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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CPO David Russell
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You did good! I would’ve lit them up, it’s the military not McDonald’s
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SP5 Ed Ehrlich
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In 1970 I was at a rear-echelon Army base in Vietnam. I was a Spec-4 (E-4). I arrived at (believe it!) a Tennis court to play tennis against a Captain in my unit. We worked alongside each other. I forgot to salute him. Without hesitation or delay he matter-of-factly reminded me to salute when approaching or passing an officer -- especially away from the "workplace". I instantly did so and learned a valuable lesson. Don't get casual. Maintain your decorum no matter what, as it's clearly important to the maintaining of military discipline at all times whether in uniform or not. Undisciplined behavior while away from the combat zone, like weak training and individual/unit discipline, erodes our readiness and must be avoided "at all costs", as they say.
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SGT Team Leader
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I think you're completely in the right battle. Although the MAJ may not have liked your style as a future NCO its your job to maintain standards and discipline. I don't see what you did as toxic leadership or a bad way of addressing it. Good work.
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CW3 Michael Bodnar
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I don't think you did anything wrong. You can ask many different ways but the bottom line is, the PFC was definitely in the wrong. I would've handled it slightly different by asking the PFC to chat off to the side. I would've asked the question about saluting and if he/she knew what the regulation was and if they could explain it to you. It also depends on whether they were looking at you all and just blatantly walking by - that would definitely change my approach.
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CW4 Craig Urban
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Hate to say it but nurses and doctors generally do not care much about customs.
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SSG Michael Davis
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Keep your head down and move on. If you are right but the seniors are wrong, very little can be gained on trivialities. If the stakes are high and the results matter, that's another story. But, at the end of the day who does or who does not salute whom really doesn't matter in the bigger scheme of things.
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CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana
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Peel away from the Major and stop the PFC. Have a direct chat with the PFC expressing her error by imparting to her the military customs & Courtesy. Have the PFC approach the MAJOR, apologize and render the proper salute with the greeting of the day. Correction of mistakes is never wrong; overlooking an error deliberately is error squared. The Major should not have interfered and allowed compliance.
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CDR Tom Davy
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Your "question" was hardly aggressive, I would say it was a mild response. As a retired Medical Service Corps officer and former Corpsman, I know that medical commands are often lax re saluting.
I also know of several medical department officers who are not "into" being saluted.
The underlying problem lies in the poor military training given to our medical personnel.
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PO2 Larry Hensch
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I walked by a Marine Captain and an Air Force Lieutenant when checking in to my "A" school fresh out of boot camp. The Captain asked me if I saluted officers, and I said yes and did so. He and I later became friends! I had all the Naval Insignia down pat, but this was a combined command. At the time every Airman or PFC looked like an officer in their dress uniforms to me, but I quickly set about learning what officers from the other services looked like!
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SFC Ron Shaffer
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This is one example why basic trainer for all services needs to go back to how it was. I retired in 2002 and am happy beyond belief that I retired when I did, because I know the things I see on Facebook and the news would be corrected right then and it wouldn’t be pleasant. I was traveling around a few Eastern European countries with a friend and saw some severely drunk and disrespectful US Navy sailors in Odessa Ukraine. I pulled them aside and let them have it. I told them that they need to remember that they are representing the USA and the way they are conducting themselves should never happen as long as they are wearing that uniform.
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PO3 Terry Miller
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I failed to salute a Marine Corps Captain when I was an E-3 because I wasn't paying attention and was only looking for a gold hatband which, of course, Marine officer uniforms don't have. I had mistaken him for a chief. He was pleasant enough and asked, "Don't sailors salute officers?" I realized my error, apologized, and gave him my smartest salute. He was satisfied and I had learned to be more observant without getting chewed out. I thought he handled that very well.
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1SG Tom Carter
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Edited 6 y ago
Although the correction was warranted, you could have handled it in a more professional manner.

What you said to the soldier was condescending. You handled it in a manner that is above your pay grade while present with Officers. From a 1SG or a CSM, in a similar situation, I would expect and respect what was said, but I believe even a SFC would have handled it differently except in front of his Platoon Leader.

A SPC, effectively speaking on behalf of the Officers, is usurping a privilege not earned.

As a SPC you are preparing to be an NCO, but are still just an overpaid PFC. A more acceptable correction to a PEER, would be 'Private, you are expected to salute when you encounter an Officer'. The correction is still made, but in a professional manner that is acceptable to one of your pay grade in relation to the Officers you were with.

In private, as a peer, such a correction would be considered appropriate.

I believe the MAJ was attempting to teach you on how such a correction should be made,
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Customs and courtesies are a big deal. Enforcing them is not optional. The Major was in the wrong.
SCPO Religious Programs Specialist
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Officers have no business telling enlisted how to correct Junior Enlisted, when it comes to Military Bearing
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CDR Dan Cunningham
CDR Dan Cunningham
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SCPO (Join to see) - I know they became great Chiefs because I followed their careers. It would have been difficult to be worse than the CPO I had during my first DIVO tour.
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SCPO Religious Programs Specialist
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CDR Dan CunninghamSorry your first Chief was a disappointment. Maybe that Chief was an E7.
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CDR Dan Cunningham
CDR Dan Cunningham
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SCPO (Join to see) - No, he was worse than a 'disappointment'. He did less than nothing, but the lesson wasn't lost.
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SCPO Religious Programs Specialist
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CDR Dan Cunningham That is sad news, Sir.
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SSG Calvin Grant
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Doesn’t matter if the soldier was having a bad day or not. Everyone who serves in the military regardless of rank is taught Customs and Courtesies. General Military Authority allows for anyone to make a correction when we see something not IAW military standards. Failure to correct the problem when it is noticed creates a new standard. If it’s someone your rank or below use the authority bestowed in you as a leader without being ignorant and make the correction. If it’s someone above your rank use tact and bearing and make the correction. There’s no need of looking down, there ain’t no discharge on the ground.
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SGT Tim Mott Sr.
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I’m not sure if this is germane or the not. But in Augsburg, (then) West Germany circa 1976, I was a fourteen year old teenager walking to the PX with my father, an Army Sergeant-Major. My father happened to notice a white, grizzled Staff Sergeant walk by without saluting an African-American 1LT. My father stopped that NCO, who snapped to attention, while the officer turned around and approached us. This was midday, with dozens of spectators. My father questioned the SSG as to why he didn’t salute the LT, and he uncomfortably responded that he was lost in his thoughts, and had not noticed the officer. This answer did not satisfy my father, who later told me that he expected that the NCO’s real motivation was racist in nature. Upon closer interrogation, it became apparent that my father’s suspicion was correct.

My father politely asked the lieutenant (who was dressed in his Class A uniform) if he could borrow his cap. Upon being handed that item, he placed it on the ground about ten meters away on the sidewalk. He then firmly ordered the SSG to approach the hat and salute it as he walked by. My father had the NCO repeat this several times, and then handed the hat back to the LT. He then explained that these salutes were protocol for respecting the rank of the officer regardless of that officer’s ethnicity or race. When he asked if this lesson was understood, the NCO replied, “Yes, Sergeant-Major!” By this time, everyone around us were standing around, intensely observing all that was happening, and the SSG was obviously very embarrassed.

My father then obtained this soldier’s unit, (which he never contacted), and then ordered him to walk by the officer again, who was wearing his cover again. This he complied with, as the Lieutenant with gravitas returned the rendered salute. My father then dismissed the NCO. As we again walked towards the entrance to the PX, my father saluted the officer — who with a slight smile, returned my dad’s salute.

Four years later, I enlisted in the Army myself, in which I served fourteen years. I never forgot the lesson that my father taught that NCO.
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CWO2 Shelby DuBois
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When I first got out of USMC, Boot Camp, I went to NATTC Lakehurst NJ....A Navy base, and I saluted everything that had something shining on a collar. I saluted officers, Chief Petty Officers and bank guards. While they usually just laughed it off or said something like "You don't salute me...I work for a living." the Command Chief Petty Officer saw me, pulled me aside and said, "Son... you're gonna take off if you keep flapping that arm like that." He took me to his office and showed me the Navy Enlisted Ranks Poster. He could have just laughed at me as just another dumbass jarhead, but he set me straight and if he told my SgtMaj, neither ever mentioned it. Professional all the way.
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CWO2 Shelby DuBois
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I think what the Major meant was for you to use a bit more tact and diplomacy, especially in a more open public area where civilians and kids could be around (USO). The best way to handle it would be to ask the PFC to hold on for a minute...and excuse yourself from your officers and go back and point out the PFC's glaring error. Away from mainside and it's just you and other hard chargers, then yes... grabbing them by the stacking swivel giving some brain housing group reminders is expected.
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Capt Walter Miller
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Sounds like the right tone to me.
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Capt Walter Miller
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