Should a 2LT salute a 1LT?

Of course they should salute.

Yes. It's all about rendering courtesy and respect to those senior to you.

This was an epic discussion topic within the Warrant Officer Corps a few years ago, the bottom line was this, a W1 will salute a CW2, CW3, C4, and a CW5.

A 2LT has always seems to have lot to prove in a short amount of time to many. In my experience thus far, Ive yet to see a rank get more abuse than a 2LT. The last thing I would want, is to paint an additional target on myself for not rendering the proper military customs and courtesy's. When in doubt its easier to apologize for saluting someone, than to apologize for not saluting someone.

Proper customs and courtesies must be followed. Period. A 2LT should salute a 1LT. A SGT should stand at parade rest when speaking with a SSG. These actions/traditions are time honored and have more meaning than just respecting a superior. They will instill discipline in the force as a whole if properly executed and enforced.

I do believe that in saying an LT is an LT is completely misguided because their pay grades say 0-1 and 0-2 which is not the same but in that comment that was made they are basically saying that a specialist shouldnt satand at parade rest for a corporal (both are E-4) or that a Master Seargent shouldnt stand at parade rest for First Seargent(both are E-8) or even a Seargent Major shouldnt stand at parade rest for a Command Seargent Major(both are E-9). Im just saying what message are pushing out to soldiers who are looking at 2LTs not saluting 1LTs but then the statement that the Army isnt like it used to be keeps coming up and we wonder why...

Hell, yes, that 1LT earned his rank. We tended not to mention it if it didn't happen in casual situations so long as it was done when appropriate like when the brass was around.

The exact verbiage of the regulation was in the OP so we’ll skip ahead to where AR 600-25 addresses Commander’s Discretion where it states, in Paragraph 1-3.(g.) that "Local commanders will carefully review saluting policies for their installations. Where considered desirable in their judgment, they will develop and publish modified saluting policies for congested, student, or high density living areas where saluting would be highly repetitious or otherwise infeasible."


I'm not sure where the confusion arises. Not only is it spelled out in black and white, but I find it difficult for me to believe that a Commander could possibly interpret the words “congested, student, or high density living areas where saluting would be repetitious or otherwise infeasible” to mean that junior officers in the grade of 2nd/1st Lieutenant need not salute each other. It’s not like they’re crawling around everywhere where it would be “highly repetitious or otherwise infeasible.”


Now onto the subject of "tradition." (defined as “a long-established custom or belief that has been passed on.”) This can be rooted in history and be heavily documented or can start simply as an accepted practice. As in "If you fail to correct a deficiency you just established the new standard."


I obviously can't speak from an officer’s POV, but after nearly 20 years Active Duty and my most recent experience working as the Operations NCO in a BDE S3 shop that has been officer heavy for the past 3 years, I see that the officer and enlisted worlds can be, at times, quite different. With that being said, it appears now that it is "tradition" for officers to not salute their peers and subordinates, to address those same peers and subordinates by their first names, and stand around with their hands in their pockets...things that really grind my gears but when corrected by an NCO, they get scowls, dirty looks, and get talked down to like we’re imbeciles or being disrespectful when they make these on the spot corrections like we were charged to do when inducted into the NCO Corps.
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"I will discharge carefully and diligently the duties of the grade to which I have been promoted and uphold the traditions and standards of the Army. I understand that soldiers of lesser rank are required to obey my lawful orders. Accordingly, I accept responsibility for their actions. As a noncommissioned officer, I accept the charge to observe and follow the orders and directions given by supervisors acting according to the laws, articles and rules governing the discipline of the Army, I will correct conditions detrimental to the readiness thereof. In so doing, I will fulfill my greatest obligation as a leader and thereby confirm my status as a noncommissioned officer."


I guess in the name of “tradition” we will continue to confuse our new and junior Soldiers by presenting two standards with the same excuse I was always given...”that’s just the way it is.”

Absolutely. 2LTs need to set a standard of responsibility for the younger enlisted soldiers. If an E-5 with multiple deployments and several awards has to salute you, you better damn-well be saluting your superiors too.

Does a 1sg stand at parade rest for a sgm/csm? My point exactly if you don't want to salute don't join the army because unless youre a civilian your gonna salute somebody either higher or lesser in real than you point blank period

LT, I don't understand your question. Is the confusion because you both have a single bar, although one is gold and the other is silver? If that's the case, then does a major need to salute a lieutenant colonel? They are both oak leaf clusters... or is the question one of proximity; you don't have to salute the guy with the next closest rank to your own... Yeah, I'm being sarcastic. Hell yes Lieutenant, and as much as it might have pained me to do it on occasion, I always saluted the lieutenants I came across, knowing full well, as someone else mentioned that if based on experience, they should be saluting me. I rendered a proper salute to the lieutenant (1st or 2nd), not because he necessarily deserved it, but because I was trained properly to show respect to those in a position and of a rank higher than mine. You as a 2LT should be showing respect to the 1LT and correcting those individuals (2LT or lower) who are failing to render a salute. My point, LT is that this question shouldn't have even needed to be asked. Now that I have given you an on-the-spot correction, I salute you, Sir!