Posted on May 15, 2017
How do you personally greet a superior officer outside?
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We have had some interesting discussions here about saluting. How do YOU (not by regulation, but you individually) greet a superior officer outside?
I have seen all types. I have seen individuals salute with greeting of the day or unit specific greeting, no greeting but a salute, or a drill sgt who just put his head down and walked past me.
I have seen all types. I have seen individuals salute with greeting of the day or unit specific greeting, no greeting but a salute, or a drill sgt who just put his head down and walked past me.
Saluting
Officer
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 28
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Why is this an interesting discussion? Has the military forgotten about military courtesy? When meeting a superior officer outside and in uniform, I greet him/her with a hand salute and the unit greeting. If outside my unit area it would be the standard time of day greeting and a salute. Out of uniform, I would render the appropriate greeting.
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LTC (Join to see)
SGT James Colwell just curious how the greeting of the day vs. the unit mottos rose and who uses what. Also, sad to say that some do not say anything.
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SGT James Colwell
You have to understand that I served way back in the 80's. Military courtesy was a big deal. We didn't have greetings of the day in our unit. It was simply our battalion motto. The response from unit officers would be the same. Officers visiting the unit would not necessarily know how to respond. Some would guess correctly, some not. Most would simply say carry on. Outside unit AO's, it was time of day greeting and salute. It is sad that some simply render the hand salute with no verbal greeting. That would be grounds for a butt chewing at the very least.
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I'd usually salute and greet them. Near the end of my service our new CSM changed our daily greeting to a more unit specific mandatory one. I think it was salute and "First regiment sir or mam", if I'm remembering correctly.
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I typically just gave a "Good morning/afternoon/evening, Sir/Ma'am. Occasionally, though, there were certain Platoon Leader LT's that I served under over the years that I'd greet with a hearty, "Sniper check, Sir!" (or some derivative thereof) - just to watch them roll their eyes or scoff at me & shake their head.
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SSgt Jimmy Jackson
We could get away with less formal greetings if it were a LT. by themselves that we knew. Group of officers? Hand salute and greeting of the day.
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I went with MSG (Join to see) choice when I was active duty. Now I will acknowledge anybody in uniform with a greeting.
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I have yet to encounter a "Superior" officer. Met several of higher rank than myself however. To those, I usually greeted with a crisp salute and a friendly verbal greeting of some type.
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Never used the term "Superior", but "Senior" to denote higher rank or higher precedence order. Sailors have different saluting customs than soldiers and while aboard ship or ashore. Shipboard CO's are saluted even by those senior in rank. It's possible for a Captain (O-6) to salute an E-8 if that Senior Chief was commanding officer of a patrol boat..
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When I was in the 82nd, I stuck with the simple ATW Sir/Ma'am. Outside of the 82nd, for officers I don't know, I just simply say "Sir/Ma'am!" in an acknowledging manner, while saluting. I'm usually walking around with my head in the sand, so I don't like to fumble around with the greeting time of the day (accidentally saying Good Morning, but its 1300).
For a superior NCO, since there is no salute involved, I'll go with the rhetorical question greeting of, "How are you doing 'insert rank here'". If its my CSM, they get the full greeting of the day.
For a superior NCO, since there is no salute involved, I'll go with the rhetorical question greeting of, "How are you doing 'insert rank here'". If its my CSM, they get the full greeting of the day.
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