Believe it or not most people in the military will never be sent to the front lines. But there is a reason that the benefits are so good.
Then you should understand why MiddleMan would want to extend a symbol of his gratitude by paying for a soldier's meal.
5 members of my family are serving and they tell me how much money they earn. For what they do, they are underpaid but do get great benefits GI bill, VA loan etc.