Posted on Dec 14, 2020
Do I need to render a salute to an officer when my hands are occupied?
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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?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 634
To my understanding no you don't. If it is something that you you can switch hands real quick then yes. But if both hands are holding something then no however, greeting of the day is a must followed by with a Sir or Ma'am. Don't quote me on that. Anyone out there that is reading this please correct me on that. I don't want to give out wrong information.
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I think this may be one of those differences between Army and AF culture. If it is easy to put things to my left hand or under my arm, I would try that. If I truly cannot do that, I will simply offer a verbal greeting. That CSM seems to be overbearing, but it is what it is. What are you going to do, tell him no? Yea, I did not think so.
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Your CSM was wrong.
I, being the smart aleck that I am, would have just dropped everything and saluted. Then I would would gotten down and picked or mopped up everything.
I, being the smart aleck that I am, would have just dropped everything and saluted. Then I would would gotten down and picked or mopped up everything.
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As an Officer, I make an extra effort to carry extra items in my left hand so that I'm always available to return a salute. It would be pretty crappy of me to be honored with a salute and not return it because I was carrying a binder and a mug. If you were unloading cargo or carrying a heavy load, of course, no Officer would expect a salute. The greeting of the day is perfectly fine.
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Back in the 50s we were told not to salute while on the flight line but anyplace else, standard military courtesy was expected.
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You have obviously discovered that 600-25 is meant to cover situations where you are carrying something large/heavy (like a box, an ammo crate, an unwieldy object requiring both hands, etc.). THEN you would not try to empty your hand to render a proper salute.
A binder? I believe they have flat surfaces that a coffee mug will rest upon. I also believe binders will tuck under arms. Sorry, I’m with the CSM on this one. At the very least, make the effort when the encounter begins to empty your hands and give the officer an opportunity to tell you it is not necessary.
A binder? I believe they have flat surfaces that a coffee mug will rest upon. I also believe binders will tuck under arms. Sorry, I’m with the CSM on this one. At the very least, make the effort when the encounter begins to empty your hands and give the officer an opportunity to tell you it is not necessary.
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When I retired, I still tended to carry everything in my left hand (it was the hardest habit to break). But if a bad guy were trying to identify a military member in civilian clothes, that habit would be a red flag, wouldn't it?
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It depends on why your hands are occupied. If you're carrying a piece of paper in both hands, put them both in one hand (silly example, but you get the point). If you're carrying a box that requires two hands... carry on (no pun intended).
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