Are 18 year old, E1's the true back bone of the Military? and deserving of more respect?

Totally agree, they do deserve to be respected as people, but that is circumstantial depending on their ability and character. Sometime tough love is still needed for some soldiers, and at times it can get disrespectful but it should be in context of learning something, not just cause you out rank them.

E-1s are not the TRUE Back Bone of the Military. Non-Commissioned Officers are the Back Bone of any military branch, for we are the one's that train the soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines. E-1 thru E-4 are the work horses. If the military was comprised of only E-1s to E-4s, how would this well oiled machine run? I'm not saying Officers couldn't teach these young soldiers to do their job. As NCOs we are the subject matter experts and are the one's teaching young soldiers how to Be, Know and Do. As a Recruiter, I respect the decisions that young men and women make to serve their country on a daily basis. Respecting one's decision to serve their country, is different then respecting someone's Character.

JM $0.02

In the military respect is an entitlement and not earned. From day one you are taught that you're to respect your fellow soldier, airman, marine, seaman, etc. This is regardless of rank or whether or not it has been earned. The opposite of respect is disrespect, I have not once in the military heard that you are allowed to disrespect anyone.

RP members I'm just throwing this out their old and crusty as it was put does this upcoming generation of soldiers feel we owe them something or that can compete on the same level as us we have schools and years of practice what is my brothers and sisters of RP think

Nice hashtag!!

SPC (Join to see) - Thanks. At least someone got it.

I was an 18 year old PVT, never asked for respect or expected it. I can clean a mean latrine/ head as a result... This has "every gets a trophy" written all over it.

No, reason I say no is this. 18 yr Olds are not the backbone of the military. If that was the case, then that's saying if you join at a older age, then you are nothing to the military n that all are lifers are nothing as well.
As the respect aspect of it all, every service member needs n earns the respect, when you sign up. On the same token, if a soldier isn't getting respect, then need to look at why he or she isnt. It could be that the soldier is doing disrespectful shit, that is causing it. You can't go n blame a NCO for lack of respect if the soldier has earned it or is not giving the military n personal around him respect.
To me there is cpl different respect with the military. There is the respect of the person willing to sign up n join. Then there us the respect that the soldier gets, once he or she has join that comes with the nature of the military. Now that respect has to be earned, no matter that is not given. You have to earn that respect, by having your brothers or sisters back plus doing your job with out crying n complaining about it