Posted on Jul 2, 2015
LTC Stephen F.
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I have saluted many thousand of times. Initiating a salute when approaching or being approached by a senior officer or, reveille, retreat or when the National Colors pass by. I learned out how to properly salute as a cadet at West Point. I had prior enlisted experience so I already had familiarity with military customs and courtesies.
[Update 7/3/2015] Once I was commissioned I made it a point to return every salute with a crisp salute while looking whoever saluted me in the eyes and when appropriate saying something to them or responding to their greeting.
It is important for each service member to learn that the salute is a demonstration of mutual respect and honor between superior and subordinate has encouraged me to return a crisp salute even when recovering from open heart surgery. Over the years I have seen some very sloppy salutes and ignoring of a salute by military service members. Sloppy salutes irritate me. Over the years I have helped others learn how to salute - some subordinate and others who were superior but were CSS such as Lawyers, Doctors and Nurses who did not receive the instruction I did.
Edited 9 y ago
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PO1 John Miller
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I always looked at sloppy salutes as pure laziness, plain and simple. Even if one didn't receive the level of instruction you did LTC Stephen F., they still received SOME instruction. A proper, crisp salute is not that hard to render!

I do remember getting compliments from junior officers on one of my ships about how sharply I saluted. I said something like "Thank you sir/ma'am, but I just consider it a proper salute, nothing more."
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CPT Company Commander
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Just so you know the reason why I wrote this command post was because of one. I think is reflects the quality of the soldiers giving it.
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CPT Battalion Training Officer
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CPT (Join to see) So does this apply to "the thread"? Lol
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CPT Company Commander
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CPT (Join to see) - Now that you bring it up. An officer should never give a poor or sloppy hand salute.
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CPT Battalion Training Officer
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Officers would never give another officer a sloppy salute CPT (Join to see)
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CPT Company Commander
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SFC Infantry Senior Sergeant
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Edited >1 y ago
LTC Ford

As a former DI ( 2 tours ) I am appaled at lazy salutes. The salute and its meaning is something that is really drilled into recruits during BCT/AIT. When a officer receives a lazy salute ,that officer needs to make a reprimand on the spot, otherwise the soldiers gets the wrong message. Reprimand and call the First Sergeant of that soldiers unit. As someone commented, the salute is and should be an honor. I believe more so today. We really need to get back to the basics.

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LTC Stephen F.
LTC Stephen F.
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SFC (Join to see), I was hoping to be able to see the rest of your response but some reason it is cut off on my view of the page. I went through BCT/AIT in 1974 where I experienced learning US Army customs and courtesies as a trainee. In 1978 while a cadet at West Point I trained a platoon of BCT soldiers at Fort Dix. I started out assisting a DI who was diverted to another task leaving me as 22 year old teaching customs and courtesies to people my own age - that was challenging but rewarding. Later I commanded an Infantry training company at Fort Benning where I realized I had come full circle and was training Infantry OSUT soldiers on US Army customs and courtesies.
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