We tend to give special respect to soldiers, seamen and airmen because they are sacrificing something for our country. It is often felt that they are making sacrifices for our benefit, in order to keep us safe. The question I'd like to pose is whether this attitude stands up to scrutiny.
Consider: Almost every western nation, with perhaps the exception of Switzerland, has a professional enlisted army. This army is a well-trained, regular force. Its staff are well-paid, career soldiers. They have ironclad job security and have taken up war as a definite career. Given recruiting tactics, this is often in the face of a decided lack of more appealing options. A primary motive in enlisting, then, is personal gain. The military provides a career path and well paying jobs, often to people who may not have that opportunity otherwise.
Well Paid? Look at an E-1's monthly pay and compair it to even the notoriously low NYPD Cadet pay. Look at an E-6 compaired to middle management in the private sector. Mind you the job your doing is most often phyiscally demanding and involves danger that not even police deal with in many places. Ironclad security? the US under Clinton cut whole divisions from the force and thousands of troops were forced out of the service, many of them with 10+ years of service. Personal gain? show me one person who has become " wealthy " in the military please.
Which begs the question, what exactly are soldiers sacrificing? Does the very fact that they have a heightened risk of death mean they warrant respect? And if so, why not give similiar respect to ther dangerous jobs, like mining?
Or are they underpaid? That is, paid less then they could earn had they not enlisted? And note, this option raises questions regarding the morality of underpaying soldiers.
How about sometimes there lives, personal freedoms and quality of life? being a miner and being in the Infantry are two completely diffrent worlds. There is something far more personal and scary about combat than there is about industral accidents. Sorry. You can make more as the fry guy at micky d's than you can enlisting as an E-1.
Another route might be that soldiers are not 'sacrificing' anything in joining the military. Rather, we respect them in the same way you respect anybody rendering you a service. The same way you'd respect a doctor, lawyer or police officer. Of course, this forsakes the more emotive rhetoric in a way many people may not be comfortable with. More importanly, it relegates soldiers to basically mercenaries.
If you discount the fact that Soldiers/Marines along with Police and Firemen run towards danger. 99.9% of the world runs from it. That alone should be worthy of respect, considering the Soldier/Marine is not making anywere near what a cop or fireman makes. Oh and Mercenaries make up to mid six figures in these times... I can see why a lot of Soldiers/Marines go into that line of work.
Thus, im curious, is our especial respect for the military justified? And if so, why?
Spend some time in a warzone, trust me 
This thread is just disgusting. That's the only way to describe it.
