Do I need to render a salute to an officer when my hands are occupied?

Are you required to salute the officer in question? If so, make sure your right hand is free to ensure you can accomplish the required task.

Well, it's been a long time since I've been in the military, over fifty years. I was told if your hands were occupied, both hands, just say your greetings of Good Morning Sir or Mam. I only met one female officer all the time I was in. and it didn't end well. God my tail chewed out because I did not salute her.

The regs already told you CSM was wrong . The bad part is a CSM should have known better . Clearly he wanted to show off rather then respect you or the regs .

Simple answer........what do the regulations say. End of answer. Pardon my choice of words but if that CSM did what you said then that CSM is a chicken shit. Gotta be one of those woke POS that is trying to make brownie points. No I am not pc nor will I ever be. Not one CSM that I knew or in fact any ranking officer would expect you to do that. Good grief. And people wonder why I got out.

I more concerned to the fact that you are a E-5 who does know how to be prepared for the possibility of meeting a officer while walking and carrying items should the need to give proper rendering of salute to said officer. If you were a E1-E3 I might see this happening, but you are a NCO trained to train those under you. Now you know why the CSM was upset to see one of his fellow NCO’s not give proper respect to an officer.

The greeting of the day is all that's required if the officers or the elnlisted hands ✋️ are both filled.

Yea, As mentioned below, the coffee cup/mug doesn't really cut it. Really that busy you had to carry that with you? That's gonna piss off the NCO in me And ANY Senior SNCO. Underneath a Tactical Vehicle installing a transmission? Yea, good Morning Gentlemen! No Prob. Caught in a pickle with hands full normal? Position of Attention, Good Morning Sir!, Good Morning SGM. But coffee cup just isn't a good look unless caught by surprise. Your problem is an easy fix.

According AR 600-25, you don't have to. But you will get those power tripping officers that demand a salute. Like one comment said, don't put yourself in those situations. If the officer is going your way ask them for help so you can salute them, or give them the stuff in your right hand, salute, get the stuff back & wait for a salute back. As for a CSM to get involved, he just wanted something to bark about, which is typical.

you do not have to salute.

While outdoors in uniform and not performing work, keep your right hand available to salute.
One day I was carrying a box to the postal center to mail off, and approaching the entrance an officer exited. I placed the box down, saluted, then picked the box back up.
It's not the salute itself, it's the effort given that pleases them.