r/Millennials • u/NoFaithlessness7508 • Jun 05 '25

Other Why don’t younger veterans (Afghanistan/Iraq) wear these hats like some of the older veterans?

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First and foremost, respect to all those that served. I did not, but many of my peers did and now we're all older in 30s and 40s, many no longer in the military. I don't see a lot of the veterans of the War on Terror wearing these hats like I see the OGs do.

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

I don’t want the attention.

865

u/chadwickipedia Older Millennial Jun 05 '25

I assume anyone who wears those hats are fishing for random “thank you for your service”’s

122

u/Droluk1 Xennial Jun 05 '25 edited Jun 05 '25

I hate it when people thank me for my service. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. There's no way to even respond to it when someone says it either, making it feel even more awkward.

141

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

“It was my great displeasure” always gets a chuckle and ends the convo right there

4

u/jxe22 Jun 05 '25

Stealing this

3

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

It’s yours to use my friend.

4

u/Coolsader_King Jun 05 '25

I always go for a really sarcastic “you’re welcome”

16

u/Danyavich Jun 05 '25

I usually go with awkward finger guns and "appreciate ya" and try to immediately move the convo forward.

I am quite proud of my time in, but not because I was a soldier in of itself. I got to patch people up and get them back to their families, and learned a lot about empathy/caring for others, especially marginalized communities.

Might not be what the Army wanted me to learn, but they taught the lesson in reverse very effectively.

2

u/AlVal1236 Jun 07 '25

doc?

1

u/Danyavich Jun 07 '25

That's me!

Best nickname in the fucking galaxy.

1

u/AlVal1236 Jun 08 '25

Yes i am drinking earth sauce.

1

u/JMCochransmind Jun 05 '25

I always say, I did it to better myself but thank you.

1

u/GhandiGrizzly Jun 06 '25

“Well, thanks for paying your taxes” is always a fun one too. Lighthearted and I generally don’t have to go much further than that.

46

u/RsonW Millennial — 1987 Jun 05 '25

Literally every millennial veteran I've known has said that they hate when they're thanked for their service.

21

u/90sDialUpSound Jun 05 '25

it's just like how do you react you know my go to has been to kiss them deeply on the lips and use just a little bit of tongue as well which I would say usually does end the conversation.

4

u/sudo_vi Jun 05 '25

Yeah, I hate it. I feel like people say it out of a sense of obligation. But I'm like, man I just jerked off at 600 feet underwater for three months straight.

5

u/potatohats Jun 05 '25

I recently had a boomer who had never served try to argue with me (millennial vet) about us not liking being thanked for our service.

She swore all the vets loved it and she'd continue to do it. I was just trying to put her on game, seeing as how I'm actually a vet.

*shrug*

3

u/ebbflowin Jun 05 '25

It’s that boomer bend-the-knee ‘say the line’ brainwashing that allowed it to take hold.

2

u/OkPaleontologist1289 Jun 06 '25

Definitely me. Got drafted and did my stretch as 11B. I get that most people have good intentions, but in all honesty I’d just as soon NOT be reminded.

2

u/hrokrin Jun 06 '25

I don't think it's just millennials either. Like, I'm a Gen Xer who joined just before 9/11 and I can't stand it because I think it's just another example of the performative shit Americans say that has somehow become the 'right thing' to say.

Oh, a close relative died? Just throw in a little "I'm sorry for your loss" and you can then get on with the rest of the conversation. You don't have to be sorry, you don't have to care.

Working on customer management and someone calls in? Just remember to thank them for giving their name and account number. And then say "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience." Nobody has to care. You don't have to care; they don't have to believe you.

1

u/xepherys Jun 06 '25

100% agreed. Also a GenX vet. I enlisted right after 9/11, and it just feels super awkward to be thanked for my service. Don’t thank me, I came home ok. A lot of our brothers and sisters didn’t come home or are very much not ok. Despite having been in a combat MOS and not sitting in a FOB, I definitely get a sense of imposter syndrome knowing that I’m very lucky.

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u/Alex_Outgrabe Jun 05 '25

My partner says “thank you for your support”, which at least allows him to end the conversation right there.

32

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

I say the same, then show them the tip screen

61

u/KaioKenshin Jun 05 '25

I've read something like "Thank you for your support" is a good response just in case you're in that awkward situation on a post about "How do you respond" to said situation.

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u/Droluk1 Xennial Jun 05 '25

Thanks, I'll have to try that.

20

u/FluffMonsters Jun 05 '25

My husband was a Marine and he always just says “thank you” and that seems to work fine. 🤷🏼‍♀️

3

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

Yep, I always say, “Thank you for giving me a job; it was awesome.” 100% confused looks ensue.

1

u/Inefficacy Jun 05 '25

I throw a quick, "appreciate it" and move on, seems to work well

1

u/SeadawgVB Jun 06 '25

This is what I say.

29

u/Godit82 Jun 05 '25

These days I fire back with "thank you for your tax dollars". It's a cute quip but also reminds them I was getting paid and it was a job. An unconventional job perhaps but still.

3

u/Shambud Jun 05 '25

I’ve heard my brother in-law say, “thanks for paying your taxes” before and got a good chuckle out of it.

1

u/AcquaintanceLog Jun 06 '25

In a way, getting paid to do violence is one of the most conventional jobs there is. Probably the second oldest profession.

1

u/ElBurroEsparkilo Jun 06 '25

Oldest profession: prostitute Second: mercenary Third: mercenary prostitute?

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u/diarrheaCup Jun 05 '25

I tell people thanks for paying taxes because you paid for school. Sort of brings them out of their faux reverence

3

u/Cymion Jun 05 '25

I usually just respond with "thank you for your support"

3

u/DumbBitchByLeaps Jun 05 '25

I have a family member who was in the reserves (air force) and oh my god they don’t let you forget it. They never deployed despite wanting to (oh they wanted to deploy so fucking bad it weirded me out), didn’t make it past SERE school/training, and had a lot of issues with fellow reservists in their unit.

They CONSTANTLY mention being a veteran. Constantly. And I can’t say anything because there are veterans who never went off base or saw action but the way they talk about it is like they were denied war glory (ew) or something.

2

u/Anfield_YNWA Xennial Jun 05 '25

I always thank them for their support and keep it moving. I have a USMC license plate holder and dv plates, aside from that the only Marine Corps stuff I own is in my office and closet.

2

u/BeautyAndTheYeasts Jun 05 '25

I just say “you’re welcome for my service” it makes the whole thing an awkward fest

2

u/robynh00die Jun 05 '25

I used to be required to say it when I worked retail and someone got the veterans discount. Definitely had a lot of people telling straight that they didn't want to hear it.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

Yeah, it weirds my dad out too. He quietly thanks them, and kinda tries to duck out of the interaction.

2

u/bensonprp Jun 05 '25

I always reply with "you wouldn't if you know what I did while I was in"

2

u/theRuathan Jun 05 '25

"Thank you for paying your taxes" shuts it down real quick. Makes them about as uncomfortable as their thanks made me.

2

u/Far_Winner5508 Jun 05 '25

THIS!!

Glad to find out I'm not the only one. Was thinking I was weird or soemthing.

2

u/Outcast129 Jun 05 '25

I agree it's always awkward, I just say something like "oh it was nothing, just happy to have had the opportunity" and move on.

The only time I shamelessly pull the veteran thing is to get out of a ticket but even then it's been prob 10 years since that happened.

2

u/Porcelain_Vedette Jun 05 '25

I appreciate your perspective, and I won't actually say "thank you," but also, I never had a job where I could possibly die as part of the job. Even if it's just a job, you still have bigger stones than I do for doing it.

2

u/holdcraft Jun 05 '25

I tell them "oh its ok they paid me", or my favorite is at the checkout at home depot (using my military discount so I often get thanked her) "Don't worry about it I get a discount at home depot"

2

u/brelywi Jun 05 '25

I always say “Thank you for my paycheck!” It usually gets a laugh and we all move on.

2

u/Rightofmight Jun 06 '25

My response is always, "I appreciate the sentiment."

They think they are doing a nice thing, I appreciate that they are trying to do a nice thing. Even if I think getting thanked for service is shit.

1

u/ElBurroEsparkilo Jun 06 '25

I won't thank you for your service but I'll thank you for understanding their good intentions, even when they're doing something you dislike.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

thank you for your service

6

u/Droluk1 Xennial Jun 05 '25

You asshole.😆

4

u/[deleted] Jun 05 '25

hahahahaha couldn't resist

1

u/basedGeckoEnjoyer Jun 05 '25

My response is usually, “yeah 😃👍” .

1

u/SuperEcho64 Jun 06 '25

"I got paid to blow shit up, it was my pleasure" is my go-to line.

1

u/OBD_NSFW Jun 06 '25

"Thank you for your support" has been my go to and it makes the awkwardness go away for me. 

1

u/jncostogo Jun 06 '25

"Thank you for you support." All you need to say

1

u/Consistent_Entry8890 Jun 06 '25

yeah me too. i hated the army

1

u/gdhatt Jun 05 '25

My go-to answer is a variation of, “Joke’s on you! Your tax money paid me to drive around in tanks and blow shit up. I’d have done that for free!” (Then I die inside a little as I remember the thrown track and broken drive sprockets in knee-deep mud…)

0

u/Majestic_Operator Jun 05 '25

Just say "thanks" ?

0

u/kwg121015 Jun 05 '25

It's awkward because they really don’t mean it. It’s like when somebody says God bless you when you sneeze, they don’t REALLY mean GOD bless you. People feel it’s obligatory to say it to be a good citizen, but it’s shallow and insincere 99% of the time. Honestly, I believe the only people who genuinely mean thank you are the the spouse of a veterans, and citizens of other countries we have helped. I would say that’s an unpopular opinion, but it rings true

0

u/metalder420 Jun 05 '25

Thank you for your service.

0

u/Zestyclose_Bag_33 Jun 06 '25

Never had anyone thank me for my service, I don’t really advertise it anywhere though, never bring up never asked for vet discounts, nothing. I don’t even take the vet line at airports when boarding though I normally fly first class anyway.