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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PO2 Hank Kaczmarek
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On this day 43 years ago I went through my first day at Recruit Training Great Lakes, IL.
In my time, You'd gotten a LOT more shit. At my first non-training command I worked in Security while waiting for a school on the NRMC Portsmouth campus.
The Security Officer LT/MSC was a Grunt Corpsman in Vietnam, and when walking around had no issues of pulling exposed gold chains and ear-rings off Corpsmen. Had a Jewelry box full of that stuff. I think if someone had passed HIM without a Salute, I think he would have just bitch slapped them into the ground.
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SPC Fred Scholl
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The Major was wrong and you were not aggressive. I would like to know what the PFC gave as a reason for not rendering a sharp salute.
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CAPT Surface Warfare Officer
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Immediate, direct, and to the point, off to the side if possible, with no yelling or drama. Keep emotion out of it. That said, this is grown-folks business, and hurt feelings don't matter.
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SSgt Derick Brock
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Edited >1 y ago
Years ago I participated in a joint service exercise. I am USAF and the CG was Army. For my job I often wore civilian clothes. One day I passed the CG and did not salute as I was in civvies. An Army Major in his group pulled me aside (which I aprecciated) and then jumped all over me about it and after a rather colorful tirade ended with this thought which has never left me- He's a General in the US Army. After all that he has done to work up to that rank I should think that his service to his country alone deserves at least the respect shown by a simple salute. This Major was not overly concerned with my feelings, and he was quite aggressive. And he was 100% correct. Don't go soft on the young troops, teach them well and they will serve well.
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PO1 Charles Babcock
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from my personal experience, it depended on the officer's reaction. If the O started to blow his top, the junior in the group should pretty much snatch the enlisted aside and get him/her away from the officer in question. THEN you correct the attitude in whatever manner might be proper. If the Officer generally ignores it, I would say something like, "excuse me sir, i'll be back in a minute" then bend the offender's ear in a reasonably polite manner to find out what his/her problem is. Jumping on the offenders shit right there in an aggressive manner is almost NEVER the proper response.
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PO2 Richard Blakey
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nuts cover your ass at all time
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Sgt Barry Fetzer
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I, was a Marine E5, one morning in formation the Captain, informed the troops, we did not e to salute all day long, a new order handed down from Hdqs, directed if we fall out for formation in the morning, and saluted the Commanding Officer it was a given we did not have to salute all day long, that order was sufficient, two days later a 2nd LT leaving the mess hall reprimanded me for not saluting? So if in doubt salute.
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MSgt Peter Vatistas
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If they aren't one of YOUR troops, a simple "PFC, the custom dictates to salute officers" would have been in order (in a professional non aggressive tone). If she was one of your troops, same words but follow up with a verbal counseling in private at another time.

The counseling that I always used was a 5 minute explanation of the heraldry behind the origin of the military salute and an explanation that you are committing to a custom to pay homage to this ancient custom by saluting the rank. Then I had them sign a memo for record, which I kept in a small pocket notebook that everyone knew that i kept, and would never show up anyplace else.
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MAJ Karen Shive
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I’ve saulted first. There’s confusion over where non salute zones end especially at that rank. I forgot to return a salute on commissioning day. That was embarrassing.
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LCpl Cody Collins
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You have to remember, he's a Army Major. In boot camp they train their soldiers by being mentors and not drill instructors. His response to U demonstrates exactly what I'm talking about. I bet if the navy lieutenant would have had the chance he or she would dressed him down like no tomorrow. Are you could have excused herself a few minutes from the presence of the officers and pull that PFC off to the side and gave them a Stern warning about military code of conduct and showing a proper respect to officers.
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PO2 Hank Kaczmarek
PO2 Hank Kaczmarek
>1 y
Semper Fi Mac!
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