"Do you want Infiltrator-Hackers (Soldier-Hackers are Soldiers first, Hackers second) to be respected for their ability to solve puzzles, or their ability to actually take over bases or hijack enemy vehicles?"
This is the gist of my point. All the examples you've given of how a "hacker" can make a reputation for himself don't seem to be anything specific to the "hacker" class. Another way to look at it is this... If you hear of a player who is really skilled at fighting his way into the base, would you call that person a good "hacker" or a good "soldier/infiltrator"? I would argue that all of the things you are saying defines a good hacker really is more definitive of a good player in general. Thus what you are describing is not why a hacker is fun, or how a hacker can build a good reputation, but how a player in general can be well respected.
By contrast, your example of a medic describes a player whose skills are specific to that of a medic. Being able to quickly assess who needs help and having the bravery to go into a middle of a fight to deliver that assistance is something that is unique to someone fulfilling a medic role.
In a lot of the interviews and descriptions of the game I've heard hacker listed as one of the specialty type classes that a person can pursue. But without making it a skill based profession, it is more similar to a weapon certification, something that people will have to have somewhere in their toolbox but which doesn't define their character. Is that a problem in itself? Not really, but why not take a few extra steps to get it to the point where "hacker" really is a defining role of a player and allow people to specialize more as the interviews seem to indicate is the intent of the designers? I know I personally would find it more fun.
From a command POV it seems like the way it is now, when putting together a team a commander would say, "Ok we got 10 guys, make sure one of us can hack." What I would rather see is it being where a commander putting together a team has to make special effort to find a qualified hacker.
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