, CABs, Combat Action Ribbons, etc. to those without).

Think about it.
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CW3 Chuck Huddleston
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I have taken to wearing a baseball cap that reads U.S. Army...Retired! I often have people stop me and say "thank you for your service" and I usually reply with a simple "Thank you, some of it was fun". I joined in '62 stayed until '83 and can honestly say that I never was treated badly and surely was not spit on by anyone. If I had been spit on, I most likely would have punched that person in the nose, regardless of who it was or how big they were. Maybe wouldn't have been the wisest thing to do, but I was young and dumb back then and having been brought up as an army brat, I was pretty proud of my Army! I'm very proud of having been a Nike-Hercules vet for a number of cold war years, site duty was pretty good. I thank all of you for your service!
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CW3 Chuck Huddleston
CW3 Chuck Huddleston
9 y
Nope, not that I know of.
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SSG Kyle Shelton
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It does to me. Maybe because I'm humble, maybe because I never like unwanted attention for people. But I volunteered to do it, I got paid to do it, it is a job even though most won't do it. But I just felt awkward most times, probably because of all the people who offer you drinks and get in your face asking inappropriate questions.
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SPC Thomas Gannon
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It does not bother me in fact I find myself thanking others for their service to our country. Remember our brothers returning from the jungles of South east Asia were spit on and disrespected. I will support and thank those who protect me.. of course we say please and thank you in my house also.
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SPC Thomas Webb
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The only part about it that bothers me is that it makes me feel like I didn't do ENOUGH... all civilians seem to think that everyone that put on the uniform stood on the front line and got shot at. I spent my entire enlistment in the Panamanian tropics doing shift work. I was just a comm jockey, the guy you called for autovon lines on the weekends so you call mom and dad for free...
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SGT Infantryman (Airborne)
SGT (Join to see)
>1 y
BUT, at least you served. Don't ever run yourself down for your MOS. You had no choice in that.
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SPC Thomas Webb
SPC Thomas Webb
>1 y
Thanks Keith, I appreciate your response, and thank YOU for your service.

However, I DID choose my MOS. At the MEPS, I scanned the avaliable MOS list for the one with the longest school that I qualified for and took it. What I didn't choose was my duty station. I could have potentially been sent somewhere I would have been in a tactical unit, I kind of got lucky on that one and was sent to a strategic unit instead. They asked for volunteers to go to Iraq in my third year, but who do you know that volunteers once your already IN?!?!?
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MSgt Hal Weeden, MBA
MSgt Hal Weeden, MBA
9 y
Thomas, you certainly provided a valuable service! Those AUTOVON (DSN for you youngsters) lines provided a tremendous morale boost and helped us keep our sanity in the days before the Internet.
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