Posted on Dec 14, 2020
SGT Intelligence Analyst
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This is the second time I’ve gotten reprimanded for this situation. I was walking with a binder in my hands, and a mug in the other hand. I walked past a CSM and a CPT, greeted both as I was unable to salute. CSM stopped me and demanded that I drop everything to salute the CPT. AR 600-25 states that I am not required to render a salute if I am carrying articles with both hands. What is the right answer?
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CPO Amb. Terry Earthwind Nichols
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Edited >1 y ago
You are correct. Acknowledge the officer with respect, say by your leave sir, and carry on...
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TSgt Richard Ketterling
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A mug and a binder... hahaha seems like an excuse not to salute.
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SGT Leif Lynch
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Tell the CSM to calm down, I find that if it works out my spouse, it works on a CSM...
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SSG Leslie Cunningham
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I was walking between the APO and the PX passing a 2nd LT with both hands full of packages, I greeted him with Sir and he said don't you salute officers ? I said yes sir, then rendered a sharp salute and held it until he sat down his packages and returned the salute.I then did an about face and moved out smartly.
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PO2 Steven Sparks
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EAOS solved it for me.
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SPC Darren Coffenberry
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As long as you say the salutation of the day to the encountered officer, you should be fine. Most officers i have had contact with over my career have never had a problem as long as they see your hands are tied up and that you at least acknowledged their authority and presence with a salutation. As for the CSM, he is the old man of the army, the finest NCO to ever put on a uniform, I would just drop down and give him 100 off the top, no kidding though! P.S. A salute indoors is rendered only when reporting. When you are dismissed, or when the officer departs, come to attention and salute.
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SPC Michael Coffin
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Had a Major (Doctor), stop me one time & asked why I didn't salute, my right arm was in a cast from past my finger tips to just below my neck. No saluting with the left hand. By the way, I didn't salute the Post Commander when I reported to him for an 'atta boy, I just came to attention.
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CPO Jeffrey Bohemier
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AR 600-25 is correct. However, holding a mug in your other hand??? Seriously....maybe it’s a Navy thing, but we sailors found numerous different ways of holding onto multiple items with just one hand so the other could be available to grip the railing when transversing up and down ladders on board ships, especially when the ship is rocking and rolling. You can’t hold a binder AND mug in one hand? Try this...cup the side of the binder with your middle finger, ring finger, and pinky while using your index finger as a hook for the mug’s handle. While you’re TECHNICALLY CORRECT, being “technically” correct doesn’t necessarily make you morally correct. I would respect the rank first and foremost by rending a proper salute after shifting the mug or binder to your left hand, especially if “being right” is ultimately going to create an issue that’s not worth the fight over. It’s important to understand which fights to fight and which ones to ignore.
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SFC Intelligence Analyst
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Well you could have turn the binder flat and put you coffee cup on it then saluted
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reprimanded in korea for not rendering a hand salute to an LT who sudenly appeared right on me while i was single handedly carrying a radio up a steep ass hill from the motorpool minding my footing. a radio btw which is labeled '2 man carry' btw. tsk tsk tsk.
FN Mike McCormack
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Without reading any other comments and I'm sure some are really good...I will tell you what I have done and recommend. I too didn't render a proper hand salute once...I was on my way to do some laundry and passed by two Army officers on a USN base (NI)..I didn't recognize the rank, so I kept walking. That officer stopped dead in his tracks and made me stop and render a proper salute...I never made that mistake again. A salute is a sign of respect...plain and simple; not just to the person you are approaching, but to the history of the rank as well. The moral to this sea story is...don't play pocket-pool and you will always have a free hand ;)
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CPT William Jones
CPT William Jones
4 y
tes the Navy does some strange things with rank that are strange to other branches. I was army and figured if they had on a blouse(jacket) if stuff was on the cuff (braid/stripes)it was an officer. If it was stuff above the elbow probably an EM of some sort. If only wearing a shirt Officer insignia is about the same just what they are called is differentJust dont get the word in navy has three meanings 1. An O6,Othe branches it is O3.or navy the boss of any size boat(ship) maybe river boat with an E6 sill correctly called
captain or an aircraft carrier called Captain.
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LTJG Sandra Smith
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What we were told in OI, back in the '60s was that you just DON'T carry things in your right hand, unless in an emergency (we were all nurses & could have IVs or other critical equipment, as well as a patient to manage), and salute all superior officers. I don't know if that rule has changed, since, or not, but somehow a notebook and cup of coffee don't strike me as valid reason to not salute.
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COL Carl Jensen
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The right answer depends on the attitude of the officer. I would hope that most would be happy with a "Good day Sir" and a nod, in that kind of situation, but there are sticklers out there. I'm of Prussian decent but I can be lenient and understanding. I certainly don't expect a snappy salute while you have one hand occupied and a cup of hot coffee in your hand. That could mess up things on both sides, and add a cleaning bill. MY answer would have been; "That's OK troop, carry on." (Assuming it was a EM, not an OCS candidate, LOL)
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COL Carl Jensen
COL Carl Jensen
>1 y
When as a "US" Pvt E-2, I was waiting for a light to change facing the direction I was walking. All of a sudden I am verbally attacked by a Major coming out of the car that was on my left for not saluting him. My excuse? 20/200 eyesight on my left eye. He came from the corner of my impaired eye. He called my unit and advised my CO, but when I told the CO he said to forget about it. As the years went by I remembered that incident. There is always an explanation for the lack of salute if you want to pursue it. I always saw myself as an officer, not a God. Branch courses were murder, my right arm must have turned into Hulk's. I will always recall in training exercises; " Don't salute me soldier, are you trying to get me killed? LOL, and "Don't click your heels, the enemy will hear you." (Laughing face meme)
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SSG Timothy Lanham
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There was a 2LT in the battalion that had a big thing about being saluted. I was carrying a box one time that required the use of both hands. Came across the Lt and gave him a greeting. His response was soldier you are required to salute an officer. So I stopped walking and put the box down. Stood up and came to attention and saluted him. Sorry bastard did not even return the salute at that time.
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CPT William Jones
CPT William Jones
4 y
He shouldn’t have had that attitude but he defiantly should have returned your salute and it was defiantly wrong. I was mostly an officer on active duty but an em first. And when such would have reported him to my CO during open door policy during early 60’s.
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SP5 James Elmore
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Really - never had a situation where I couldn’t carry a binder under my arm and a coffee cup in the other. It was NOT impractical for you to honor regular military courtesy. Had it been impractical to salute, I suspect an appropriate nod and greeting would have been enough.
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PO1 Steven Ewing
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It could just be me, but if your coffee (or whatever is in the mug) is more important than your evaluations and future advancement, then I suggest keep doing what you're doing...otherwise I think you might want to come up with a new plan for carrying that mug in the presence (or possible presence) of Officers. .
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SFC Robert Walton
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Personally i believe there is more to the story than is being told here. 1ST. Read what you posted again like the quote from AR 600-25.
Now go complain to the CSM let me know when you do this because i want to watch while the CSM First verbally rips into you for your classic try to not render a Salute. Then as part of your retrain has you stand in front of post HQ with your little book in one hand and the Mug in the other.
Just how big of a binder was this and how big is the mug?, Where were you going and why did you need the binder and the Mug? Was the binder a Copy of AR 600-25 so you could back up your dumb plan that has been tried by maybe a Million Soldiers and they keep getting caught and retrained.
Cradle the binder in the palm of your left hand and hold your Mug with the fingers of your left hand(1 finger through the handle and your thumb on the rim works the best. Then when you get the time look at all the AR's again and find some thing original to try and get your bragging rights. This is beneath you and typical e-4 mafia stunt. JMT
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You don't drop anything to salute hence the regulations allowing a verbal. Your CSM needs to worry about bigger better things. Stupid shit like that is a reminder of why I got out when I miss active duty.
Sgt Dennis Doty
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Contrary to popular opinion, CSMs are not quite infallible. However, telling them so is definitely a mortal sin. Grin and bear it. I suspect there was some underlying and undisclosed motive. Either the CSM was looking for an excuse to chew on you, or he was trying too hard to impress the Captain and probably failed. If it happened again, I would assume that it was personal and call him out on what the reg actually says...respectfully, but in a clear voice loud enough for the Captain to hear.
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CPT William Jones
CPT William Jones
4 y
The Sm said this was his second time so one has to assume he received the way the local command interpreted the regulation so he didnt need to do that only follow local interpritations as explained to him. No looking for an excuse to chew on him. I found that if i wanted to chew on soldiers it was not hard to find them doing something wrong. If that was what an NCO or officer wnts to do just watch the next three SM junior to you you see and ill bet you can find at least two of them that you need to correct about something against the rules and customs. I also believe with the information presented by the SM the CSM was correct in his correcting the Sm.
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PFC Martin Potashner
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Well I was the company co driver I never saluted every time .
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CPT William Jones
CPT William Jones
4 y
First sighting of the day in garrison is expected but not demanded not ever expected in field but officers that out rank me depends on unit policy. Follow my example as I am responsible for my driver
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