How Should We Approach Soldiers?

Elizabeth Samet examines the phenomenon of civilians saying "thank you" to service members they see in uniform:

If our theater of gratitude provoked introspection or led to a substantive dialogue between giver and recipient, I would celebrate it. But having witnessed these bizarre, fleeting scenes, I have come to believe that they are a poor substitute for something more difficult and painful — a conversation about what war does to the people who serve and to the people who don’t. There are contradictions inherent in being, as many Americans claim to be, for the troops but against the war. Most fail to consider the social responsibilities such a stance commits them to fulfilling in the coming decades.

Jason Fritz recounts how he's dealt with said thanks, while Captain Hyphen thinks about the inherent awkwardness of the situation. On that note, above is a well-intended but hathos-filled PSA posted by K-Lo a while back. For my part, I say thanks every time I meet someone in the uniform, unless it would interrupt them or seem rude. It seems like pretty basic civic manners to me.