When "Thank you for your service" usually comes from a well-meaning civilian, veterans often fumble for an appropriate and respectful response. Saying "thank you" to a "thank you" seems awkward, and saying "you're welcome" feels a little pompous.

So imagine having to reply when someone says "thank you for our freedom," as if you're Captain America, personally dealing death to terrorists and various super villians.

No matter how awkward that might feel for veterans, two members of Congress seem to think that the highfalutin phrase should be the official way to thank vets and want to make it official.

Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) and J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives on Sept. 29 to replace "thank you for your service" with "thank you for our freedom," despite neither phrase having an official status of any kind in U.S. law or policy.

"As a Nation, we have an obligation to support the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who risk their lives to protect the freedom of the American people, and our allies," Bergman said in a press release that related a 70-year-old story that inspired him to actually introduce the idea when we all have better things we could be doing.

The U.S. military faces a number of high-profile problems. All branches are struggling to meet manning requirements, the U.S. Army is recommending food stamps to military families and Fort Hood is still an evolving tragedy -- just to name a few of the real issues Congress could be fixing.

Although likely unintentional, the language of the resolution is surprisingly self-aware, acknowledging congressional shortcomings in dealing with the actual problems faced by troops, veterans and their families, stating "for far too long, our Nation has fallen short in our obligation to our military."

Thanking the troops who are putting up with moldy barracks and jet fuel-flavored water while Russian President Vladimir Putin threatens them with nuclear weapons is where Congress decided to begin addressing its obligation. It is literally the least they could do.

"All gave some and many made the ultimate sacrifice," Correa said, paraphrasing legendary American Billy Ray Cyrus in Bergman's press release about the resolution.

The non-binding resolution was referred to the House Armed Services Committee the same day it was introduced. There, it will likely die a death as meaningless as its existence. Even if it were ever to pass, it would be a purely symbolic gesture. As a non-binding resolution, it can't be enforced.

Same-sex spouses who were in long-term relationships with a veteran but were not legally able to marry before 2015 may now qualify for survivor benefits under a policy change announced by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The change applies to survivors who -- because of bans before a Supreme Court ruling that year making gay marriage a constitutional right -- weren't wed long enough before their spouse died to qualify for benefits under the previous policy.

"VA is closing a gap in benefits for surviving spouses of LGBTQ+ veterans, righting a wrong that is a legacy of the discriminatory federal ban on same-sex marriages," VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement Oct. 13. "It is VA's mission to serve all veterans -- including LGTBQ+ veterans -- as well as they've served our country, and this decision is a key part of that effort."

By law, couples have to be married at least a year for the surviving spouse to be eligible for benefits such as the VA survivors pension or the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. The rates increase if a couple is married at least eight years.

But prior to the Supreme Court's 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, same-sex couples in more than a dozen states were barred from marrying, and many of the states that did permit gay marriage before that had legalized it only a couple of years beforehand.

Under the VA's new policy, survivors who got married after the Obergefell decision in June 2015 and can establish they had a "marriage-type" relationship with their now-deceased spouse before that will be eligible for benefits. Some examples of how to prove a marriage-type relationship include a commitment ceremony, joint banking account or joint purchase of a house, the VA said in a news release.

The policy change took effect immediately, so newly eligible spouses can apply now. Anyone who applies within the next year will get benefits backdated to Oct. 11, 2022, but the benefits are not retroactive beyond that.

The announcement is the latest move from the Biden administration aimed at making up for past anti-LGBTQ policies and laws. Last year, the VA said veterans given other-than-honorable discharges solely for their sexual orientation under the military's now-defunct "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy would be eligible to receive full benefits.

The change for survivor benefits comes after 41 Democratic senators sent a letter to McDonough earlier this year calling on him to ensure same-sex partners are eligible for benefits if they weren't able to marry prior to Obergefell.

"It's unacceptable to me that surviving partners of veterans have been denied the VA care, benefits, and services they deserve because they did not have the right to marry," Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who organized the July letter, said in a statement last week. "I've been fighting for years to tear down barriers like these for our veterans, and I'm glad VA took this important step -- but our work is not done."

BRUSSELS — NATO on Monday began its long-planned annual nuclear exercises in northwestern Europe as tensions simmer over the war in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin’s threat to use any means to defend Russian territory.

Fourteen of NATO's 30 member countries were due to take part in the exercises, which the military alliance said would involve around 60 aircraft including fighter jets and surveillance and refueling planes.

The bulk of the war games will be held at least 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) from Russia’s borders.

U.S. long-range B-52 bombers will also take part in the maneuvers, dubbed Steadfast Noon, which will run until Oct. 30. NATO is not permitting any media access.

NATO said that training flights will take place over Belgium, which is hosting Steadfast Noon this year, as well as over the North Sea and the United Kingdom. The exercises involve fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads, but do not involve any live bombs.

The exercises were planned before Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February. Russia usually holds its own annual maneuvers around the same time, and NATO is expecting Moscow to exercise its nuclear forces sometime this month.