"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand watch in the night, ready to visit violence upon those who would do us harm."  -George Orwell

People say "thank you" for a variety of reasons.  That is usually followed up with "your welcome," "don't mention it," or something along those lines.

I have been in the Army for a long time now, and occasionally I encounter someone who upon seeing me in uniform says "thank you for your service."  How do I answer that?  "Your welcome" doesn't sound quite right.  In fact, nothing sounds quite right.  This happens more often than you might expect, especially now that we are in our ninth year of war.

When someone says "thank you for your service," it sounds a little bit like a compliment, or a recognition of sorts.  Maybe I should say "thank you" right back to them.

In truth, I neither need nor want recognition for what I do, but I cannot say that without sounding rude.

Note: The quote above is a variation of many similar quotes attributed to George Orwell, but no one seems to know exactly when he said it.  In fact, some people attribute the quote to Winston Churchill.