Avoiding Saluting an LT; What do you do when you see this?

Sir, that's disappointing to hear. Any service member worth their salt shouldn't have a reason to avoid simply honoring our traditions, heritage, customs and rules. There's more to this than meets the eye with this NCO. It might bear watching in the future. That is not the example we want set for our junior members.

I've never experienced that. Usually just the opposite, to the extent of getting a tired arm.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 13px;">I especially like the people &nbsp;that space themselves at 8-9 step intervals in a straight line...</span>

What do you mean, "how did you handle it" what is there to handle? It is that NCO's prerogative if he wants to walk around the entire base to avoid you. Unless he walked right next to you, made eye contact and still did not render a salute, he's not breaking any regulation or protocol by walking around the parking-lot. Do you really not have anything better to worry about as an Air Force Officer? Did you stop, to think of the possibility, that he's avoiding you because you might be a douche? Nobody that I know of cares much for salute jockies.

I have never had even thought to "force" a salute and I have never had a SM or NCO take a longer path to avoid saluting me except when I was with group of officers having a discussion.&nbsp; In this case it was a courtesy to avoid interrupting our discussion.&nbsp; From the sound of your question it appears you suspect animosity or will is the cause.&nbsp; Perhaps it was meant as a courtesy to avoid interrupting what you were doing.&nbsp; If this was ever the case for me, I would take a look at what I had done to propagate this situation.&nbsp; As a leader, you have to consider that you have done something wrong as a leader to create or contribute to this situation, especially if it is happening on a regular basis by more than one SM/NCO.&nbsp; If that is not the case a frank and professional one-on-one discussion may be warranted. &nbsp;<br><br>Keep in mind these words of wisdom, "Leadership is solving problems.&nbsp; The day Soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them.&nbsp; They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care.&nbsp; Either case is a failure of leadership." -Colin Powell, GEN (RET)

Being prior enlisted in the Army I never avoided saluting an officer. There seemed to be so many and it was so regular I never minded. My thought was, they have to salute back and they always did!

Now as an officer I've seen people try to avoid me or it certainly seems like it. As an officer I'm constantly paying attention. I figure that I have to salute nearly everyone and I don't want to be that guy that doesn't salute back. I take it very seriously.

In the Coast Guard I've traveled to other installations and haven't been saluted by members of that branch of service. Since we're not DOD I can only think they don't realize they are supposed to salute all the members of the Armed Forces (which we are a member of). This isn't all that common but has happened. If it's blatant I'd would address it tactfully. If I feel it needs to go higher, on the Coast Guard side I'll pass it over to the Chief's Mess . I feel extremely confident they could handle the issue.

I often find that military members are unaware that those customs are extended to the seven members of the uniformed services.

Truth is a lot of enlisted have had a LOT of bad experiences with O1 and O2 officers. Doesn't matter the branch. We understand that we HAVE to respect and salute you guys because those are the rules, but sometimes the "Butter Bars" just think because they are officers that means they are gods and they know all. It gets frustrating when we know our jobs and some "snot nosed kid" fresh out of the Academy comes up and starts barking orders like they are a senior officer.

I know it isn't all O1s and O2s...in fact I have met some great ones. Just like any other group, it doesn't take much to sour your opinion.

I personally never tried to duck a salute, but have gotten chewed out by an Ensign because I didn't drop what I was carrying and salute him once (was a bulky box and had to carry with 2 hands). I didn't argue tho, just apologized and went on about my business.

I don't understand this.&nbsp; Why create more work for yourself simply to avoid rendering a simple salute?&nbsp; I know you probably won't like this much, but as a junior enlisted Soldier, we used to intentionally stagger ourselves when we saw our PL walking towards us, effectively forcing him to return multiple salutes.&nbsp; I really don't understand the mentality of skirting around it.

Seems like "fresh new 22-year-old LT" could find a bigger fish to fry. I've seen this type of officer before, the world revolves around them and their self esteem. Man up butter bar! Confront the jack-hole about it or shut up. For goodness sake don't post your mewlings here.

Honest answer.. get over it. Your feelings will be hurt much more severely than that multiple times in your career.

Sir, age has nothing to do with being a professoinal, you earn your rank just like they did so its just rude of them.

I disagree your not saluting the the person your saluting the rank whether the NCO was SNIFF lipped or having a bad day he should have saluted he should not o be dressed down in public he should of been pulled aside somewhere in private and been told exactly that right then and there.

the enlisted problem is lack of pride in their profession, and on the officer side the problem is entitlement. With all do respect to all the officers here, none of you were born noblemen, and I didn't enlist in hopes to own private land, so when I salute an officer I'm not bowing down to his/her authority or class. We are members of the armed forces and we should salute/greet and return salutes/greetings with pride. As per our customs and traditions the lower ranking service member will initiate the salute/greeting, officer or enlisted. I made sure all my marines understood that saluting and giving the proper greeting of the day was our way to say we were professional warriors to each other, so I expected every single one to initiate salutes and greetings with pride. I never saw issues with saluting as lack of discipline, its a lack of leadership and pride.

Get used to it. It happens a lot.

LT, do push ups for not correcting the NCO. You are an officer in the US Air Force. If you let him/her get away with this it will reinforce in their mind that they can get away with this type of behavior. To add insult to injury, any junior enlisted who saw this automatically thinks it is 'ok' to do this as well because the NCO did it.

It's not only that, when I was in 8th Infantry Division in 1975, I went to Division HQ to see the Division CSM. I was the Division Soldier of the Year. We were leaving his office and going down the stairs. There was a gaggle of Sr Officers and Enlisted waiting inside the door, Yep, it was almost 1700 and Retreat was about to be played, The CSM was livid, he shouted, I am going upstairs to get my boss and we are ALL going outside to salute the flag...The building emptied quickly. It's not only LT's it's military courtesy as a whole.

I have a theory LT and that is "some people just don't get it". It applies to everything in life.
Smoking weed at 6am to take the edge off and get the kids ready for school? Sounds crazy, but we see it.
Walking 100 yards out of your way to avoid a salute? Ridiculous. Even more so when you think about this: -He either saw someone else salute and did not want to, or had vision so sharp that he recognized the shiny bars and had to take evasive action. Or, he possibly recognized you from afar and was scared that you were going to actually ask him for some advice!
Whatever the reason, it is weak and not demonstrative of honorable service. He shamed himself.
The next time you catch someone doing that (and are 100% certain) you should meander over and engage them in a few minutes of idle conversation. Then smile and walk away with the victory.
Here is the deal: The military is about tradition, discipline, courtesy and honor. You take away those things and you have a mob.
Good luck to you Sir.

Had some great ones over the years...the I need to go a different direction, shift a box to the other hand or even putting on chap-stick to avoid to look at the ground. It is almost comical to see what some people will do to avoid a simple salute.

Hello LT,

I actually find this quite common.  Not only that, but I've seen it go both ways.  Enlisted members avoiding an officer so they don't salute, and officers avoiding entire groups of enlisted.  We've actually had conversations about this in my workcenter.  I'm no expert, but I can take my guesses to why this is happening.

#1: The individual suffers from social anxiety.  I personally fall victim to this.  Any time I walk by someone (or greet them), I get irrationally nervous.  Make that person an authority figure, such as an officer, and the feeling multiplies ten-fold.  It's natural, and it's something I've been working on my entire life.  Though I would never go out of my way to avoid saluting, I still go through a state of panic every time I do salute an officer.  I find this reason to be the most likely, simply because I know many people who suffer from social anxiety worse than I do.

#2: The individual has an injured shoulder and would rather not explain why he/she didn't salute.  It's certainly not likely, but it happens.  An Airman in my workcenter recently went through surgery on his right shoulder and was unable to salute for at least a week.  And, naturally, he was questioned every time he didn't salute.

#3: The individual may have been under the impression that you didn't want to salute either.  And to make it easier for both of you, he took a separate path.  Some enlisted get tired of saluting, so they assume that officer can get tired of it as well.  In rare cases, they are correct (which could explain the officer avoiding the enlisted). 

Having been in for 2 years, these are all from personal experiences with other Airmen.  I don't find avoiding an officer excusable, but I understand their reasoning.  Please don't take it personally, sir.  Most of the time the individual does not mean any disrespect.  Simply pulling them aside, preferably at a later time and away from his troops.  Respectfully find out why he took a different path, and tell him that you find it unacceptable.  Usually just expressing your opinion on the matter will fix their behavior.  However, if it continues, then you should take further corrective action (e.g. talk to his/her supervisor).

Hope this helps, sir. 

I certainly didn't post about it online. Here's what you do:
Is the Airman in question a direct subordinate? If yes, then correct them. If no, move on with your life. You may even be mistaken, maybe the NCO had other things in his mind than saluting you.

Well it IS the Air Force after all!
Just kidding ...