I'm an ex-soldier, and I know how people perceive squaddies, but a friend of mine is getting some management degree; letters after his name and stuff; purely because of the job he does as a soldier in the army.
The equivallent qualification would take three years full-time-study and cost about £6K. My mate is basically given his because he can prove his management skills; he's an extremely bright, fit, articulate bloke.
Oh, he earns £50K a year too (he's a Major, commisioned from the ranks) and his pension is unbelievable!
But there's many people who think soldiers are as thick as the proverbial planks, the same as they view window cleaners.
It's all just a question of perception.