This thread is entertaining and interesting. First off, I'm from Canada and I don't really give a shit about the politics or give the effort to know all the details. So as usual, I will approach this from a simply moral standpoint.
The army is full of jobs that pay well, take care of everything necessary to live, and usually pay your way through education. If you come from a bad family or haven't had a really nice life up until that point, joining the army seems like a logical decision. I know a couple of these people (working in the kitchen of a grungy pub exposes you to the less fortunate people), and they aren't in it for patriotism. They are in it because it's a job and it's their choice. If they are sent overseas then so be it. That's what they signed up for and they'll do their job. These people don't deserve any extra respect in my opinion. They are just people with a job that has some extra little details to it.
The army can offer tons of thrills too. Some people like the idea of using explosives and shooting guns at bad guys. Or the adventure of doing dangerous things. The people who join with this as a priority don't deserve any extra respect either.
Hell, some people want this respect that they would automatically earn for doing this. Some people join so people will give them respect. So I will not give them respect just for being there.
Obviously not everyone in the army is like that. There are people who are there because they believe so strongly in freedom and democracy and so on that they are willing to sacrifice their lives for the rest of their kind. These people deserve massive amounts of respect. Whether these people are in the army, police, or are firefighters, it doesn't matter. If they do it for that reason they are amazing people. So I hold my respect for those who deserve it, because if they automatically gain my respect just by their job title the respect is meaningless.