Anyone saluted the wrong rank working on a Joint Base?

When I was on a JSDF base in Japan as a SSG, the ranks were confusing, so we wound up saluting each other daily

As an FMF Corpsman that was Marine Corps regs, I would wear my PO rank on the epaulettes of the tanker jacket and other sailors would salute me all the time.

I've had a Major salute me as a PFC while wearing a slick gortex. Then he started patting my chest saying " I swore that there was a Lt. Col rank there.....????" We laughed about it and I walked away. Then while on the Kuwaiti naval base the Kuwaitis would always think that our NCOs and lower enlistees were officers. I even had a group of Kuwaitis going to attention while I walked by as a Specialist. Since I don't speak a lick of Arabic I just told them to carry on in English and they seemed to understand. Basically most understand that you were respectful and figured no harm done.

As an enlisted man it was easy; salute anything moving. If it was stationary, paint it.

Different for me, but I was prior service when I joined the Army. At Ft. Dix, myself and another prior service and fellow Nam Vet, were LITERALLY sent home and told to call the DS each Sunday evening and he'd tell us when we had to be there for the mandatory stuff -- weapons qualification, PT Test, Grenade & Bayonet, etc. We were only there four times after being sent home, including for graduation.
We both wore Class A's (Dress Greens at the time) and MARINES used to salute us both at the Bus Station there, and at the one in Philly. They confused our enlisted "gold" US and MOS symbols, PLUS we both had combat ribbons. It was a bit embarrassing as well as funny, but we both decided to return their salutes as we should have. Didn't want to embarrass them by saying we were only E-4's. LOL

I don't think there is a Marine alive today who hasn't on accident saluted a corpsman at least once because they wear that shiny petty officer shit on their collar. Lol. Like a raccoon seeing something shiny, better get a laugh from a corpsman then an ass chewing from a Major or something. Or a battalion gunner like I did once. Only time I didn't follow the salute the shiny thing rule and it blew up in my face. Aren't there like only 26 battalion gunners in the USMC!?

Never had that problem and I didn't find it hard learning the rank insignia for all Officers, Warrant Officers and enlisted of all branches of the US Armed Forces. That includes, Army, Navy, Marines and also the Coast Guard. I have taught classes even in Military Customs and courtesy and had learned much of that information I later taught before even entering the service as a Cadet at a Military Academy. The changes over time were not hard to adapt to although even today I still remember every detail on a rank insignia chart from all branches that was posted on a wall at that Military Academy.

Hey I went to basic at 30, so when I was at Ft. Lost in the woods for AIT and it was cold, they would see this older guy walking down the side walk in his dress greens and trench coat with glasses and salute before they could see my rank all the time.

I was stationed at a joint base for 6 months where I had Navy and Marine instructors. I never saluted an enlisted Soldier when I was there. The hardest part was trying to distinguish the senior Marine ranks. It felt like unless you were two feet away and staring intently, you'd get it wrong.

As a SPC in a joint environment, not only have the navy ranks become the bane of my existence, I have also been on the receiving end of a variety of salutes and courtesies that I had no business recieving. I have been saluted by an airman leading a flight, (caused me to turn around to see who was behind me and left a very confused SPC in their wake), been called a 1Sgt (!) by a group of airmen (no idea about this one), had to tell a bunch of new marines that they do not stand at parade rest for people of my rank no matter what the circumstance, and most recently after giving a CPO a "Morning, Chief" got a response of a salute and a "Oh, good morning sir" which once again led to a quick salute and much confusion from me. In these situations, I was caught off guard and the people mostly moved out before I could say anything. What should I do in these situations?