Posted on Oct 11, 2020
How do new officers avoid giving their first salute to a random passing by serviceman?
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When new officers are commissioned, I've heard it's a tradition to give their first salute (and a silver dollar coin) to a special someone of choice. How do they avoid having to render this salute when walking past other enlisted serviceman? The 'ole duck and dodge? (/s)
Or is "first salute" just metaphorical, and not the actual first salute rendered as an officer?
Or is "first salute" just metaphorical, and not the actual first salute rendered as an officer?
Officers
Commission
2d Lt
Posted 5 y ago
Responses: 23
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(Join to see) It's usually a part of the ceremony where you return your first salute to one of the NCOs that trained you or to someone that is an NCO that mentored you. I had four. One for our primary NCO trainer in my ROTC BN. The other three were my Dad and two uncles, Non Commissioned Officers from the 1960s that helped me develop.
You should never approach a situation based on avoidance unless it's a contagious disease, NBC, or a minefield.
You should never approach a situation based on avoidance unless it's a contagious disease, NBC, or a minefield.
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LTC Jason Mackay
(Join to see) - you've got a lot of ground to cover before then. Focus on some 50 and 100m targets first. Good Luck. https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/new-officers-listen-up
New Officers, Listen Up. | RallyPoint
As a newly Commissioned Officer, or as a Cadet aspiring to become an Officer, you may be asking yourself many questions as you get closer to leading your first Platoon. How will I rise to the challenge? How should I “come in”? The first thing you need to adjust is your mindset. Unless you have prior enlisted experience, you have to adjust to the fact that you will not be leading peer Cadets. Cadets are great and wonderful people. They are...
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SFC Terry Wilcox
LTC Jason Mackay - I had what we called a "Butter Bar" arrive in my unit in Korea. I was the Dining Facility Manager (commonly known as the Mess Sergeant). Having just won the 2nd ID's Best Dinging Facility Award for the second Quarter - this young officer walked in flashing his brand new bar announcing HE WAS IN CHARGE! I reported politely and professionally and corrected him - No Sir - I'm in charge - I need you to sign forms and pull inspections and that's it - SIR! He stormed out to the First Sergeant - who announced him to the Captain - who in turn told him to sign forms I give him - pull a few inspections and LEAVE THE MESS SERGEANT ALONE! The first and last time we had a mis-understanding. I took him through MY Dining Facility - explained how we managed to keep our sanitation to such a high degree - Explained how the menu and budget was managed - how I managed to keep my field equipment at such a high degree of maintenance and readiness. My subordinates thought I was crazy for educating the Lieutenant to such a degree - I told them I need to have someone know enough to keep me on my toes - It helped me earn the Best Dining Facility for all of Korea and be nominated for the Connelly Award - And my SFC Stripe. I was due to rotate back to CONUS and declined staying for the Connelly Competition - My wife was having trouble with our 4 sons on Fort Hood, Texas - I had to go home. Cool story though - The LT and I managed to work well together, all WE needed was to have Respect for each other's responsibilities and skills.
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CPT (Join to see)
Folks don't realize your subordinates will give you all the rope you need to hang yourself, and before you go pissing them off you better have a plan to do their job for them, or replace them.
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I was an E-4 that direct commissioned at the LA recruiting office on Wilshire. Didn't have a uniform. I went to the base at Long Beach and got a set of khakis. So my first salute was going aboard my tin can there, giving the PO of the watch a salute, and then handed him a dollar. At that point, they thought I was nuts wearing that uniform until I showed them some paperwork. I had to clear the ship over the weekend while we were underway. Since I was considered unclean by the O's, I was stashed in the Chief's quarters. I went to stand my usual watch and remember saying just because I changed rank doesn't mean I don't know how to stand my watch. Yes, it was awkward, but also funny. We all had some good laughs. I was allowed to eat in the Wardroom. The XO was pretty interested in my path to O-1. Others listened because you don't interrupt the XO.
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SFC Terry Wilcox
Good story Sir! I knew a Major in the Army that was being Rifted To E-5. He had the choice of getting out with a cash award, or stay in, at the reduced rank of E-5. He asked me to get out of the Army and we could run a bakery/coffee shop in Florida. I had 11 years active Army and respectfully declined his offer. I would imagine it's a bit easier to go from enlisted to commissioned officer than the opposite.
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LTC (Join to see)
SFC Terry Wilcox - I had an E4 in my platoon who had been a CPT in the Air Force. He got RIFed after 16 years on active duty and joined the Army guard to do 4 more years to get a retirement. Did his time and retired as a CPT.
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SFC Terry Wilcox
LTC (Join to see) - I had the option to make CWO-2 from SSG - told even if I was returned to the enlisted ranks I would retire as the CWO-2 after having held that rank for merely 72 hours, Problem is, there was a stigma for the food service warrant field. SP/5's and SSG's that could not get promoted - they became CWO's. Not sure what it is today - but way back then an E-7 with 22 years got more retirement pay than a CWO-2... So I turned down the honor of the CWO rank.
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LTC (Join to see)
SFC Terry Wilcox - today a CW2 would get more retirement than an E7, assuming same TIS
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It is traditional.
As a First Sergeant, I was invited (along with my CO, another Master Sergeant and a retired First Sergeant, to the commissioning ceremony of a very good friend and former Technical Sergeant. I was afforded the opportunity to go out on the parade deck and offer the first salute to him as an officer.
A memory that I treasure, and a Silver Dollar that he surrendered sits in a place of honor amongst the coin collection.
As a First Sergeant, I was invited (along with my CO, another Master Sergeant and a retired First Sergeant, to the commissioning ceremony of a very good friend and former Technical Sergeant. I was afforded the opportunity to go out on the parade deck and offer the first salute to him as an officer.
A memory that I treasure, and a Silver Dollar that he surrendered sits in a place of honor amongst the coin collection.
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In 1968, as a PVT in AIT at Rucker I saluted a blue-tagged car one afternoon. It screeched to a halt, 2 brand-new Warrant Officers jumped out, returned my salute and each handed me a dollar.
Freaked me out.
The 2 new Warrants were riding back to their billets - with a TAC officer - (there's the blue tag) - following graduation.
Freaked me out.
The 2 new Warrants were riding back to their billets - with a TAC officer - (there's the blue tag) - following graduation.
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As a mustang officer my first salute went to an AF E-8 whom I could tell was not overly crazy about saluting a 2nd Lt. As he approached and the salute was rendered I stopped him and explained what the first salute meant, and being a mustang officer I was especially glad it was with a senior NCO. I could tell his back stiffened more upright and his second salute as we parted ways was sharp and crisp. Random act but highly memorable; a silver dollar well spent!
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Schedule the ceremony. If you don't, give your first salute to the first Service Member that salutes you. Mine was a gate guard at Fort Sill. He appeared happy to receive the coin recognizing my first salute, at least.
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It was coordinated before hand at my ROTC battalion. Each cadet was brought on stage and pinned. Then the identified enlisted (former or current) member came up and rendered the salute. My first salute was my brother, an active duty SGT. The silver coin I presented him had both of our names and ranks engraved on it.
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It's part of the commissioning ceremony. You get your bars pinned on and your saluter is on standby to the side. In most of the ceremonies I've been to, the new LT will briefly introduce the enlisted man, NCO, or retiree who will be rendering the salute.
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The first salute is usually rendered at the commissioning ceremony by the senior enlisted instructor/cadre at whatever method you attended to commission (OCS/ROTC etc...) so yeah it might be an old custom but it is nowhere in any regulation so if you want to give a silver dollar to some random enlisted man who has no idea how long you have been an officer than you ahead but it’s incredibly disrespectful to duck and dodge a salute from anyone unless you’re a warrant officer... then it’s our duty to do so lol
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(Join to see)
The (/s) stands for “sarcasm,” sorry for the misunderstanding! I understand the mutual respect in rendering a salute, I wouldn’t dodge one.
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When myself and other CID Agents in my class were preparing for our warrant officer pinning ceremony we went to every bank in the Ft. McClellan area and none had silver dollars. We ended up folding dollar bills to look somewhat like a police badge. As we exited the building, there were two enlisted CID Agents who knew about the ceremony were standing outside, in uniform, and ambushed us all.
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The 6 Ps. Prior planning prevents p*** poor performance. In a commissioning for just one (or a few) new officer(s), the person who is supposed to be getting the first salute should be integrated into the ceremony. At mine, my father was standing to my right, and the moment my mother and commissioning officer finished pinning me and I put on my new cover, he saluted me and congratulated me on my promotion.
For larger ceremonies, the people planning it should be careful to make sure that access to the venue is limited in a way that prevents Private Bagadonuts from crashing in and cashing in at the end of the ceremony.
For larger ceremonies, the people planning it should be careful to make sure that access to the venue is limited in a way that prevents Private Bagadonuts from crashing in and cashing in at the end of the ceremony.
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My first salute was to the MP at the gate to post...yippee....come to think of it that's the only place I've gotten it so far.....
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You misunderstand the tradition. The tradition is for the newly commissioned officer to give a silver dollar to the first enlisted who renders him a salute. The officer returns the salute, not gives it. In my case it was Gunnery Sergeant John Hal Mentzer III, my de facto mentor, on 9 June 1965.
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In my experience, the cadet invites a NCO they respect to attend the commissioning ceremony. The NCO stands in front of the cadet as they are pinned and salutes immediately. Thats how it went for one of my cadets
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You don't avoid saluting anyone who salutes you, or would salute you. It would be disrespectful, at least.
The "first" salute is figurative. If you are saving that coin in your pocket for a special NCO, then be courteous to all, follow the regs, and arrange to see that NCO as soon as you can.
The "first" salute is figurative. If you are saving that coin in your pocket for a special NCO, then be courteous to all, follow the regs, and arrange to see that NCO as soon as you can.
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It was a long time ago (1980), but for my friends and I it was pre arranged for our chosen NCO to be standing outside the door of the building. I was very pleased to receive and return my first salute to MSG DeFreign (it's been so long I may have spelled has last name wrong) who was the Special Forces NCO at our ROTC Detachment at Brigham Young University.
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Ceremonies as many point out.
Mine was actually "random". USAR direct commission. No ceremony just an e-mail to my mil mail with finalized commissioning orders. Pulled my uniform out of the closet and Velcro'd on my new rank.
In my pocket was an Eisenhower silver dollar from the year I was born and given to the first soldier I happened upon at my new unit. Which I think would be kind of cool on the receiving end. No one expects it.
My first salute was from a SGM during an exercise in S Korea. It was dark, I was 39, and a SPC. So given my age the shield could look like black oak leaves. When is hand reached the rim of his hat before he brought it down he said ah FUUUUUUUU................
Mine was actually "random". USAR direct commission. No ceremony just an e-mail to my mil mail with finalized commissioning orders. Pulled my uniform out of the closet and Velcro'd on my new rank.
In my pocket was an Eisenhower silver dollar from the year I was born and given to the first soldier I happened upon at my new unit. Which I think would be kind of cool on the receiving end. No one expects it.
My first salute was from a SGM during an exercise in S Korea. It was dark, I was 39, and a SPC. So given my age the shield could look like black oak leaves. When is hand reached the rim of his hat before he brought it down he said ah FUUUUUUUU................
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