Posted on Dec 14, 2018
SPC Practical/Vocational Nursing
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I was walking with a Navy LT and an Army Maj. (My hospital has both services) from the USO across the street to the hospital and a PFC passed and didn’t salute. I stopped and asked her, “Do enlisted soldiers not salute officers anymore?” The Maj. with me said I didn’t have to be so aggressive about it. What’s a better way of addressing it without coming off as aggressive?
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SGT Supply Sergeant (S4)
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Tactful but straightforward.
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Sgt Dan Catlin
Sgt Dan Catlin
6 y
Concise!
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SSgt James Whetstone
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I was a ssgt and my wife's cousin was a LT. We met each other in a parking lot in front of base hq and didn't exchange salutes. A bird Colonel proceeded to rip us a new one and impressed us that the salutes were for rendering respect for the uniform and not necessarily the individual wearing it. Never forgot that educational moment. We were in the wrong. If the private can't accept that as a man perhaps he's in the wrong profession.
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SSG Eric Blue
SSG Eric Blue
6 y
I dig it. In uniform, totally. Out of uniform, NOPE! I have plenty of friends who are commissioned or warrants and we were friends long before the rank. I still rendered the proper respect their rank afforded when we were in uniform. Out of uniform, we were normal people. Especially if they were coming to my class!
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PO3 Donald Murphy
PO3 Donald Murphy
6 y
The question is not so much who was right and who was wrong. The question was "who" is responsible for doing it? If I was an officer and failed to catch someone, I'd be embarrassed as hell for you (enlisted) to immediately start doing my job for me. And that would get you a bigger ass-chewing from me. There were many times I'd be walking with an officer and someone wouldn't salute them for whatever reason. Many times the officer would jump over and make the necessary correction. Sometimes not. Not my problem, right?
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SGT Jeffrey Sygman
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It should be done immediately. Especially if you are certain the enlisted soldier intentionally avoided it. Aggressive or non aggressive is just style. The importance is correcting the problem and making the soldier aware of their surroundings.
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PO1 Donald Hammond
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Of course this just happened. I saluted (as a civilian) a soldier I know was injured in Afghanistan. A few minutes later an Air Force officer told me civilians don't salute military. He is lucky I was in a hurry to go home. I have every freaking 1st amendment right to show my respect for a member of our military by saluting him/her.
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Cpl Geoff Smith
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You were right, the soldier was corrected very tactfully, the way it should be done.
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1LT Rich Voss
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I guess I'd start off by asking if this hospital environment and the nearby USO has a "lax" attitude toward saluting, in general. And secondly, if this Major and Lieutenant were medical officers. My experience, way back in the late 60's, was that our BN surgeon (a top-notch neurosurgeon that was DRAFTED), could "give a crap" about military policy and procedures. He often did not return salutes or gave a sort-of "wave". Why he was only an Army CPT is knowledge held only by the Army. I also experienced, as a brand new "Butter Bar" in that same unit, our Company TOP that walked into the platoon leaders room and told the three of us "Newbies" that he was absolutely NOT going to salute us, unless we had the gonads to go out back of the barracks with him and win a fist-fight. LOL ! With him being a crusty old Viet Nam vet, we all figured he knew some real "dirty" fighting, so no one took him up on it. Within a month or so we apparently passed whatever test he had for us and he started saluting us. Perhaps one of my fellow 2LTs complained to our CO, or further up the chain. I never found out, nor particularly cared.... However, I NEVER tolerated a non-salute from any other enlisted man, as I had been drafted and worked my way through to E5 then OCS. It's a fairly simple rule, respect the rank. Even as a 2LT we always saluted the 1LTs. They often laughed about it, as we all had the same jobs !
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LCDR Robert S.
LCDR Robert S.
>1 y
When I left the fleet to go to NROTC, there was a guy (who wasn't one of my close friends) who said to me, "If I meet you later, I'm not going to salute you." I pointed out that, of course, he wouldn't because he's my buddy. And since he's my buddy, I would, naturally, be calling him by his first name, maybe even by a stupid nickname, even if he'd become an LPO or Chief by then and I was talking to him in front of his junior sailors. He then said, "On second thought, Bob, I guess I'll salute you and call you sir." You probably could have done something similar.
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MSgt Walter Clack
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You were very passive aggressive in this humble Marine's opinion. I would have locked that young PFC up and in no uncertain terms explained that it was NOT acceptable to simply ignore not one but two Officers. Then after letting the PFC go on their merry way would have addressed the Major's lack of concern for improper discipline. Semper Fi
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Sgt Dan Catlin
Sgt Dan Catlin
6 y
I'd have waited for the officer to say something about why I requested leave (excused myself) and had an obviously formal discussion with the young serviceman. After he breached the subject, unless of course he was correcting me, then I'd VERY TACTFULLY explain protocol and proper discipline and why it was necessary. A MSgt probably can take more leave with officers. A Sgt still has to watch just how much leave he takes!
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MSgt Walter Clack
MSgt Walter Clack
6 y
Sgt Catlin you are probably right about addressing the issue with the Major. lol
Semper Fi Devil Dog
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SCPO Morris Ramsey
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Just do it!
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MAJ Deputy S1
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I had this happen when I was newly commissioned. But I also remember being a JR Enlisted. Any rank above SPC scared the crap out of me. It's part of the autonomic fight, flight or freeze mechanism we all have ( some people just don't freeze). You can tell by the look in their eyes and body language.

Best way to respond, IMHO, is to approach the Soldier and give instruction. Don't berate the Soldier, just be a gentleman (or lady) and instruct and professionally correct. Employ the "see one, do one, teach one" aspect of the educational process. Remind the Soldier of proper etiquette and ensure they know that etiquette through the lesson.

It's always better to guide and teach with sugar than with salt. If there is an NCO nearby, let the NCO address the situation. If the NCO does not, shame on that NCO. If they address it, I trust they will address it appropristely.
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Brad Powers
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How are America's young military service members supposed to get the mental toughness and savvy needed in order to overcome real adversity if they are considered to be too sensitive for accountability. I am just a civilian and this may sound weird this may sound for all I know but there are many reasons why I really want to serve my country. And what them is the feeling you get when you're involved with good positive teamwork. I would be proud to salute the U.S. Military uniform it is exactly the kind of stuff that just motivates me.
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Sgt Field Radio Operator
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Brad Powers Brad, have you talked to any recruiters about enlisting?
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Brad Powers
Brad Powers
6 y
Sgt (Join to see) i have Sgt though i would need at least an age waiver. The responses have all been "thank you for your interest and support but we are not processing age waivers and have not done so for a long time". I do not think i will be good for U.S. Military Service, i know i will be if given a chance.
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Sgt Dan Catlin
Sgt Dan Catlin
6 y
Brad Powers - You are young, and have your whole life ahead in which to serve. However it is never too soon to prepare! Get in shape, then get in better shape. I was a distance runner, and that more than anything helped me when humping ammo boxes at the double time up the hills at San Onafre in BITS (infantry training which all Marines went through, and most certainly still do). Turn out for sports like wrestling, or learn to box. And go back to those recruiters and get any advice and any information they can give you. And finish high school with good grades. Figure out which branch you want, and bug those recruiters so much the day after you graduate they will have everything ready for your signature! I wish you fair winds and following seas!
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Brad Powers
Brad Powers
6 y
Sgt Dan Catlin Sgt. Dan Catlin, thank you for the encouraging words as well as for your Love for America and courageous service to her sustain. Understood Sir.
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SGT Robert Andrews
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To address the situation and correct the standard. Just have a simple conversation with the PFC about paying attention to the people around him and keeping head on a swivel. If he didn't identify an officer in a normal setting what will he miss in combat?
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SPC John Smith
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A little bit of information is missing. Was the soldier in uniform? was the soldier burdened with her hands full? If either of those, a salute was not mandatory. Aside from that, private counseling is preferred by most in leadership. When treated as a learning experience and not a power trip, the lesson is more likely to be understood and respected.
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SPC Practical/Vocational Nursing
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>1 y
The soldier was in uniform and her hands were not full.
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CPT Special Forces Officer
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In the absence of detail, assume that everything else would have indicated that a salute was appropriate. Why would it even be an issue if the situation was otherwise?
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SFC Professional Business Owner
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Back in the day....
I would pull the soldier aside and in a low voice explain that there is only ONE thing in the world that an enlisted person can make an officer do - and that is to return my salute. "By God," I would say, "they wanted to be an officer, and I'm gonna remind them that they have to return my salute!" That would usually bring a spark to the eye and action to the right arm.
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MG Stephen Hogan
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It is an embarrassing situation for everyone involved, and has happened to me,-both ways- and I have been embarrassed- both ways. I'd say that the Major's comment was based upon the fact that he was embarrassed, but ultimately I think you did the right thing. When this happens to me, I don't wait, and pop the salute first- watch the kid jump. Strong method to make the point. Quick, too.
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SPC Practical/Vocational Nursing
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>1 y
Sir, do people really miss the two stars on your chest?
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LCpl Michael Cappello
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You were absolutely correct. I once made the same mistake. I was asked by the offended officer if he didn't rate a salute, a "By your leave sir", or at least a F%$K YOU. I immediately snapped to, rendered a salute, and apologized. We are ALL FNG's at one time.
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SFC Oddie Brown
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I know how I would handle it but that is not important. I will leave this here. I had a CSM one time talk about the importance of police call. He said every time you walk by a piece of trash and don't pick it up, you just set a new standard. Letting a soldier walk by an officer and he is not corrected, before long that courtesy will be gone. On the spot correction, butt hurt feelings be damned.
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CW3 Chris Rossignoll
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You were in the right. Being aggressive in the correction will bring awareness of the soldiers surroundings to their attention and it may help them focus on “attention to details”. I have read several of the postings for this and it seems to be a trend. The enlisted and Warrants agree with the aggressiveness but many officers preferred the softer, less aggressive approach. This was both a military custom and courtesy but also a training situation. Today, soldiers need to be more aggressive and pay more attention to details of their surroundings more than ever before.
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LCpl Marshall Tierney
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50 years ago in the Marines, you would start with the phrase " Hey Dumbass
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PO1 Kevin Dougherty
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Reminds me of one time I was at a training facility. Some Ensign had taken it upon himself to make life hard on a few of our classmates, no idea why he singled them out, but he was constantly finding fault with their salutes, uniform, etc. Worse he was not even assigned to our school. Well after a few days we happened to spy him coming down the street in front of the schools building. We spread out so we were a long line about 15 paces apart, each saluting in turn, and of course him returning each salute.

We discovered that the road was the shortest way back to BOQ and so he passed on a regular schedule. We made it a point to be outside to greet him every time possible. Other classes caught wind and joined in the fun, with at least 50 going out of their way to salute him one day. That was the last day any of us saw him.... Problem solved.
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SPC Lorraine Pickens
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DROP & GIVE ME 50! RRRALFW!
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