Posted on Jul 9, 2014
SFC Steven Borders
124K
1.44K
466
205
205
0
Out of curiosity how many members have saluted the wrong rank working on a Joint Base or Assignment. With me working on JBAB (Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling) it has happened a couple times. I find it hard to recognize the Navy ranks sometimes at a distance. And found myself saluting a Chief. I have always followed the rule "when in doubt whip it out". Most just laugh and we carry on about our day. Would love to hear some stories.
Avatar feed
Responses: 302
Votes
  • Newest
  • Oldest
  • Votes
Lt Col John Grimes
3
3
0
Saluting is the custom in the military to show respect - or to just say good morning. Military officers expect to be greeted with a salute - a sign of respect and a formal way of saying "good day". Enlisted guys can be salute but they don't expect it - if confused, just salute and give whomever you are saluting a verbal "hello" or "Good Day." Nice!!!
(3)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SSgt Linda Staley-Blayton
3
3
0
We were told in AF boot camp, “If it moves salute it, if it don’t piss on it”.
(3)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SSG Environmental Specialist
3
3
0
Hell I was 32 when I joined, at Ft. Leonardwood wearing Class A uniform, I got saluted by privates even though I was just a PFC myself. I guess when in doubt salute.
(3)
Comment
(0)
CSM Charles Hayden
CSM Charles Hayden
4 y
ALWAYS ! SALUTES ARE INEXPENSIVE !
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
LTC Program Manager
3
3
0
If you've never saluted a Navy E4, have you even been in a joint environment?
(3)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
LTC David Brown
3
3
0
I was found n Bosnia at Tulsa Airbase. Finance office was where NATO headquarters were located in “Salute Alley “ as it was called. Going there was a nightmare. American service members along with NATO officers and enlisted from other countries. I know I screwed up a few times but nobody called me on it!
(3)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
CPO Mineman
3
3
0
When I was still in flight status and wore my flight suit on a daily basis, I would get saluted quite often. That flight suit is pretty tricky.
(3)
Comment
(0)
LCDR Aerospace Engineering Duty, Maintenance (AMDO and AMO)
LCDR (Join to see)
>1 y
More so with Marines. Every other branch figured out how to get ranks onto flight suits, but with the Marines, you need to get name-tag close before you know who you're dealing with.
(0)
Reply
(0)
SrA Hal Nelson
SrA Hal Nelson
>1 y
Isn't it easy to see by their hat?
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
Cpl Matthew Wall
3
3
0
I have saluted more Navy Chiefs then I know what to do with. They all look the same with shiny brass. We were always taught salute the brass, but they all wear it and I felt stupid every time I did it.
(3)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SGT Chris Birkinbine
3
3
0
Edited 11 y ago
I graduated AIT and within a couple months found my self deployed to Iraq, and saluting every damn Navy enlisted, or Navy corpsman I saw.

I just kept thinking to my self how young some of these colonels were... and how damn many of them there were.

My only excuse was I was an E-2, and after several puzzled looks and laughter, a Navy officer set me straight. All worth a good laugh now. Stupid Navy eagle...haha
(3)
Comment
(0)
LCDR Aerospace Engineering Duty, Maintenance (AMDO and AMO)
LCDR (Join to see)
11 y
To be fair, our eagle predates the Army's.
(2)
Reply
(0)
PO3 Liam Keptner
PO3 Liam Keptner
>1 y
We also don't call them eagles - we wear our crows proudly.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SGT Alicia Brenneis
3
3
0
I was just talking about this the other day. Bagrum was a salute zone and we were always getting yelled at because we would visit for re-supply and forget to salute. When we were there I could not tell you how many Navy PVTs I saluted after dark! The first thing you see is the bird. I would get so mad once I got close enough to realize who I saluted. I would be like... "really! Your just goanna let us salute you and not say anything?" Eventually we gave up on trying and just excepted getting yelled at.
(3)
Comment
(0)
CPO Hospital Corpsman
CPO (Join to see)
11 y
Navy Pvts?
(1)
Reply
(0)
SGT Alicia Brenneis
SGT Alicia Brenneis
11 y
PVT is the army abbreviation for private/ lower enlisted. I'm not sure if Navy rank works that way, I just know they were not officers.
(1)
Reply
(0)
SCPO Emergency Management Director
SCPO (Join to see)
11 y
SGT Alicia Brenneis E4=PO3 (Petty Officer 3rd Class), E5=PO2 (Petty Officer 2nd Class), E6=PO1 (Petty Officer 1st Class)
(1)
Reply
(0)
PO1 Matthew Wicke
PO1 Matthew Wicke
11 y
I've never saluted the wrong rank on a Joint Base, but once in a while I'd accidentally salute a Chief...at night.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
CWO3 Division Officer
3
3
0
When I was a CPO at the US Merchant Marine Academy my crew and I were saluted constantly be the Midshipman. Now that I am a CWO on a Navy base they all look at me like I am the first CWO they ever saw. The odd thing is there are quite a few CWOs on this base both USCG & USN.
(3)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
CPL Raul Perez Jr
2
2
0
I rather salute and be wrong, than not salute and get a talking to. Saluting is a sign of respect, give it to a fellow brother/sister.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SFC Richard Bensen
2
2
0
4148fb1b
(2)
Comment
(0)
MAJ John Davis
MAJ John Davis
>1 y
Where was this photo taken? I see you were in Berlin.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
Melissa Didericksen Didericksen
2
2
0
Yes i saluted a wrong rank. They just used m their hands in "a no" kind of way and were discreet as I was with others. I greatly appreciated that. It happened when I was in training basic or ait.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SFC James High
2
2
0
I have done it in my past also. I was at Edgewood Arsenal going through mechanic school and I saluted a foreign (Royal Thai Army) Soldier because he had 3 gold stars on each epaulet and I assumed he was an officer. Turned out he was a SSG. I felt a little silly but the Soldier thanked me for my respect and returned the salute and all was good. After all, regulations say you have to salute Officers , but you can salute anyone you care to. It is a military greeting and show of respect.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
LTC Kenenth Westcott
2
2
0
When I was in basic in the AF in 65' that question came up and it was suggested if they had a whole lot of fancy stuff on the shoulders you would not go wrong . Then later on after I was commissioned it took a while to remember they were saluting me lmao
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
LTC Philip Marlowe
2
2
0
It never failed my brother when in his Chief's uniform (all the gold - lol) was on base with me got saluted ALL the time! At my Change of Command, he and my CG were talking he mentioned to the CG, "I've got more gold than you". The CGs response was: "Oh yeah? Well, I have more STARS than YOU!" and they both laughed. When I was visiting my brother in Pearl Harbor, he and I were walking down the pier and I never saw so many sailors seem to have lost something when they got just with 'saluting' distance of me. I was an Army Captain at the time..... So many of them so my CPO brother didn't even try to make corrections...and in the end it didn't really matter and we both laughed. When we went to get a hair cut, I went to stand in line and a young sailor who had just sat down got up and offered me his chair....and a second young sailor got up and offered my brother his. I felt awkward about it, but according to my brother....not at ALL uncommon. As an officer in the Army 34 years, I never ever thought to cut or move to the head of a line - anywhere. But as we all know, each branch has its own customs and courtesies.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Col Retired From Active Duty
Col (Join to see)
>1 y
When a lower rank person would try to give me (officer through colonel) their place in line, I'd respond, "No, you're more important than me. You are the one that gets the real work done around here."
That response always won smiles, especially from the retiree population.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SrA John Monette
2
2
0
When in doubt, whip it out! A salute, that is. Better to have a Chief Petty Officer tell you that you don't need to salute him than a brand new 2LT reaming you because you didn't.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SFC Michael Hasbun
2
2
0
Edited >1 y ago
YESSSSS! I once saluted someone in the Air Force mistaking them for an actual servicemember!
God...how embarrasing that day was....
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SSG Environmental Specialist
2
2
0
Heck I joined at age 30 as a PFC, at Ft. Leonardwood when I was in my Class A's I got saluted several times by privates.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SPC Roger Giffen
2
2
0
One AF airman saluted me because of my unit crest. Green/gold star on my cap. I was just a lowly SP4
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.