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

If he truly did that simply to avoid rendering the proper salute/respect, he is an undisciplined military member. The fact that he is an NCO makes it worse.

Funny story... Back 100 years ago, when I was about to enter Ranger School at Fort Benning,, Georgia, five other new Second Lieutenants and I had been assigned to Ranger School a week before the school actually started. We were required to show up for morning PT with the cadre and then basically had the rest of the day off.

As we were assigned to Ranger School as students (even though the class had not started), we had already stripped our uniforms clean of anything but name and "US Army" tapes. No rank, no branch insignia, no unit patches, etc.

Following PT, we typically went to the chow hall at Olsen Hall, the main BOQ at Benning, for breakfast. Although we really should have changed back into a regular uniform (and sometimes we did), at times we simply went in the Ranger School stripped down version if we were running late. One day, as we were walking out of the chow hall, we passed by a group of about 4-5 brand new Lieutenants reporting in for the Infantry Officer Basic Course. We walked past them without so much as a glance when one of them, bellowed "Don't you soldiers salute officers?", to which one of the folks in my group responded with a "F*#k You" and we kept on walking. Of course the Lieutenants did not know that we were also Lieutenants. The group just stood there dumbfounded at the lack of respect they got and we probably shattered their vision of what it was going to be like to be an officer in the Army. :-)

I feel pretty bad about that now; but it was funny.

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.