The War on Soccer

I was both puzzled and stunned to see the armed forces parading at a football game on tv recently. (NZ versus Australia?)I rubbed my eyes. They were commemorating Armistice Day or somesuch. A woman in full naval regalia sang the NZ national anthem. Here's a question: what's the armed forces doing strutting around a soccer game? If you answer that it gets uncomfortable...... game, national pride, 'us', identity, analogies of battle and games, commonality with other nations who 'served' (omg I hate that word). I am worried about the inroads the military are making into everyday life; I'm similarly concerned about forging our identity through warfare. The annual primary school ANZAC day fever that strikes the country.