Posted on Dec 14, 2018
What’s the proper way to correct someone when not saluting an officer?
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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?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 388
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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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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CPT (Join to see)
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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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.
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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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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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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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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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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50 years ago in the Marines, you would start with the phrase " Hey Dumbass
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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.
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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Let me guess, the officers were medical types. While I respect their skill and their dedication to their job of taking care of all service personnel they have to learn to respect the customs and traditions of the military.
If you were senior to the private who forgot their responsibility to salute you were right on and the officers should not have been critical. As long as you didn't try to play drill instructor and humiliate the soldier. It may have been that they were day dreaming and never noticed the officers. They just needed to be reminded. They should apologies, salute and go about their business.
If you were senior to the private who forgot their responsibility to salute you were right on and the officers should not have been critical. As long as you didn't try to play drill instructor and humiliate the soldier. It may have been that they were day dreaming and never noticed the officers. They just needed to be reminded. They should apologies, salute and go about their business.
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You could have said excuse me I noticed you didn’t salute the officer did you not see him
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AR600-25 1-5. Says all Army personnel are REQUIRED to salute when they meet and recognize persons entitled to the salute. Further on it states the junior person shall salute first. In my opinion the Major should have kept quiet and appreciated the Specialist's respect and knowledge of military regulations, customs, and courtesy. As. Leader he should abide by and encourage the same.
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You did just fine. My preferred method was to yank a knot in their ass. In your scenario to not render a hand salute looks to be intentionally disrespectful. Being so, that PFC is hollering to the two officers F**K YOU for all to hear and you know any other enlisted person that saw the PFC were waiting to see what you will do about it. As for the Majors comments. You just respectfully tell him "ok sir you are telling me that you don't deserve a hand salute, you don't want to be respected. But I will ensure that any other officers that may happen to be in out group WILL receive a proper and respectful hand salute and the greeting of the day."
The same applies the other way. You render a hand salute to an officer and give the proper greeting of the day and the officer does not return your salute. You do an about-face and catch up to the officer, stop him or her, Explain they did not return your salute as required and give another salute. I bet it's returned now.
The same applies the other way. You render a hand salute to an officer and give the proper greeting of the day and the officer does not return your salute. You do an about-face and catch up to the officer, stop him or her, Explain they did not return your salute as required and give another salute. I bet it's returned now.
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Plenty have answered the question. I have hit the age where I like to go down memory lane. I have learned there is a big difference between Combat Arms Officers and Non Combat Arms Officers. An Infantry Officer and I (Armor) was tasked to assist a Doctor who was to be commissioned as a Captain. I am not sure how or why it worked out the Doc was there and how Docs get commissioned but we were taking him to clothing sales to get him set up for uniforms and the what nots, before heading to FT Sam Houston. While at the Clothing Sales the other Captain and I noticed a Infantry LTC with pin rank instead of sew on. We convinced the soon to be Captain the LTC had is insignia reversed and it was his duty to correct the LTC. The LTC's uniform was perfect but the Doc did not know that. He was very hesitant however we impressed upon him it would be better he do it than letting him go out of the building and someone else seeing the LTC out of uniform. We stressed, "make sure you tell him you are a Captain and tell him to pay attention to details." Let the LTC know you are a Medical Doctor and he is only Infantry."
It was fun to watch from a distance. The LTC was fairly shocked at first but soon realized the Doc was being played and he handled it like a pro. He realized what was going on and played it perfect. We actually talked to him later and he really had a good laugh. The soon to be Captain didn't talk to us anymore.
It was fun to watch from a distance. The LTC was fairly shocked at first but soon realized the Doc was being played and he handled it like a pro. He realized what was going on and played it perfect. We actually talked to him later and he really had a good laugh. The soon to be Captain didn't talk to us anymore.
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So true, any active duty member in uniform should show respect to the rank of others. The only exception I ever saw was when an Admiral started to dress down an E3 in dress uniform for not showing respect. The Admiral had to shut up, pop tall and salute the Seaman when he noticed the MOH on his chest. Never a right or wrong way, it's discipline at stake.
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Sgt Michael Clifford
There is no regulation that requires a senior rank to salute a CMOH recipient first. It is a tradition to honor the medal.
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Suspended Profile
I’ve commented before on this. A salute is a sign of respect shared between warriors. While the tradition is for the junior to initiate there is NO Rule that says the senior cannot initiate it. So start the salute - 99.9% of the time the junior realizes it and snaps back a top notch salute. Include a greeting as well like “Good morning soldier” or “All the Way”. And go on about your business. There wasn’t really a problem ... you showed respect to a fellow warrior...and you are both serving this great country. Nuff said.
Just do not do what my driver (a very squared away corporal) did one afternoon while he was driving me trough a training area in an open 1/4 ton (for you young guys, that is what we had before the Humvee and after the M-37 Jeep. Knock it off. I know how old I am. I took basic with the M-1 and was issued brown boots with a bottle of black dye.) when we drove by a group of trainees standing outside of a classroom on a smoke break. I was occupied reading some paperwork when suddenly he slammed on the brakes causing me to nearly eat the windscreen. When I looked up he was already dismounted and halfway to the group of trainees standing about 60 feet away. He bellowed at the top of his lungs attention and got right up in the face of one of the trainees. After about a minute of what appeared to be a by the numbers tail chewing he told the whole group to render a hand salute. After I returned the salute and the corporal had returned to the vehicle. I said, "I must remember to never fail to salute a superior officer when you are around." The corporal in a very excited voice said, "Sir, you did not see what that punk did, he not only did not render you a proper salute, he shot you a peace sign!" I said; "Well, I bet he will never do that again and I bet he is thanking the Lord right now that you were not armed."
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SPC (Join to see)
One of the old Mustangs on my floor was in Germany at Graf. They we’re doing a exercise as if another 9/11 happened so people were patrolling the perimeter of the base the whole nine. Well the CG wanted to see how the OP was going. He drove passed the then SGT and his team. They recognized him but didn’t salute because should it have been really you wouldn’t have. The CGs driver, a 1LT, got out and started yelling at the PVTs on the team. My old mustang lost his shit and told the LT to address him not his soldiers and went into the nuances on how saluting during this was unsafe and not realistic especially if it were a training for a large level response like 9/11. The CG got out and agreed with the rational on not saluting then dressed him down for yelling at his LT.
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