Posted on Jul 9, 2014
Anyone saluted the wrong rank working on a Joint Base?
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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.
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 302
This wasn't on a joint base, but this is my "wrongful salute" story. When I was on my first ship, I was a volunteer for the Navy League Sea Cadets. As such, I was a Sea Cadet Ensign (O-1 is Ensign for you non-Navy people) and as such, I wore a modified uniform for it. I wore the regular Navy Ensign khaki (working) uniform, but I had giant patches on both arms showing (very clearly) Navy League Sea Cadets. As in, I wasn't a "real" officer. The Sea Cadets were expected to salute me, but not anyone active duty, and I was still expected to salute any/all actual officers while in this uniform. So my buddy and I were walking back form a Sea Cadet drill down the pier to the ship, and people would salute us as we walked past. We would return the salutes (you're always supposed to return a salute, even if given incorrectly, right?) with both of us saying, "Good afternoon. You do not have to salute us." (since the people saluting would say, "Good afternoon, sir.")
So it was often we would walk back to our command (we lived on the ship, after all) and get saluted by most people. When in doubt, whip it out, right? Or, as we teased the BMs... "If it moves, salute it. If it doesn't move, paint it." Right? Anyway, so one day we're walking back and a trio of chiefs (CPOs - meaning E-7s) saluted us. We returned the salute, and Shawn leans over to me and was like... All three of those chiefs are in my division, dude! One of them works in the shop right next to mine!
Good times.
So it was often we would walk back to our command (we lived on the ship, after all) and get saluted by most people. When in doubt, whip it out, right? Or, as we teased the BMs... "If it moves, salute it. If it doesn't move, paint it." Right? Anyway, so one day we're walking back and a trio of chiefs (CPOs - meaning E-7s) saluted us. We returned the salute, and Shawn leans over to me and was like... All three of those chiefs are in my division, dude! One of them works in the shop right next to mine!
Good times.
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I have saluted E-3's on my own base because I thought they were pilots in their jump suits.
I was an E-8 so do not feel badly.
It happens to all of us !!!!
I was an E-8 so do not feel badly.
It happens to all of us !!!!
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I remember there were a lot of Navy people at Offutt AFB because of StratComm, I never really got their rank. I just looked for their arms if they had ring stripes around their forearm then I knew to salute them.
Most of my salute confusion happened within my own branch when I was just starting my career. I was going home sick one day. It was early morning and back then the sun was shining perfectly on some staff sergeants metal insignia on his lightweight blue jacket, back when we wore metal chevrons on our collar. I saluted, but was giving a look of bewilderment from that staff sergeant. I just said sorry and kept moving. I was pretty out of it, hence going home sick, that is my excuse and I am sticking it.
Another time I was on my town pass in basic training there was an OTS cadet. It was an Air Force uniform and I had no clue what rank it was, so I saluted. The guy waved me off and said, "no, it's okay you don't have to do that." I still did not know what was going on, but I went about my business.
Oh and the other funny one was when I was with a bunch a friends in uniform and we came across a parked staff vehicle with O-6 plates one it. No one was sure if we were supposed to salute it or not.
That was a long time ago.
Most of my salute confusion happened within my own branch when I was just starting my career. I was going home sick one day. It was early morning and back then the sun was shining perfectly on some staff sergeants metal insignia on his lightweight blue jacket, back when we wore metal chevrons on our collar. I saluted, but was giving a look of bewilderment from that staff sergeant. I just said sorry and kept moving. I was pretty out of it, hence going home sick, that is my excuse and I am sticking it.
Another time I was on my town pass in basic training there was an OTS cadet. It was an Air Force uniform and I had no clue what rank it was, so I saluted. The guy waved me off and said, "no, it's okay you don't have to do that." I still did not know what was going on, but I went about my business.
Oh and the other funny one was when I was with a bunch a friends in uniform and we came across a parked staff vehicle with O-6 plates one it. No one was sure if we were supposed to salute it or not.
That was a long time ago.
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It was a while back. I was going home sick. It was early morning and back then the sun was shining perfectly on some staff sergeants metal insignia on his lightweight blue jacket I saluted, but I was half out of it. That is my excuse and I am sticking it.
Another time I was on my town pass in basic training there was an OTS cadet. It was a uniform and I had no clue what rank it was, so I saluted. The guy waved me off and said, "no, it's okay you don't have to do that." I still did not know what was going on, but I went about my business.
I remember someone telling me we had to salute foreign officers. Sorry that is where I drew that line. Not dong that, unless I work with them everyday or something. Many of those uniforms make everyone look like a four-star general.
Oh and the other funny one was when I was with a bunch a friends in uniform and we came across a parked staff vehicle with O-6 plates one it. No one was sure if we were supposed to salute it or not.
Like I said that was a long time ago.
Another time I was on my town pass in basic training there was an OTS cadet. It was a uniform and I had no clue what rank it was, so I saluted. The guy waved me off and said, "no, it's okay you don't have to do that." I still did not know what was going on, but I went about my business.
I remember someone telling me we had to salute foreign officers. Sorry that is where I drew that line. Not dong that, unless I work with them everyday or something. Many of those uniforms make everyone look like a four-star general.
Oh and the other funny one was when I was with a bunch a friends in uniform and we came across a parked staff vehicle with O-6 plates one it. No one was sure if we were supposed to salute it or not.
Like I said that was a long time ago.
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Being prior Army, I joined the Navy and went thru a 3 week 'OSVET" (other service veteran) course at Great Lakes, Il. Sent to the USS MIDWAY (CV-41)in Yokosuka, Japan, i knew hardly anything about the Navy. So I would constantly salute anyone wearing Khaki's for about the first month or so. Eventually got the hang of it.
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SFC Steven Borders I was always a when in doubt whip it out fan as well. Rendering a sign of respect is never wrong. Incorrect maybe, but never wrong.
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I remember when I was a 1LT at Ft. Benning and I was walking with a SFC and a 2LT approached. The 2LT abruptly renders a salute to me, and the SFC looks at me and says, "is that normal?" I just started laughing and said, "NO!" Although, probably and technically correct, it just is not normal for a 2LT to salute a 1LT.... probably because it's only about 7-12 months TIG difference between the two.
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