Sniper check: why do we salute in combat zones?

I personally think the practice is incredibly stupid and the idea of someone with an overinflated sense of self importance. I understand the purpose of showing respect but there has to be some common sense applied while in theater.

It's the only exercise officers get while stationed at Bagram.

In early 2003, our SCO came out to check on us and I greeted him at the Blackhawk and just told him that I directed that none of my troops were to salute him. He thanked me. But fast forward a decade and cue the FOB life.....

friend of mine served in Vietnam new 2nd lt demanded a salute from him, he stepped back 2 feet rendered the salute, you can guess what happened next

Saluting in the field at all was a no-no. Greeting of the day, yes, saluting no. Hell, we generally didn't wear rank. You knew everyone you interacted with. There's a reason the CO has his picture plastered on the wall.

Color-coded PT belts at Bagram; junior enlisted, NCOs, Senior NCOs, Company and Field Grade and General officers all were supposed to have differently colored PT belts...when it was realized that this was untenable, they decided enlisted/officer. When someone finally decided that this was still Afghanistan, the entire plan was shelved.

But we still burned intellectual capital to get to the right decision.

Who thinks this stuff up?

I think it started with a 2nd Lt who was upset that he was not being promoted quick enough, one night he was struck with the thought of saluting his superiors while in a combat zone in order to get them killed. Walk the front line, salute someone, give enemy a target, bang, possibly get promoted and take his position. Rinse and repeat. 4 star in no time! Brilliant!

Anyone who allows souldier said to salute them in a Combat area is NUTSHELL! YouRe saying to Enemy Snipers " Shoot him! He's an officer and leader!

Only place I ran into trouble with this was on the Super Fobs like KAF. Which while yes, these super fobs were in fact in country, but a far disconnect from being forward deployed. I even encounter one capt who had came yelling at me after I failed to render a salute (not out of disrespect but force of habit from where I was)
Some were not so bad, a O5 on a separate occasion pulled myself and a buddy aside and said "I know this shit is stupid, but we gotta do it". Pretty sure he could tell from looking at us we were not native to KAF.

Because they ran the big FOBs as stateside bases and not combat zones. I can only imagine how many of these people would of lasted two seconds in Vietnam. We also used our MP's to issue tickets to SMs not wearing their PT belts..