[JohnBraden]

Here in the US, the armed services is an option for those who are not well off financially, since they provide for the soldiers room and board and a decent pay for their service. They are also given the chance to further their education through grants and also while they serve. They are not drafted, but for some, it's the only recourse available. When they get sent overseas to fight, they do it because they are ordered to, not because they want to. When I joined the USAF, I knew full well we could go to war with the USSR, but we weren't really thinking we'd go to war. So when people thank the troops, they are thanking them for the sacrifice of leaving their families behind and going to a conflict overseas they themselves may not agree with.