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

Let me get this straight......you are holding a binder and a mug? You can't handle this with one arm? When you see the CPT approaching place the binder between your left arm and your side and put mug in left hand! What am I missing? The CSM obviously believed it would have been an easy maneuver or you wouldn't have been reprimanded.

The worst is when there nonimmigrant or Legal Permanent Wife reports you to command staff.

When I was at ET school in the USCG, there was a Ensign who walked down past the front of the school at lunch time and dress down anyone he thought didn't salute fast enough or sharply enough. While dressing them down he also liked to nit pick uniforms. Many of us had already been in the field for a while, so our uniforms while well kept were definitely not boot camp fresh, making them easy targets.

Well we got to talking in the rec room one day and decided some "instruction" was in order. Said Ensign was very predicable in his timing, so we would wait around the corner until we spotted him at the far end of the building. (Building 400 was an old Army building and probably 200 feet or so long, with several wings in the back and a center archway.) When we saw him coming about thirty of us would proceed in his direction, spacing ourselves about 5 yards apart. Of course each one of us gave him our best boot camp salute, and of course he had to return each salute. After about three days of that, and increasing numbers of participants as other classes and schools started to join in, he decided to take the long way home.

Respect. We are not part of a social club. A salute is something we render. When walking and you see an officer approaching. Snap to it. Sit it down or to the side. Give it and keep it going. We do not give because we want to or they deserve it. It is our training and duty.

As you describe the situation, it sounds like both the CPT and the CSM were violating the time-honored maxim "don't be a dick". This being the second time you've gotten reprimanded for this, however, you cannot blame me for wondering if the whole story is being told. The only time I ever jacked up (verbally only) someone for not saluting was if they did something like the old "start the salute and then brush the hair" trick or some other obviously intentional sign of disrespect. For both a CPT AND a CSM to jack you up suggests there may be a history of disrespectful behavior on your part. But maybe not... there are dicks out there in uniform in all ranks. Officers, NCOs, and all other enlisted ranks need to respect each other.

Carry your coffee in your left hand. Put the binder in between your left arm and your body. Render salute.

I have personally experienced this when I was carrying a box with two hands, a buddy of mine from the Jessee L Brown who'd been on TPU medical for a dislocated shoulder were walking across Charleston Naval Base when we passed an LTJG, and being engaged in a conversation Tim did not see the officer, who got "pissy" immediately and asked "Is there something wrong iwth your shoulder?" Well, Tim's command was a little casual and he thought it was an officer from his ship so Tim extended his hand thinking the officer was asking in specifc about how his shoulder was doing. I smiled broadly knowing the little Butter Bar 2.0 had his feathers ruffled. I spoke up, "Tim, I think he wants you to salute him." And I simled broader when both the LTJG and I knew I did not have to. Tim popped tall and saluted. The LTJG's ears must have been burning as I know he heard me laughing once he'd walked away. So no, under a load there is no requirement to salute. :)

Free your right hand and render courtesies. be the Marine you should be it should be part of the life you chose.

As a soldier, when you are enroute somewhere you should travel with the ability to salute. You also should not be smoking ehen,, rendering a hand salute!

Maybe things have changed a lot since I was active duty in the Marines back in the mid 60's, but what is a CSM? I'm just guessing that a CPT is a Captain, which I would have called a Capt. Can anyone answer this old leatherneck? As for the situation at hand, I would have stopped, put something down to free up my right hand, returned to attention and saluted.