Does rank still have privileges?

Yes it does and it will always have Privileges! I believe it should! Especially if it was EARNED and not GIVEN!

Right or wrong, it does. My perspective and comments are having enlisted and going from PFC to a Lieutenant Colonel. Some of the so called privileges may be perceived privilege based on knowledge and experience an individual gains with additional time in service. Leaders of all ranks must be aware of perceived privilege in their units, and leader abuse of privilege. I don't advocate a leader trying to become "one of the guys," but do advocate sharing in the long hours and any hardship demanded of soldiers. Relying on "privilege" to exclude oneself from hardship is the quickest way to destroy unit morale, and loss of any loyalty that soldiers might have had for a leader or leaders.

The Army has leveled the playing field, the plane you are on, thats the one that has more of less and the plane you yearn to reach thats the one that is outside your grab but within your sight............

When I enlisted in the Coast Guard as an E-3, my primary cleaning duty was the head (latrine). Every DAY I expressed my sincerest desires to make PO3 so I would never have to clean the head again.

I advanced to PO3 - and was stationed at a tiny unit where I was the junior man... and one of my jobs was to clean the head. I again prayed to make PO2 so I would never have to do it again.

I advanced to PO2 - and was STILL the junior guy... I nearly CHANTED "I wanna make E-6!!"

I advanced to PO1 - and ended up, on a few "special" occasions when short-handed - cleaning the head. I dreamed of making Chief so I'd never clean another head.

I advanced to CPO - and on one momentous occasion, ended up in the head, cleaning away.

I stopped begging to get out of it - and it never happened again - THOUGH it could have at any minute.

In my experience, the more crap you have on your collar, the higher the standards are, and the more people EXPECT you to do/be/know more. The _ONLY_ place I saw RHIP is in the sea-going service chow lines - where the senior person eats first, the junior person eats last (yes, it bothered the hell out of me, and I _ALWAYS_ found a reason to be "late" to chow!).

“All the perks, all the benefits and advantages you may get for the rank or position you hold, they aren’t meant for you. They are meant for the role you fill. And when you leave your role, which eventually you will, they will give the ceramic cup to the person who replaces you. Because you only ever deserved a Styrofoam cup.”
― Simon Sinek, Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

An RHIP (I think) abuse that always bugged me. Tell me if I'm wrong. There was one (1) reserved parking for CW4/5. I constantly came across the same vehicle parked there with an O-6 decal. I approached him and asked why he was parked there. He said his spouse was a CW5 which gave him the right to park there. I countered by reversing the situation; CW5 decal parked in a reserved spot for COL/0-6. He had no comment. I'm not one for RHIP, but this really ticked me off. He told me to salute him and address him as Sir. I told him to go F himself and stated that in my 35 years of service from Viet Nam to Iraq, that I had never encountered such arrogance from an officer. He didn't like it but never said a word.

I was a Sergeant sitting in on a planning meeting for annual training for my reserve unit. At one point, S4 mentioned that e5 and below would be in tents and e6 and above would be in barracks. Our commander immediately said that "that isn't right" and insisted that if the weren't barracks rooms for everyone then everyone would be in tents.
During exercises with that unit, our senior leaders were always out with the troops setting up tents, digging trenches with us when rain started to leak into the tents, breaking down the site and losing trucks at end-ex, and if they went to the PX they brought things back for the troops.

Other units I was in the senior leaders would stay in hotels while the soldiers were in tent city, went to burger King for lunch, left after their shift and went to the bar, and never helped during set-up/tear-down.

You can guess which unit had better morale and retention.

So yes, rank has its privileges, but good leaders will never abuse that right.

Active Army, Reserve, Guard, retired Air Force reserve. The Air Force rank made a difference depending on where you were. Other than officer/enlisted quarters in Germany. I had reservations at Wright Pat and got a officer room, was a E-6. The rest of the group I was with got the holiday inn off base down the street. Sometimes it’s better to be nice to the inn staff since they have control over the rooms.

I too was enlisted (10.5 years) prior to becoming a 2nd lt. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with being an Officer.
The Privelage is that of serving the troops, Not of special quarters, better food or more time off. If you command you get to be last in the chow line ( to insure all your people got enough food) when new equip.ent arrives you insure everyone get it issued to them before you accept it for your self. You getless sleep because you are checking on your troops who are working graveyard shift or are on posts. On Holidays you come in to work relieve someone working so they can get a hot meal or you stand the gate guard post so the guys and girls who are stuck there guarding the base 24/7 can celebrate withtheir buddies for a couple hours. Ifyourunit has unit level sports teams youare ther for most of the pratice sessions and all of the games to support them.
When there is a blood drive you are at the head of the donor line. When the unit deployesyou are at the mobility point early. You go thrugh the processing line get your shots and stay till all are ready. Then you deploy on the first plane or truck. You don't accept any comfort or privelage not availible to your lowest ranking troop. If you are airborn you lead the stick out the door, if its a scuba op youdrag your full load swim the distance and help your weaker troops to accomplish their mission.
When your troops suceed and there is praise you pas it on to the troops give them the credit, if something screws up you take full responsibility for whatever it was that occurred. That is the privelage that comes with rank anything else is not leadership!

Being INFANTRY I'm used to the canvas ceiling.
I never served in the reserves, but while on Active Duty I saw some crappy posts. Fun places like Grafenwohr, Hohenfels Wildflicken and Miesau come to mind.
Privileges of Rank, in my opinion, are what you make of them. I got 2 Shelter Halfs. I ate after my troops. 9 times out of 10 a had a cold meal.
Garrison priveledge are or were a bit better. I could go to the club and pay at the end of the month for my meal.