Posted on Jun 27, 2023
Should retired officers, who are not in uniform, return a salute?
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Should retired officers, who are not in uniform, return a salute?
I see soldiers at the gate salute me when I come through, even though I present my retired ID card -- and sometimes when I show my contractor CAC. I get that it's respect to my retired rank, but only GOs retain their rank when they retire. And, since I now have a beard and am never in uniform, it feels weird returning a salute. What say you?
I see soldiers at the gate salute me when I come through, even though I present my retired ID card -- and sometimes when I show my contractor CAC. I get that it's respect to my retired rank, but only GOs retain their rank when they retire. And, since I now have a beard and am never in uniform, it feels weird returning a salute. What say you?
Saluting
Retirement
Respect
Advice
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 152
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Well, Let Me See....I May Have To Think About It...
Okay I've Thought About It Long Enough....
"Should retired officers, who are not in uniform, return a salute?"
Uh.... "Oh HELL YES"......
You've Been Saluted, Out Of Courtesy, As All Officer Are.
Return That Salute SIR, For The Exact Same Reason, "Courtesy".
We All Deserve It In Both Directions, And We Should All Respect It.
Okay I've Thought About It Long Enough....
"Should retired officers, who are not in uniform, return a salute?"
Uh.... "Oh HELL YES"......
You've Been Saluted, Out Of Courtesy, As All Officer Are.
Return That Salute SIR, For The Exact Same Reason, "Courtesy".
We All Deserve It In Both Directions, And We Should All Respect It.
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Courtesy and respect, both traits that I was never shown by the US Army. Otherwise my family would not be in the mess we are today. Reality and what should be are two very separate things. I would say stop attempting to live a fairy tale where everyone rides into the sunset happily ever after. Some of us are living the reality part.
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Yes, return the salute. Sitting in your car, standing, having grown a beard...return the salute.
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I always salute those whom I know were in the service of the country. IMO, it' a sign of respect and "brother/sisterhood" of those who at one time in their life, suited up to defend the flag and nation.
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Not true about only retired GO retain their rank. As a commissioned Ret Regular Army officer, I earned that rank and it stays with me until I salute St Peter at the I Bar in heaven. I don’t ask for, nor expect a salute, but it is given as a sign of respect and to not return it is disrespectful to the person rendering it.
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I had a now deceased sailing friend, that was a retired Marine Corps Colonel and I always greeted him with a salute, he always returned it and let me know that he apricated it.
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I was in the Army from 74-77. From 1975 until I mustered out, I was at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. The most popular TV show at the time was Mash. We had played concerts for medical officers graduating from training programs. We developed a bit of contempt for brass. Of course, an article 15 for not saluting an officer was a threat. So, we began saluting each other. After I completed my service, I continued saluting Veterans as a way of saying, "Hello". I still salute folks when I'm out and about. Especially when I visit the VA.
As for the question at hand, I don't know if it should be expected, but if I had spent 20 years in service, I would especially return salutes. But civilians have the right to make their own choices.
As for the question at hand, I don't know if it should be expected, but if I had spent 20 years in service, I would especially return salutes. But civilians have the right to make their own choices.
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Back to the basic question, should you return the salute? Of course you should! It's not a chore for a SM to salute you, it's a greeting, a sign of respect! By not saluting back you are showing disrespect. When I go through a Military gate and present my ID I am called Sergeant Major even though I retired in 2011. I always return the greeting using the SM rank back to them. If someone reaches out to shake your hand do you not reach out yours?
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I have been retired for several years now and still return a salute when I enter a military base. I do it out of courtesy and respect for the individual at the gate. My ID clearly states "Retired" and they always salute me, the least I could do is return the honor and respect.
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