Anyone saluted the wrong rank working on a Joint Base?

When I was new to the Marine Corps we were told by default if it is shinny salute. Let me tell you how much I dislike the shiny Navy ranks. Don't get me started on flight lines or OCS.

I was stationed at Osan AB in 1977. Was walking on the main drag, when I was saluted by an Airman. Seemed he was a "Newbie" like I was. The only insignia on my cap was my Unit Crest. I didn't pay it much mind, until i was saluted by another airman. After that, I went along with it. When I got promoted to E-2, the saluting stopped. No biggie da...

All that problem on regard to the pretty small pin on ranks,is the result on some one fault,in the creation of such extremely small hard to identify badges or insignias.When the services years back were using cloth badges on the arm,nothing of this sort was a problem.Then the Marines started to use small pin on subdue insignias for their fatigues for the enlisted,after the Korean Conflict and the beginning of the 60's, fallowed by the Army during the Vietnam War for the same purpose.Lately the Army made the great mistake to implement such small ranks,very difficult to identify,also to the Class B's uniforms for some time.Then the Navy,as well as the Coast Guard,did the same.For me, my opinion is that all services are wrong and commited a great error on establishing this kind of ranks that are so difficult to see and identify.Ranks for enlisted personnel should be of cloth material on the arms for all uniforms and services,
including the fatigues or combat uniforms,and the officers,as was done in the past,in the collar or the shoulders,
depending the uniform class or the branch of service as required,not on the breast as they are doing today,even in the Air Force and Space Force,that are extremely difficult to identify,unless you are at twelve inches from the person.
I hope DOD will take action on this matter,in all branches,and fix this problem one and for all.

No. But to be fair, I grew in a military dependent from birth to my own enlistment. While dad, my youngest brother and myself were USAF and having a brother in the Army, we lived a lot of places were we had direct exposure to military members of all branches of service.

But I do have a fun story of when I was going to Tech School at Keesler AFB. A friend who was a fellow classmate and I decided to go for a walk after classes one day. He had never had exposure to abything near the flightline and being fresh out of Basic, he wanted to see some planes. We walked as near to the flightline that I knew we were allowed and out of nowhere, a female Navy officer walked toward us. I kept trying to get him to salute. He kept saying that he didn't see the rank and unfortunately (for him) he didn't heed my warning. The Lt. chewed Jim a good one. Then she turned to me and was about to let loose on me for him not saluting. Thankfully Jim stood with integrity and told her that I had tried to get him to salute, just before she ripped me too. Then, the Lt. asked me (being an Airman Basic E-1), how did I know, since she was a Navy officer. I explained I had been a dependent when dad was stationed next to 2 Navy bases twice in his career. I think she had a chip on her shoulder when she walked up on us but she left with a smile. After that, Jim always listened to me if we encountered military members from other services. Who would have thought that all of those years as a dependent would pay off this way? Not me!

I saluted the wrong rank before the bases were joint. There was a staff sergeant back in the days when we wore our ranks on our covers. His rank was old and always flashed brass in the sun which caused me to salute. He would laugh and mock me while taking no notice at all that his rank needed M-nu. His rank on his BDUs needed to be black and it was about 1/3 brass.

While in the Balkans, I was super confused when I saw a crescent moon on a hat. I had no idea what to do. The Muslim chaplain laughed and informed me he was a captain.

My friends and I would seek out British Officers while at Fort Benning GA Army Infantry School to salute so we could get their unique response.

I saluted a South Korean CSM everyday for a month until he finally stopped me and told me. His rank was shiny, gold to be exact, I was an E2.

Worse. I did the opposite. Once I didn't salute a naval officer because I had no idea what the rank was, especially from afar. The second time I was in Kuwait and there were some Aussie officers I didn't salute but I obviously had zero idea what their rank looked like. Just kind of felt like a dirt bag after that one.

I have saluted the wrong rank. Once at Edgewood Arsenal I saluted a SGT from Thailand because his rank insignia consisted of three gold stars, he returned the salute, thanked me, and then told me he was a SGT. We both laughed and went our ways.