Hearing ‘Thank you for your service’ makes most young veterans uncomfortable, poll says

Not all U.S. veterans like being thanked for their service, according to new polling released ahead of Veterans Day.

Nearly 70% of young veterans and members of the military feel awkward or uncomfortable when they hear the phrase “Thank you for your service,” according to a survey conducted by YouGov and Endeavor Analytics.

The survey questioned a representative sample of 1,639 current and former military personnel between September and October.

Only 24% of veterans and military members aged 65 and above said the phrase “Thank you for your service” makes them feel awkward or uncomfortable, indicating a strong generational divide on the matter.

“This data shows that military service members and our veterans want Americans to go beyond small talk to connect with them on a deeper level, including learning more about their service, honoring each veteran’s service in ways in which they feel comfortable talking about it,” retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Whittle, the chief of staff at USAA, which sponsored the survey, said in a Nov. 8 news release.

The survey also revealed that older veterans and military personnel are “76% more likely than younger generations to connect with each other in person on the holiday” on Nov. 11. Younger generations are more likely to connect online.

“We know that personal connection is a critical component to mental health and suicide prevention,” Katy Dondanville, a researcher at UT Health Science Center San Antonio, said in the release.

The rate of suicide among veterans is 57% higher than non-veterans, according to a 2022 report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2020, the latest year with available data, 6,146 veterans died by suicide, amounting to an average of 16 deaths per day.

“Rather than simply offering our thanks, we should be looking for ways to go beyond small talk and create more meaningful connections with veterans and better understand their service,” Dondanville said.

This story was originally published November 10, 2023 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Hearing ‘Thank you for your service’ makes most young veterans uncomfortable, poll says."