Anyone saluted the wrong rank working on a Joint Base?

Hell yes, stationed in Germany, at the time,
F.R.G. 88-91, German soldier approaches us. I did not know the rank of this soldier, (had flourishes) "When in doubt-whip it out) I saluted, he returned. I came to understand Germans don't nessessarily take it hard, knowing we don't know their fank structure well- sorry on my behalf. What keyed me was that this man was very tall. I just follwed the ole adage. " Go w/what you know"

When I was stationed at NWC China Lake in 1981, I was the first female Chief ever assigned there. Salutes came often. I'd return the salute, then casually mention that it was ok, I worked for a living too. Usual reaction was "Where'd you come from?" "Hawaii - they let us be Chiefs over there". We'd have a laugh, talk story for a while, then meet at the club for happy hour.

Just the opposite. While traveling to report for school at Quantico, I stopped to visit a longtime friend and his family. When the taxi I was in pulled up to the gate at Bolling AFB, the guard on the gate rendered a snappy salute to this Marine Private. He assumed that if there were no stripes on my sleeve that I must be an officer.

When I first attended USN Basic at Great Lakes, IL, the rule of thumb was, "If it moves, salute it, if it doesn't, paint it."

Later, attending Army Basic at Fort Sill, I found this wisdom to be sound.

Later still, OIF 1, everyone's in DBUs, that "cinnamon" colored Specialist insignia often looked like oak leaves if the light wasn't right.

Oh, well! Better to make an SPC laugh than to piss off a MAJ.

Great question and comments. I grew up on AF bases (dad retired with 32 years as O6) and had no trouble understanding Officer ranks in all services and USAF enlisted ranks. I retired after 28+ years in Navy, found Navy enlisted ranks logical but always get confused with Army and Marine enlisted. However no matter the service a senior grizzled non com is ALWAYS obvious no matter the service

As a Specialist in The Army I've gotten saluted by Marines more times than I can count, especially at night when the black insignia looks a lot like a LTCOL lol. I've also gotten lock tight parade rest out of more E1-E3 Marines than I can remember after getting asked what my grade was lmao, and yes like a True Specialist I milked the parade rest thing quite a bit and don't feel bad in the least lol. Most if not all of my NCO's cracked a bit of a smile and laugh (after the fact) too haha

As a major, I initiated the salute to a Third Class Petty Officer. We both just laughed and went on our way.

Yes! I had fun trying to figure out European ranks when I was in NATO. As you say, we would laugh about it... and such mix-ups would even start conversations. And lead to friendships!

The old rule applied when in doubt salute. That said, I was finishing up my Army career in West Berlin (Berlin Brigade) in 85 when in fatigues a fresh young 2nd Lt. who seemed lost at the time saluted me and said'' morning sir could you direct me to Brigade HQ ? ..or something in that order. Once he realized I was only a senior NCO he without missing a beat asked the question again. I gladly saluted him and gave him directions. Guess I should have been an officer...

I do not know how in the fuck you can confuse a chiefs anchor with any officer insignia. They are the same across all branches bars, rail road tracks, oak leaves, eagles, and stars.

Wow, I remember being part of the USMC class at artillery school, Ft Sill. The Army still wore OD green at that time, and someone was approaching us with more shiny stuff than a Christmas tree. We were trying to figure out what he was when he whipped out a salute to us, so problem solved. However, I never did figure out the foreign officer rank insignia. Diamonds and little quail or whatever they were still baffle me.

I was stationed at Ft. Ord, so we were right by the Presidio and has all members of the armed service around. The Navy Ranks always tripped us up constantly.

I can recall Artillery school at Ft Sill. This was back when the Army was still wearing OD green uniforms. Someone coming towards us had more shiny stuff than a Christmas tree, and we were all trying to figure out what he was when he whipped out a salute to us! Problem solved. Now foreign officers, we never really did figure out how 3 birds or whatever translated in the rank structure.

Being a JRB Sailor, myself, I had a heck of a time with the Marine subdued Rank insignias. I would have to get close and stare for a bit to recognize them. Never caused any guff as that is exactly what they were designed to do.

As for the Navy, anything on top of the shoulders,epaulets (shoulder boards or embroidered tape) is an O. Seaman Apprentice (E-2) and up wear collar devices and embroidered tape insignias on certain Uniforms. Hash marks (Service stripes) are similar Time In Service marks as the other Branches. They are worn only on the lower left sleeve of Enlisted Dress Blue, Dress White, Dinner Dress Blue Jacket, and the Dinner Dress White Jacket.

This is what I remember from over a decade ago when the Blueberries (Blue Digitial BDUs) were issued. So many changes to the Uniforms since therm I can't keep up. It is like a dang fashion show.

Always Salute, when in doubt. My first time to ever see a Navy Warrant in person was in the ladder well to Medical at Great Lakes Boot. Needless to say, he could see the dumbfounded look as I fixated on figuring out what that collar device was. Luckily, I had already instinctively rendered a Salute. He ended up just having a laugh with me in the privacy of that ladder well.

Spend a year assigned to the Multinational Force and Observers, did that a number of times... Wasn't too confusing my last year in uniform,,, wandering around the DC area... I'd just pull the marbles out of my left pocket and salute with my right and ask,,, "Got yours"?

That Darn Navy! I was stationed in the Chiefs Mess for two weeks on a warm up cruise. Being in the Marine Air wing, I was used to my Staff NCO's, and now I had to remember the Ground side as well as the Chief ranks. At least there was no saluting as we were inside.

Didn't salute or be saluted, but in 1971 our aircraft had to land at a Royal Canadian Air Force Base to await personnel from our base to arrive and commence repairs. As a AiC with two stripes they were continuously calling me Corporal. And no matter how many times I corrected them, they continued to do so. Later that 1st evening when both Canadian and US were heading to their form of an NCO Mess I lagged behind. A Canadian Sgt asked my Crew Chief where I was and again it was explained I wasn't a Corporal. That Sgt stated that as long as there were two stripes on my sleeve, I was welcome as a Corporal. Until we flew out two days later it was one of the best TDY's I have ever had!

When I got back from Nam I was stationed at Fort Hood Texas. My 201 file and finance records went to Fort Carson Colorado. It took about a month to get the records to Fort hood. All I had to wear was my class a uniform. It was in need of a good cleaning but I had no money to pay for it. While helping the supply sargent, he took pity on me and gave me several pairs of fatigues that had been taking up space. They were good clothes but didn't have my name on them yet. When returning from a stupid convocation telling us about Vietnam which I didn't need I was walking back to my unit when I passed a female Navy officer. I didn't salute. I did not know Navy rank. She started to chew me out. I apologised but that wasn't enough for that bitch. She took down my name from my uniform shirt which said Kowalski. I had enough of her bullshit and tolf her to shove it and worse things and ran away. I was in good shape then and knew that she could not catch me in a dress. I had just got back from Nom and had a real attitude problem and was not about to take any guff from a female, especially a navy one.

I didn't have to work on a joint base, just visit another service's base back in the day...the Army and Navy ranks of the enlisted often made me do a double take.

I once saluted a marine gunny and he laughed called me over shook my ha d explained the marine ranks and we went and had a drink together. Started school the next day and he was the Instructor. Great guy