Rank in the military is earned by putting in the work.
Put in time, focus on the mission, do what you need to do and you’ll be given a rank.

Now, the military culture is where Rank = A level of respect

From my experience of dealing with Officer side & Enlisted side. This typically gets into their head.

I should have my coffee made for me. I should have a plate of fruits prepared for breakfast. Those important documents, give it to me, I don’t want to look bad so I’m going to make my team do whatever I need them to do so I protect my own pride and ego.

That’s the truth of what I’ve experienced.

Rank is earned yes, but respect also has to be earned from your team.

What disappointed me the most is that we have leaders who have no business being leaders. They suck at being leaders, it’s not necessarily their fault. They’re put into positions where they can’t thrive, as a result others in their command suffer from it, which creates a toxic culture leads to many bad things.

Moral of the story, to those who are in and who are joining. Good luck.