I’ve always struggled with how to respond when someone thanks me for my service. It’s an awkward encounter. In some ways, “you’re welcome” sounds short and insincere. But why?

Over time I began to adopt the Chick-fil-A response and would reply with a simple “my pleasure.” It seemed a little odd at first, but after a while it began to make more sense because serving truly was my pleasure.

As a reservist I haven’t done much. I’ve never been deployed and I’ve never been in combat. For many of my active duty counterparts, veteran status as a reservist would be a relative term. And while my military service hasn’t been forged in combat or long deployments away from my family, I was indoctrinated into a warrior culture of individuals that it is truly a pleasure to serve with.

It isn’t fun. Drill weeks are monotonous and annoying. Being a reservist is like having two full time jobs. About the time your mind switches to military mode it’s time to switch back and be a civilian, and on top of all the worries of your regular job and school, you’re expected to maintain expert status in a job that you practice maybe 4 days a month.

So when people thank me for my service, there’s a small sting of jealous pain because I understand that it isn’t about me, but about the Warriors who have come before me.

I am not a veteran. I don’t know what the future of my military career holds, but what I do know is that being a United States Marine is truly an honor. Carrying on the same traditions, wearing the same uniform, and being associated with heroes like Kyle Carpenter and Dakota Meyer is truly “my pleasure.”

On September 22, 1776, Nathan Hale hung lifeless from a tree. An American Patriot, Hale’s last words were, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

Despite the discomfort, the pain and loss, sacrifice and service, that quote is a sentiment reflected by all veterans. And while bitterness and resentment easily take hold, service to this incredible nation is truly an honor and a pleasure.

We live in a time that reflects an attitude of “doom and gloom.” Some people prefer to complain about our country and condemn it to hell, but I say that despite all of our misgivings and failures, we are still a great nation. We remain a nation founded on Biblical principles and a nation that truly reflects “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

So yes, when people thank me for my service, it is a pleasure. What little I have done for my country is truly an honor. And while thanks is necessary, the greatest honor you can give a veteran is to stand up – stand up for the truth. Do not wallow in the past or despair in “what we’ve become”, but learn from history and the sacrifices of others and continue to make our nation great.