By Maj. Gen John B. Hashem, USA (Ret.), ROA Executive Director
We hear and use this term whether at a sports event, walking through an airport, ceremonies, social events, or quick handshakes in passing. Most of the time it is respectful, sincere, and well meant. But if we’re being honest, it only scratches the surface. It’s shorthand for something bigger that is hard to put into a sentence. While some people say “thank you for your service” out of habit, others say because they truly meaning but don’t quite know how to go further, and some just nod because they know there is no clean way to explain how it all adds up.
Service isn’t a moment, but a stretch of life- time you don’t get back, jobs that get interrupted or reshaped, families that adjust without complaint because there’s no other option. It is also honor, purpose, and the kind of permanent bond you don’t find anywhere else. All of that is behind that simple phrase.
That’s why May matters as the National Military Appreciation Month to give the country a chance to do more than just say the words. It’s a time to slow things down to recognize the people behind them, those in the fight today such as in Operation EPIC FURY, those who have moved on from it, and the families who carried it who never signed a contract to serve but serve in many ways. This is the one time of year where the country connects words to reality.
That reality has always been built on the same foundation, the Citizen-Soldier. Regular folks who step up when needed, handle the business of the nation, then return to their communities. This model is how our country operated from the beginning. When the US celebrates Victory in Europe Day it’s a reminder of what happens when a nation leans on its own people and those people deliver!
What’s different now is that there’s no clean break anymore. There’s no clear “over there” and “back home.” The front edge of conflict is everywhere, all the time, and it shows up in ways that don’t always look like what people expect. Cyber, information, competition that never quite shuts off, missions at home that require immediate attention. The Guard and Reserve sit right in the middle of that – not waiting in the wings.
It’s also where we see strain. The “system” hasn’t fully caught up to how much that model is being used. Duty status doesn’t always line up with the mission, which can create gaps in pay, benefits, and protections. Employers get asked to adjust again and again. Families deal with moving timelines like it’s just normal life. People make it work; we make it work because that’s what we’ve always done, but that doesn’t mean it’s working the way it should. That’s why pushing things like Duty Status Reform matters. It’s about matching the system to reality instead of asking people to keep bridging the gap on their own.
As we head toward America’s 250th, that whole idea of the citizen-soldier matters even more. Two hundred fifty years is a long time, and it doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people keep stepping forward, generation after generation, even when the environment changes. The model still works, it just needs the system around it to keep up.
So when someone says “thank you for your service,” take it for what it is. It’s an honest and sincere recognition that’s hard to explain. But also understand this, especially this month – you don’t need those words to validate what you did or what your family carried, that’s settled.
Enjoy your month!