Posted on Apr 29, 2014
Respect the rank or respect the Soldier, which is first?
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Clearly the rank. Having said that, our ranks do not absolve us of our responsibility to be WORTH respect. I expect you to extend me the courtesy and respect due my station, but I still take it as a personal, implied responsibility to be worthy of that respect.
We cannot rely on our ranks alone to get us through life. In the end it is WE who will earn or lose respect, not our ranks.
We cannot rely on our ranks alone to get us through life. In the end it is WE who will earn or lose respect, not our ranks.
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SGT (Join to see)
Another example of common sense thrown away in the name of "tradition" or "status quo". I always choose the most capable and trustworthy REGARDLESS of rank. If there's an important task or mission- I may put the PFC as the main POC instead of the SPC or SGT simply because they are the best soldier for the job. Also, if someone higher ranking than me is wrong or incompetent- there's no way to "respect" that individual while, at the same time, trying to do the right thing. I'm an NCO, not a politician..
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Regardless of the person I believe you have to respect the rank first. Everyone has a different leadership style, and not everyone will like you as a leader. I understand respect is earned not given, but as a leader your leadership style defines who you are. You just have to accept the fact not everyone will like you. I have not always agreed or liked my superiors as a person, but I always respected the rank.
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MSgt (Join to see)
1SG (Join to see) I agree completely very good advice. One of my best compliments came from a young SSgt. He said I was a tough leader and he didn't like me. But in the end he learned to be a leader himself.
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SSgt (Join to see)
1SG (Join to see) MSgt (Join to see) Yes to both of you and Curtis, the SSgt learns that there will be personality conflicts and sometimes they weren't really so bad.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
1SG (Join to see), I couldn't agree more with you its a pedigree of professionalism. I have worked with some Superiors that did not like me and vice-versa I always had to respect the rank even in the darkest night/hour. Yea had some interesting situations in Afghanistan with incompetent leaders who had no ideal of combat operations. I had to tough it out with a leader who was about his rank. Your morales, values and beliefs will be a testament to time. I really enjoy my retirement thinking about some tough times I had to endure. BLUF I respect the rank, now I am retired its man to man, eye for an eye...so forth in the civilian world.
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We all must render the appropriate honors accorded to those appointed over us in accordance with our oath and the rules governing the conduct of service members, but respect cannot be forced. It is always earned by the receiver. The individual service member has an obligation to behave in such a way that earns respect regardless of pay grade.
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PO1 (Join to see)
CMC Robert Young PRECISELY! Render honors to the rank - does NOT mean you have to respect the individual person wearing the uniform. I have rendered a multitude of honors to individuals that could not hold the spit bucket for those individuals I respected.
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SFC Robin Gates
Rank 1st. POG 2nd. Sorry, I'm not politically correct!!! Can't break old disgusting habits...
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SSG William Patton
Definitely rank first. I have had officers and NCOs that would not make a pimple on a soldier's butt, but I still respected them because of their rank. If given an order, I tried to follow that order, even if it did not make sense, unless of course, the order made me do something illegal. The military is a total institution built on a chain of command that must be adhered to for good order. That is more important than any individual.
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My esteemed colleagues have pretty much said it all, rank first. Being able to respect both is the force multiplier which makes everything work. I've only had a few situations where I could not fully respect the person and that made things difficult at best, but rank takes priority.
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Cpl Brett Wagner
No matter who it is respect must be earned not demanded. If it is demanded then it is false respect.
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SGT (Join to see)
Not sure what everyone considers "respect"? If I'm able to do what I feel is right and it's in line with the Army values then... should I do the opposite because someone outranked me and told me to blindly walk over a cliff? Do I just "respectfully" decline? My point is, this isn't a cut & dry, right or wrong type of question. If you respect the rank or the individual (or both) depends GREATLY on the situation. There's a time for everything- and there will always come a time to stand up for what you KNOW is right despite someone's rank or status..
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No matter what you have to respect the rank, whether you like an individual or not.
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MAJ (Join to see)
Respect is given to rank. However, people have to earn it. Hopefully that covers it.
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Respect is given to the rank. Respect is earned by the individual soldier. A true leader has both. Nothing is worse than those who hide their inadequacies behind rank. Just my opinion.
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Always the rank. You have to respect Soldiers as humans as well, but we all know some gain more respect while others you wonder how Darwin did not take them yet.
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MSgt (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) Sir I love that you said respect as humans. I believe respect as a human is different than respect the person. A person is an individual and you don't have to respect their ideals, believes, morals or their actions but respect them as a human being. Even if you wonder what the hell gene pool they evolved from.
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The rank is always first, even if the person behind the rank doesnt have the same vaules as you.
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Respect the rank first. If you don't do that then you are disrespecting everyone else who holds that rank too. I do understand for some its hard to separate respecting the rank and not the person but I think it is a must in order to maintain the reason and meaning behind that rank. Whether you think a Soldier deserves the rank they are wearing or not, I can assure you there are many out there who have worked their butt off and do deserve to wear that rank and because of that I say you have to respect that rank for those who wear it proudly and deservingly.
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