While most war movies focus on combat, a subgenre concentrates on the soldiers’ lives after they return home. For an effort in this vein, we go to 2017’s Thank You For Your Service.

Staff Sergeant Adam Schumann (Miles Teller) spends 15 months in combat in Iraq. Eventually he comes back to his wife Saskia (Haley Bennett) and their two young kids.

Due to PTSD, Adam struggles with his re-adjustment to civilian life. Along with fellow Iraq veterans, Adam works to become the husband and father he wants to be.

That synopsis doesn’t cover everything, as Service also branches into other soldiers. In addition to Adam, we follow what happens to his pals Specialist Tausolo Aieti (Beulah Koale) and Private First Class Billy Waller (Joe Cole).

Nonetheless, Adam remains the focal point. As ostensibly the most “together” of the three, he acts as the audience entry point.

Though “together” does belong in quotes, as all three veterans come with varying difficulties. We get the impression any of them could break at any time.

Despite this inherent sense of tension, Service doesn’t seem overwrought. It manages a fairly matter of fact tone that shifts during occasional scenes of greater drama.

All of this leads the movie to give us a convincing look at the issues experienced by combat veterans. Of course, the title seems ironic, as it hints at the superficial support they receive.

Americans like to tip their hats and put on shows of appreciation but when push comes to shove, the system lets down these soldiers. As seen here, the vets get some public recognition when they come back but after that they largely get left to fend for themselves.

Oh, support systems exist, but they’re overwhelmed and unable to assist the veterans in an appropriate way. This intensifies their struggles.

Service paints these issues well. It shows how our returning soldiers try to get assistance but wind up stymied for a number of reasons.

Movies about problems veterans experience when they come back from combat go back decades but that doesn’t mean the genre seems played out. Service adds a solid entry into that domain.

Thank You For Your Service appears in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Overall, I felt pleased with the image.

Sharpness looked good. Some softness hit a few interior shots, but those instances remained mostly insubstantial, so the majority of the flick showed fine clarity and accuracy.

Shimmering failed to distract, and jaggies also stayed away from the image. Edge haloes remained absent, and the movie also lacked any source flaws.

In terms of colors, Service went with an emphasis on blue/teal and khaki tans during military scenes. The film kept these strong but they didn’t seem obnoxious, and the Blu-ray reproduced them with good fidelity.

Blacks were pretty deep, and shadows were well-depicted. The image offered a solid “B+” presentation.

In addition, the movie’s DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack packed a pretty good sense of action, with active use of the various channels when necessary. Music filled the various channels in a satisfying manner, and effects fleshed out the spectrum in a logical way.

The film focused on general ambience, but some military components managed to add immersion to the tale. These worked for the story and added punch to the proceedings.

Audio quality pleased. Speech was concise and natural, while effects remained vivid and full-bodied.

In addition, music was vibrant and dynamic. The audio suited the story.

Two featurettes appear here. Staging a War goes for 12 minutes, 20 seconds. It offers remarks from author David Finkel, producer John Kilik, writer/director Jason Hall, production designer Keith P. Cunningham, extras casting Rose Locke, military advisor Mark Wachter, real-life participant Adam Schumann, veteran/extra Samuel I. Walley, costume designer Hope Hanafin, and actors Miles Teller, Scott Haze, Haley Bennett, Beulah Koale, Joe Cole, and Stefano Smith.

The program examines story/characters, cast and performances, attempts at authenticity, training, sets and locations. I like our glimpses of the real people behind the movie’s roles and we get a few useful insights but “Staging” too often feels self-congratulatory.

The Battle at Home lasts seven minutes, 37 seconds. Here we get notes from Finkel, Teller, Cole, Bennett, Schumann, Hall, Walley, Haze, and veterans/extras Shaklil Garnett, Alex Barth, Brian Blackann and Amanda Christian.

As implied, “Battle” looks at the issues experienced by veterans when they return from combat. Some of this echoes what we learn in the movie but again, the presence of actual soldiers adds some punch.

The disc opens with ads for Meagan Leavey, American Made, All I See Is You, Marshall and The Foreigner. No trailer for Service appears here.

While Thank You For Your Service treads ground seen in other movies, it still delivers a worthwhile tale. It comes with positive execution and drives home its themes well. The Blu-ray brings solid picture and audio along with minor supplements. This winds up as a fairly good drama.

Note that this 2025 Blu-ray reissues the movie’s prior release in 2018. The 2025 BD simply reproduces the same disc from seven years earlier.