The reason that people who serve in the military generally get less respect is because of shit like that. Gays, women and minorities are destroying the US military. The military has had to lower the physical, mental and psychological standards to cater to these groups. The military is also no longer a meritocracy so thanks to promotion quotas its generally not the best men being promoted or receiving specialized training and education. My family has several families who have been friends for decades who all had military service ingrained in them for generations as something almost mandatory for their men. They are all discouraging their younger male members from joining the military when they come of age and to just go to trade school or college instead.