Their service to the country. It’s not a great deal to put your life on the line for an average paycheck. Public service is still viewed as service, even if of military.
This doesn’t apply when you are forced because you didn’t choose to do it.
Therein lies the difference. In your system it is compulsory. In ours it is ultimately voluntary, hence the thanks. That being said, folks should know better than to thank a sailing ship hat wearer unless it is the USS Constitution.
Quaint
That would be the US EPA and whomever influenced them in the Carter administration to classify trucks as regulated differently than other passenger vehicles. It unironically financially encourages SUVs over vans and bigger bodied trucks over smaller ones.
It’s killed the work truck, the small truck, and literal pedestrians.
Their intentions were fine at the time and it has resulted in average miles per gallon within their class going way up but it needs to be amended. The shifting of sales eats into any fuel efficiency gains. Regulate them the same as any passenger vehicle and give me my utility back.
That’s called a private plane these days and it costs the equivalent.