Soldiers

Living on the mist surrounded islands (which basically means any island at some point) is not easy and it has been the military that has been keeping everyone safe from monsters that lurk there. And from other humans that lurk on the other islands that are of course far worse than our own island.
That aside, becoming a soldier is considered to be the smartest career move anyone can make. It is said to be one of the very few absolutely equal opportunities for any gender, religion or class - everyone has a chance to die there as death does not discriminate. And if you manage to survive for long enough, your career advancement is inevitable as survival experience is considere one of the most valuable ones out there. Who wouldn't want to survive?
There is a lot of prestige to be found when in the army even though at the start you have to be the one who listens and let others lead you no matter where to do no matter what. But once you get past that, the higher ranks command unique power fit to their station and many people from the public still hold high regard and respect for anyone in the military uniform. Having soldiers nearby is a sign of safety, that no matter what happens, these guys are here to solve it and help any civilian get to safety. And many people are willing to follow soldiers even long after they stopped wearing a uniform, be it just listening to veterans' stories and opinions or be it voting for a political candidate that has some military history.
Soldiers are here to lead by an example and in the eyes of many, embody the many idealistic traits of knights that also got romanticised in the history. Even though the reality might have been somewhere else...