We have been told all of our lives to respect those around us and we will be respected. This is certainly true not only in everyday life but within our military as well.
Respect is part of the Army Values that define us as soldiers and how we should act as professionals fighting for the rights and privileges of our country members. We should always treat people as they should be treated. We learn to appreciate what the best attributes in someone are by the respect that is given to them. We learn the proficiency of those people and we learn to give them the respect through their knowledge in a certain subject. The Army is one team and each of us has something to contribute. The Army has always been an Army of One. When it comes to respect within the Army, this goes the same way. If not every one of us is showing respect, we no longer have an Army of One. We are now separated and the integrity of our unit is jeopardized. We must not only keep ourselves in check but we must make sure that we are keeping each other on the same path to success as we need to be. This is why we have Non-Commissioned Officers in charge of us.
Our Non-Commissioned Officers are the leaders that have worked their way through the hardship of being a soldier and they have excelled above others who surround them. Respect is something that should always be given to them, not only because of their rank but also because of the amount of work they have put forth in order to get to the level of Non-Commissioned Officer. From everything I have seen Non-Commissioned Officers have always showed respect to a lower-enlisted soldier until they have proved themselves otherwise. I, as a Private First Class within the Army, should always show respect not only to our Non-Commissioned Officers, but anyone who has been appointed above me due to the amount of hard work they have shown, not only to their superiors but to all of their peers as well. I understand that what I did on 25 March 2013 was completely...