One thing we can honestly respect the military in america for, is the ability to do some of the most insane things a president or someone with military control in the administration. They might not want to do it, they might feel there are better things to fight for, they may have heavy regret signing and volunteering for the military knowing who the president is. But they do it anyways.
You may not agree with what the military does, but you have to respect them for that reason alone, above all else. The unfortunate fact is that it is wasting tons of their time and in some cases, wasting their lives.
Which makes me ask, after many attempts for Trump to sick the military onto the American people who fund them and are to be protected by. How will they be after it is all said and done? Because I cannot see a solid reason as to why anyone would volunteer for the military, after the amount of power-tripping we’ve seen demonstrated so far of them.
This premise must be rejected. You do NOT have to respect them for that reason alone, and certainly not above all else.
Did Nazi soldiers deserve respect, because they were just following orders and they followed those orders and what options did they really have? Were they not also facing the potential of harsh punishment if they did not?
Not having good alternative options is not an excuse for following orders you know are wrong. Respect is earned when your morality supersedes your orders, despite the potential (and sometimes very real and significant) punishments. Your intentions only get you so far, eventually you need to act or else any remaining respect for you will be gone.