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
When I was a HM3 (PO3) at FT. Sam Houston, TX. in San Antonio, TX in 1977 I had all of the lower enlisted ARMY saluting me all the time! My retort was "I know I'm in the NAVY, but you DON'T have to salute me!" I was confused by the ARMY enlisted being in Khaki Uniforms thinking....These can't all be E-7 or above can they?!
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Attended Corrections Specialist Training at Ft. McClellan as a Petty Officer 2nd Class Builder in the Seabees. At the time the uniform was OD Green Utilities with soft cover bearing the rank insignia of 2 chevrons with the USN Eaglet. Got saluted so many times going to and from the training from base personnel assuming I was an Officer. Had several Chiefs and even a Master Chief go through the same thing until they started a Rank awareness class for the lower enlistees.
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In 1970, assigned to the Washington DC area with the 6th Cav, I found my self sitting in mess next to a soldier in an unfamiliar uniform sporting two stars on each of his shoulder boards. He clearly seemed too young for a general officer. Fortunately there was no reason or opportunity to salute because I later found out he was a LT in the Lebanese Army.
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Funny, USMC is the 2nd Senior Service, but falls under the Department of the Navy. During boot camp at PI, we had the learn all the Navy Rarks and Insignia as well as other services. So it was usually not a problem, but as stated, “when in doubt, whip it out”.
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Back in my day, we had to learn ALL the ranks from ALL the branches of the military (including the Coast Guard) and how they corresponded to our own in the Corps. I guess the pussies at the top have decided that it's just too hard for snowflakes to learn?
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As a Sergeant on NAB Little Creek I saluted what I thought was a Navy Lieutenant Commander. Getting closer, I saw he had Master Chief anchors on his jacket. Before I can say anything he asks if I know about Navy ranks. I told him either you are an officer or enlisted because your cover doesn’t match your jacket. He took off his cover and realized he was wearing his OIC’s cover. He removed the pins, thanked me for noticing and we went on our merry way.
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No. They saluted me!
Once after reporting to my CO
I accidentally picked up his LT hat and put it on. On my way to the mess hall all these guys were saluting me. I thought they were pulling my leg. One guy stopped me and told me I had LT hat.
I QUICKLY RAN BACK, APOLOGIZED AND Grabbed my Spec 4 cap.
Once after reporting to my CO
I accidentally picked up his LT hat and put it on. On my way to the mess hall all these guys were saluting me. I thought they were pulling my leg. One guy stopped me and told me I had LT hat.
I QUICKLY RAN BACK, APOLOGIZED AND Grabbed my Spec 4 cap.
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Boot camp 1975 saluted my Command Sargent Major. All the scrambled eggs on her cover and the Sun was behind her. She was kind as she corrected me. I was slightly embarrassed.
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1993 at FAMC in Denver, CO. I was there for 3 days so my daughter could have eye surgery. There were personnel from all 4 branches. 'Not sure but I think I saluted a Navy Chief by mistake. He just laughed. Oops!
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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