I mean it feels nice to hear from him and receive the affection, but maybe a little ingenuine too since the expectation of daily messages conflicts with not wanting to start anything until January.

I have limited communication more than he'd like and he questioned it but understood when I said our work schedules conflict. But I'd still consider keeping in touch weekly.
When I didn't message him when I said I would he was less affectionate towards me and asked more questions about what I was doing during that time, which again, to me that conflicts with what he said about not wanting to start anything now? I do know that the military have this assumption about long distance things not working out so maybe that has something to do with it, or maybe not, who knows.

I would be interested in seeing him for the drink I think but it depends how things play out up until then. I was wondering if he was seeing me as a rebound type of thing too to validate his feelings if he's feeling sad about breaking up with the other girl, I suspect it was him that broke up with her but I don't know for sure. So I wrote a draft message that I considered sending telling him that he's got a lot to give so no need to seek the validation from me (not quite those words but along those lines)?