I believe they deserve respect. I disagree with the OP in that not everyone falls into the category of which they spoke:
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But I can't seem to escape this feeling lately that the military mostly recruits the uneducated or unmotivated to do our "dirty work", ultimately brainwashing them (even in the guise of unit cohesion) into fierce loyalty, unquestioning faith in authority, and the the fact that the US is always right. And interestingly enough, this tends to become conservative political beliefs too..
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My BF was in the Marine Corps for 7 years with 2 tours to Iraq. He's a very motivated individual and is well-educated. He was not brainwashed into anything. He gave everything he could being in Marines, and I couldn't be more proud or more respectful of him. To this day he is still working towards a higher degree, holds a job, spends time with me, and is also working on his own house.
Obviously I can't speak for every military member, but my father, my bf, his father, and everyone else who I've known personally has most definitely NOT fallen into your "uneducated and unmotivated" category. I give them respect, I believe they deserve it, and I personally feel that all the other men and women who chose to be in the military deserve my respect as well.