Anyone saluted the wrong rank working on a Joint Base?

I have not met a soldier who knows that a Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant insignia is not that of a Sergeant Major, I just go along when they call me Sergeant Major.

This was 8 years ago? Why did this just pop up in my email!

But if the military would stop making ranks so damn small you can't see them until they are upon you, it wouldn't be an issue.

All the time at DLIFLC in Monterey Ca. Those damn navy ranks are hard to figure out. I was told if it shines you salute it.

Too funny. My Dad was a naval officer from before I was born until he retired when I was 17 YO and I spent loads of time on Navy bases from Norfolk to Newfoundland to Jacksonville, to Mountain View and I never ever got the enlisted ranks figured out. I could tell an officer from an enlisted guy most of the time though, but when I was in the Air Force I just saluted the hell out of everybody I ran into because I was never quite sure... Seriously though, WTF is a Yeoman 1st class anyway?

I never saluted the wrong rank but I had other members from non AF branches salute me when I wore my blue USAF sweater that had silver and blue rank insignia pins on the eppilets (sorry about spelling). Not all the branches enlisted ranks wore rank insignia on their sweaters the way we did and definitely from a distance it did resemble officer insignia especially since they looked a lot like silver bars. if they were fresh out of basic I would stop them and nicely explain the difference when I had time then we would smile and laugh and continue about our day.

The beret in the beginning was hell for old guys to pick out the diff btwn a unit crest or rank. It confused me once or twice.

I went to my nephew's basic training graduation for the Navy in 2013. I was saluted as I walked in by the graduating recruits. I was a sergeant first class in the army.

Another story I heard from AFROTC. Students in their Junior and Senior year were cadet "officers." To denote this, we got shoulder boards. The rank was very similar to Navy Commissioned Officers. Some of my fellow students went to a "3LT" program, where they worked with AD to gain experience. A few of them went to Navy bases. As you can imagine, there were stories of Seabees giving them odd looks and, more often than not, salutes!

As a young enlisted, I too saluted a naval Master Chief. He also laughed and explained the top 3 of navy. I also agree, it's better to salute wrongly than not at all.

I can relate to this happening, however, it was kind of a reverse situation. I was the one being saluted. When I returned from Vietnam in 1967 I was stationed at the Yakima Firing Range in Washington State. Shortly after my arrival, I got into a "little" trouble and honestly, it was nothing serious, a minor infraction of the UCMJ. But unfortunately, an overzealous 2lt, thought it was serious enough to take away 2 strips. I was demoted from E4 to E2. Anyway, at Yakima, there are many reservists who train there on the weekends. If I happened to be in, my Class A uniform I was often mistaken for an officer. No strips, a couple of rows of ribbons, a CIB, 2 overseas bars, and a hash mark and not strips, "must be an officer". Some guys would hesitate but most would salute, just in case, and of course, I would always return the salute. Most of the permanent party of course knew, but it was kind of comical. Even the 1st Sergeant during the morning formation and police call would say, "all E5s and above and E2s over five, fall out. I did get my rank back relatively quickly plus one more.

Yes, it happened to me when our ship's crew was leaving and the sun was low. With the sun in my eyes, I saluted chiefs and failed to salute to commissioned officers. Like Borders, most laughed it off. However, one time I was in such a deep conversation with a friend that a young ensign caught me not noticing him as he walked by. The ensign turned around and gave me hell. I told him I was sorry - that I just didn't see him. He waited furiously until I saluted him. He stalked off in a huff. Oh, well; such is life.

Grew up navy so the marine and navy ranks were no big deal. However I have been on the receiving end of a salute by an airman. Smiled and said no I work for a living and CM

I went Commissaryman A school in Newport RI. This was also home to the Navy OCS. The OCS wore Kakhi uniforms in the summer. We had been told these candidates were not yet commissioned officers, so they did not rate a salute. One day a buddy and I were out walking to the BX. We noticed a guy in Kakhis walking toward us and we passed him without saluting, thinking he was an OCS candidate. After about a step past him, we heard this guy say, “Gentleman don’t you salute officers anymore?” I then said, “Yes, we always salute an officer when we see one.” This Marine officer then proceeded to lock our heels a show us the captain’s insignia on his Marine kakhi uniform. After this experience, then saluted him and started living by the motto, “If it moves, salute it, if it doesn’t move, paint it.”

I might have done it a time or two, and it wasn't even at a joint base. It happened at Davis-Monthan AFB. I was living in the dorms and would often eat lunch at the DFAC. I rarely worked day shift hours there, but when I did...I would always see some Navy troops walking toward the DFAC as I was leaving it. If I recall, they were always wearing their browns. I might have mistakenly saluted a couple of them, using the same logic you applied. I was always taught exactly the same thing. I think I got some weird looks from the sailors after doing it. Being so accustomed to the fact Airmen of all enlisted ranks always wear their rank on both sleeves, and only "Top 3" (MSgt, SMSgt and CMSgt) types ever wearing their rank on their epaulettes - and only then, while wearing service or service dress uniforms, it's natural for a Zoomie to assume first that anybody wearing their rank on something other than their sleeves could be an "O". Not knowing where exactly sailors wear their rank insignia and not knowing what Navy enlisted rank insignia even looks like didn't help that situation. Once I got wise to where exactly to find their insignia, I never had any other issues with that. But I saw other airmen salute some of those same sailors mistakenly at least a few times also, and it was always the same situation. The sailors were walking toward the DFAC and were getting saluted by airmen who were leaving the DFAC.

When I was stationed at Ft. Hood straight out of AIT as an E-1, I arrived with a mixed issue of OGs and BDUs. My unit's (B 1/68 ADA 1st Cav) crest was a vertical thing that looked like a cross between an ear of corn and a 2LT butter bar. Worn on the green ball cap with no rank underneath, it looked like a butter bar gleaming in the sun. I got saluted more than once...

During a deployment to Spain I was entering a mess hall at 0430 no outside lights and two individuals were exiting. We were all in fatigues or BDU's and I noticed one of the exiting had some type of insignia on his hat it appeared to be an oak leaf so I saluted and offered a greeting. Well it turns out he was an Army SFC and had his rank insignia on his hat. He immediately got hot and said don't salute or sir me I work for a living. I responded with, In the Air Force we call someone sir out of respect for their position or grade you obviously don't deserve any respect. Well he then went ballistic and demanded to know my rank and who my commander was. I responded with MSgt or for those uneducated E-7 with 4 years TIG. I never saw him again.

SP-5 ROY SONYE
While on a joint training base in Germany it took a while to realize we had been saluting a French
corporal ,but she was good looking

I was saluted by a CPT when I as a 2LT. He saw the gold and saluted..... We both got a good laugh.

it Happen to me many times,

Courtesy is never out of place