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

I was taught in Boot Camp that if an Officer was across the street from you or more than whatever distance away from you, saluting was not required. I got yelled at in Boot Camp for saluting Officers across the street from me more than once.
Fast forward a few months when I hit the Fleet. I was walking up the pier to my ship, when a Captain from another ship was walking down the pier. He was over on the other side of the pier from me so I didn't salute him. Man did that piss him off.

I have experienced just the opposite. I've had PVTs cross the street just so they could salute me. I've seen a group of PVTs intentionally spread out into a long line so that I had to salute each individual instead of the group. I had one E5 that was virtually a stalker looking for opportunities to salute me. He would pop out from the corner of a building with a "good morning, sir". One time he even saluted me as we passed on the sidewalk, then sprinted around the building so he could pass me again. It became like a game. He'd try to salute me as many times as possible during the day and I would try to avoid it.

Capt (Join to see) what you found there wasn't an NCO in my book. You found a rare species called a "dirtbag". You can inform his chain of command if you like, but you can't change a dirtbag. Hopefully, he will ETS and take his dirtbaggery elsewhere.

We use to line up for our new ensigns and ltjg and even LTs and pass it so we were about 5 to 10 feet apart so they had to salute each one lol

Unless you were on a static post and he knew you were there it seems he saw you and recognized you as a commissioned officer. If at that point he did not render the hand salute he is in violation of the UCMJ. You should have addressed the NCO to let him know you were onto his petty little game. If you approach this in a non confrontational manner and he did not see or recognize you, or he went out of his way to leave a note on a friends car, or whatever, no harm no foul. If he did avoid you on purpose it puts him on notice that you will not put up with that unprofessional behavior and if it happens again he can expect a different outcome.

Did you ask the NCO why he is taking the longest path to his car? Maybe he needed the extra steps to bump up calories burned on his Nike Fuel Band lol. Nothing wrong with asking a question about something that seems out of the norm. Know not assume, and that needs to be applied to everything. He could be the greatest NCO but not in your eyes if you assume he is some bag nasty avoiding to salute you.

Ive never avoided nor have I had anybody avoid me for the sake of not wanting to give a proper greeting to one of higher grade, thats just nasty.

There is another reason someone may change path to avoid a salute that has not been mentioned yet.  I know that I have taken a longer path to avoid disturbing group actions among a distributed group of enlisted personnel.  For example, I crossed a street once to prevent walking near enough to a group of Soldiers on work detail who were receiving instruction from their NCO.  If I had continued on course the NCO would likely have stopped, saluted, given the greeting of the day, and potentially lost the focus of his group for a moment.

I've had battle buddies that hated 2LTs with a passion. They told that a few rubbed them the wrong way so they avoid being around them so they won't get disrespectful. I've met 2LTs that were full of themselves, but I never avoided saluting them. I understand that fresh LTs have about the same level of experience as a PFC. I understand that it takes a certain amount of patience to deal with them. I just curse out my steering wheel and step out of my car like everything is ok.

Any lieutenant is worthy of a salute,  because to not do it dishonors the rank,  the person and the services.   IMHO

When you are saluting an officer no matter what rank you salute his or hers rank as a sign of respect. you are not saluting the individual. In my day in the Marine corp. Not saluting or avoiding an officer earned you a 1st. class a--chewing. If the 1sgt. found out about it their would be his discipline. I can't imagine and NCO. not saluting. The Army had different rules for saluting you saluted indoors without a cover on your head. In the Marine Corp you only saluted indoors when you had a duty belt on and had your cover on your head. If a Marine approached a Marine officer without the officer,s cover on the officer would not salute back. Thats the way it was back in the early 60,s. Semper Fi.

Maybe for the simple fact that you have to cry out on social media about such things is not the reason why he avoided you. Hummmmmm

Going out of the way to not salute is childish, just like jumping thru a door so you don't have to stand and salute for colors.

I used to do the exact opposite. I was like a heat-seaking missile, snaking my way through every parking, trying to salute as many officers as possible. Sometimes, I'd try to power walk in loops, to salute the same person 3 or 4 times before they could reach the door.

And I have witnessed a 1st Lieutenant fill his arms with unnecessary items when we left the office on Bagram to.avoid saluting anyone on Disney.

It actually took more discipline to do what this NCO did then to simply salute the officer. It is very childish behavior and personnel going through this much trouble to avoid a salute should re evaluate why they are even in the military. The salute is a sign of respect for both officers and enlisted personnel. We should render a salute with pride, in reflection of who we are as professionals.

It's arrogance on the NCO's part to think new O-1's should not be publically afforded a proper salute. Not all O-1's are fresh or 90 day wonders. Junior officers come from all ways of life and some have more years in uniform than most NCO's. Also, it presents a poor example of junior enlisted on reinforcing traditions taught in recruit training.

Sounds personal, from both angles.

Not cool

Don’t be butt hurt if they don’t, respect is earned. I’ve saluted almost 100 enlisted personnel as an officer that help shaped the what the Great US Army is today.

Maybe the NCO just wanted to get his steps in for his fit bit and decided to take the longer route to his car. You never know. Don’t take it personal. I’ve had officers tell me NOT to salute because they were tired of saluting. LOL so keep in mind you may have days you will be tired of saluting us too.