Posted on Nov 3, 2013
CPT Senior Instructor
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I have been dealing with this a lot. I have seen both ways. As per AR 600–25 the junior person should salute. I see a 1LT senior to a 2LT and I salute them. I have seen many instances where this does not happen. Most see a LT as a LT regardless of being a 1st or 2nd. How do you all feel about this?

"B. All Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled to the salute. Salutes will be exchanged between officers (commissioned and warrant) and enlisted personnel, and with personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States..."
Edited >1 y ago
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2LT Asst. S2
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I've been told on frequent occasions by some 1LTs to not salute them because "We are both Lts". Makes no sense to me...an O2 is senior to a O1, so why wouldn't I salute them or render respect to them? The regulation is the regulation...not to mention it is common sense to show proper respect to someone who is senior to you. I am not sure where the idea of not saluting a senior LT came from, but it makes no sense to me. You can't be wrong showing respect, but you can be wrong by not showing respect. Too easy.
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CPT Senior Instructor
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11 y
This is very much the case. You can't go wrong by doing whats right.
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SSgt Kevin Hopkins
SSgt Kevin Hopkins
11 y
at this point do we really need a regulation to show respect? this is just beating a dead horse
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CW2 Ernest Krutzsch
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Is a 2nd Lieutenant really an officer....Discuss :-)
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TSgt 100% Va Disabled
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Edited 11 y ago
It bothers me that a question like this would ever arise. The military is built off of the need to function as one "well oiled" unit. We "all" were brought up in our services to honor and respect the traditions of our services and the US military, as a whole. The salute is rendered from the enlisted to the officer and all junior officers "should be" expected to render to his/her senior officer.

One legend has it that today’s military salute descended from the medieval knight's gesture of raising his visor to reveal his identity as a courtesy on the approach of a superior. From earliest times and in many distant armies throughout history, the right hand (or "weapon hand") has been raised as a greeting of friendship. The idea may have been to show that you weren't ready to use a rock or other weapon. The following explanation of the origin of the hand salute is perhaps closest to the truth: It was a long-established military custom for juniors to remove their headgear in the presence of superiors. In the British Army as late as the American Revolution a soldier saluted bv removing his hat. But with the advent of more cumbersome headgear in the 18th and 19th centuries, the act of removing one’s hat was gradually converted into the simpler gesture of grasping the visor, and issuing a courteous salutation. From there it finally became conventionalized into something resembling our modern hand salute. While, some historians believe it began in late Roman times when assassinations were common. A citizen who wanted to see a public official had to approach with his right hand raised to show that he did not hold a weapon.

Military personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled (by grade) to a salute except when it is inappropriate or impractical (in public conveyances such as planes and buses, in public places such as inside theaters, or when driving a vehicle).

Persons Entitled to a Salute

The President of the United States (Commander-in-Chief)
Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers
Any Medal of Honor Recipient
Officers of Friendly Foreign Countries

A salute is also rendered:

When the United States National Anthem, "To the Color," "Hail to the Chief," or foreign national anthems are played.
To uncased National Color outdoors.
On ceremonial occasions (such as Change of Command, and Military Parades).
At reveille and retreat ceremonies, during the raising or lowering of the flag.
During the sounding of honors.
When the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. flag is being recited outdoors.
When turning over control of formations.
When rendering reports.

Like I indicated, we are a military long steeped in our traditions, lets not change it for something that need not be.

(And yes, I copied and pasted)
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TSgt 100% Va Disabled
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By the way, when in uniform, out and about, when a child has rendered me a salute, I have return it. As I am bound to my military training and honor to return a salute I am given: it shows we honor our traditions.
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CPT Senior Instructor
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True however there is a deeper sense in this. The regulation vs the unofficial custom. I have never found a 1LT that has corrected a 2LT. Nor have I corrected a 2LT for not saluting me. If I were in a superior position such as an CO, or maybe a XO, that might impact the situation.
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SMSgt Tony Rita
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Adorable question... I have nothing for this one...
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SGT Paul Oetinger
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Absolutely! A salute is to be rendered by all subordinate ranking officers as well as all enlisted to all officers. I took great pride in informing all officers that my salute was a respect to their rank and that it required a salute in return.
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BLUF: Yes, if you are out ranked, you render the officer a salute. Now...if you're all PLs together, or in the same staff section, the LT mafia should kick in, and you all should be on good terms. Just remember, whenever you are not in your own home (unit, base) you should play by the regs and go from there.
CPT Senior Instructor
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This will never die. This is the proverbial egg v. chicken question of RP.
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COL Randall C.
COL Randall C.
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SFC Wayman - you didn't realize this was all some sort of MISO? :)
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SFC Network Engineer
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COL Randall C. MISO? WTH is that? Some sort of soup right? :)
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COL Randall C.
COL Randall C.
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SFC (Join to see) Yeah ... it's a mismash of feel good spices (or feel bad...) thrown into an information environment :)
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LTC Thomas Cunningham
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Yes
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CPT Senior Instructor
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Sure, Sir.
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SSG Omt Ncoic
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It is the right thing to do. Similar to standing at parade rest for an NCO that is senior to you. Personally, I stand at parade rest for a SSG that is my PLT SGT, until they say i don't have to. It's proper respect for the position and i definately stand at parade rest for any NCO SFC or above. So, yes. A 2LT should salute a 1LT.
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CWO2 B. Sean Fairburn
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In my Experience as a CWO there are 2 unwritten rules:
1) Once in the morning and once in the evening
2) single bars do not salute single bars unless they are directly your superior.

When troops are around refer to the regs.
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SFC Michael W.
SFC Michael W.
11 y
Sorry sir, but unless the bars you're referring to serves alcohol then they should "set the example" to follow...no exceptions. :)

Regs are not set on a schedule which you can decide when to follow or enforce them, they are in effect 24/7 until superceded or terminated. If not, then what's the point of having them?
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CW3 Ian Mains
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I regret ever having responded to this post in the first place.
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1SG Company First Sergeant
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but you've added meaning that is not there. It does not say any person will salute anyone in a higher grade.

MAJ Carl Ballinger I paraphrased to get my point across of what I the reader understands from reading it. But what it does say and this is an exact cut and paste job

Army personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled (by grade) to a salute.
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1SG Company First Sergeant
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But yet you are arguing the point MAJ Carl Ballinger I have even witnessed where you called someone ignorant on this thread because of their opinion (as you like to call it). You will never have 100% of the Army to agree with you Sir and neither will I.
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1SG Company First Sergeant
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Sir, Regulations are known for not being the best written. You know as well as I do that if one officer outranks the other (by grade[as written in the TC]) then they salute. The lower grade salutes the higher. By your opinion of what the reg really means, is saying that you (as MAJ Ballinger) doesn't have to Salute a LTC (one grade higher). Good luck with that mode of thinking Sir! And if that is not your mode of thinking then please explain how it differs from the LT scenario (one grade higher)

As with everything in the Army, regulations can't be written to capture every single little thing, and leaders are supposed to be there to provide clear guidance to their subordinates, when the regulation is not clear to them. So let's quit playing with the poorly written manual, and submit a change to the manual or let's do as we were all taught and salute officers that are senior to us.
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MSG(P) Michael Warrick
MSG(P) Michael Warrick
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Why is saluting so hard to understand folks ?
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