Why do Soldiers not understand that the Army Values apply 100% of the time?

The problem is not the soldiers it is the leaders.  I had excellent leaders coming up in the beginning of my career and I did all I could to emulate them.  I wanted to be like them.  Now, not so much.  All we can do now is try to influence those directly under us and hope they get it enough to keep it once they move on.

I think the answer to this question comes down to the distinction between "having a job as a soldier" or truly being a part of the Profession of Arms.  This concept of being a professional soldier is something that I see in writing, hear in speeches, and talked about in training but rarely do I see it actually lived out in the lives of Jr leaders in the Army.  In my experiences, I tend to see this ideal being lived in Sr leadership (Officers and NCOs) that are career soldiers more often than with our Jr leaders.  I've spoken about this very subject with leaders in our Army and many contribute this to the fact that we've gotten away from our garrison based ideals and that over a decade of war has brought about a lax attitude in our Jr and some of the newer Sr leadership.  Regardless of the reason for this regression, it comes down to leaders at all levels to enforce and instill into our soldiers what it means to be a professional through our own example.  I've had leaders in the past that have done just that and I can tell you that it has made an impression on me as a soldier and on the way I view the career I've chosen.  If you, as a leader, allow your soldiers to make decisions that bring discredit on themselves and on our profession without repercussions, you are not only hurting the Military but doing that soldier a disservice.