Whatever you believe about military forces and usage on a societal level we should look after them at least as well as everyone else.
Kinda like how some people say "I'll pray for you" - rather than, you know, actually -doing- something to help...
It is therefore quite rational to be able honestly to say you will pray for someone -- even if you are atheist -- if the goal is to maximally signal support and goodwill (which you believe will benefit the "recipient" in some small but possibly positive nonzero way, as well as signaling virtue from the "sender".)
Frankly, that is one major reason I have instituted prayer in my decidedly atheist household.
No - I am not overlooking these people. I know very well that they exist, and I often find myself wondering about their thinking process. I say this also as a former person of faith (Wicca), as I often wonder about my own at the time, my own today, and the what/why of the changeover. I have yet to be able to answer that satisfactorily for myself.
> To them, praying is an important act, and praying for you is likely something they will literally do because they think it will help.
I understand that, but it also goes counter to published research which indicates that those who are prayed for do worse than those who aren't (I believe the study was in regards to patients recovering in a hospital, and that they were told whether or not they were being prayed for). The difference in rates of recovery were very minor (IIRC, less than 1 percent) - and other studies have shown the opposite. Ultimately, everything indicates that it is no better than random chance. I just wonder why people, despite being presented such evidence, choose fantasy over reality.
> Granted, there are many people who say it as a platitude but don't actually do it.
Those who do this, I hold in high contempt - above and beyond those who believe it will actually help. Because the true faithful are showing compassion toward the less fortunate (regardless of the actual outcome), while those saying it as a platitude are just doing so to gain some kind of "social points", likely knowing fully that their words mean nothing.
Separating the two classes, though, can be difficult or impossible, unfortunately...
So, the US has many private charities and organizations to help veterans. It seems silly. If there's one thing that a country so supposedly patriotic and morally superior ("exceptional") could do to show it, then it should be a 'no brainer' to try and live up to that and to take care of people who (now voluntarily signed up) to risk their lives for their country. This is more akin to North Korea's version--except the DPRK really is too poor to take care of them.