I’m not sure that there needs to be a any grand cosmic reason for life to exist. Life could just be an accident of random events in our little corner of the universe.
Natural selection offers an explanation for how life changes across generations in response to challenges in the environment. It does not require a plan, just that the outcome of a chaotic process (reproduction) creates mutations that produce a slight edge, or at least no reduction in reproductive efficiency.
That’s the National Defense Sevice Medal
It is awarded for service during a time of war. It was awarded for periods that included the War on Terror, Vietnam, and Korea