Paying Compliments (Saluting, Verbal Address)

[gcclarke]

Somewhat silly question, but does one generally salute a superior officer who is walking in their direction, but on the other side of the street?

I have only once been on the receiving end of one of there, and I wouldn't think of offering up one. The Chief who initiated the salute also did not accompany his salute with any verbal cue, so it was pretty much sheer luck / good peripheral vision that allowed me an my compatriot to notice that we had a salute that needed returning.

Needless to say, I believe this to be somewhat overkill, the opinion of BGen Leslie notwithstanding.

 

[Edward Campbell]

I have only once been on the receiving end of one of there, and I wouldn't think of offering up one. The Chief who initiated the salute also did not accompany his salute with any verbal cue, so it was pretty much sheer luck / good peripheral vision that allowed me an my compatriot to notice that we had a salute that needed returning.

Needless to say, I believe this to be somewhat overkill, the opinion of BGen Leslie notwithstanding.

At one point in his career Brig Leslie, then a colonel, if memory serves, rode a bicycle. Needless to say we all kept an eye peeled for red tabs on two wheels. The neat thing was that Brig Leslie, seated on his bike, returned a salute in a manner that could hardly be beat by any Guards sergeant major: seated, quite erect, left hand on the handle bars, right hand snapped up to a salute and head and eyes turned to the soldier whose salute he was returning. Damned sharp!


Edit: added a bit of text

 

[ajp]

As for Saluting Smokey Smith - I doubt any professional soldier I know would not have saluted him under any circumstance, and suspect a few RSM, SSM types would have corrected the issue under any situation.  As for Officers, I don't know of any that missed the salute, required or not.  I met him on his last two visits to PEI.

I do know that if I recognize a superior officer walking, out of uniform, that I certainly take the opportunity to salute.  I missed one recently as a BGen drove by in his civy car, but had I known I would have saluted, not that he was looking for it...but respect for his rank is certainly there.

 

[1911CoLt45]

Do Mp's salute officers while on duty as policemen? 
Ex.  A major comes to the gate of a Cf base and is greeted by a mp check point, what is the protocol?
I am a civy, that’s more or less obvious, but what just wondering how situations like these and others play out.


Thanks again.

 

[Dissident]

Yes.

 

[catalyst]

Even if they're in trouble..............I got pulled over in the canex parking lot (in the out, whoops) and the MP got out and saluted once he realized I was a Lt.

 

[1feral1]

Do Mp's salute officers while on duty as policemen? 

My two bob.

What makes you think they would not?

Sure, there is a time and place for the paying compliments, but generally MPs as much as other Corps within Army are held pretty much in common with the rules and regs that govern an army.

Now that being said, on my time in Iraq, I did not chuck one boxer. Like I said a time and a place.

Regards,

OWDU

 

[Jarnhamar]

My two bob.

What makes you think they would not?

He's not a soldier, I'd say doesn't know either way.

Now that being said, on my time in Iraq, I did not chuck one boxer. Like I said a time and a place.

Weird. I saluted my platoon commander EVERY chance I got in Afghanistan...

 

[Snakedoc]

Even if they're in trouble..............I got pulled over in the canex parking lot (in the out, whoops) and the MP got out and saluted once he realized I was a Lt.

I'm assuming you were still in your car?  Are MP's supposed to salute commissioned officers when the officer is still sitting in the car (ie. at a base checkpoint or after pulling over an officer).  In the very few ( ;D ) times I've encountered this situation, the answer has been no but I've seen it done in the US.

 

[1feral1]

Weird. I saluted my platoon commander EVERY chance I got in Afghanistan...

Not wierd here, its the norm. In the Australian Army when deployed in hostile environments, there is no saluting. Iraq was considereed this. Even at JTF 633 HQ at Australia Island at Victory, still no salutes.

Its a long tradition here, going back almost 100 yrs.  In FOB Union III (Camp Al Tahweed- where we were based out of) in some of the same areas US Forces actually had signs "This is a Saluting Zone".  Australians also did not salute Coaltion officers either, which when a new contingent  of US Forces arrived, kind of put their noses out of joint.  ;D

I had noticed US Forces chucking a boxer with a slung rifle, which I thought was different.

Cheers (its 34C here today),


OWDU

 

[armyvern]

Not wierd here, its the norm. In the Australian Army when deployed in hostile environments, there is no saluting. Iraq was considereed this. Even at JTF 633 HQ at Australia Island at Victory, still no salutes.
...

OWDU, it's the norm here too to not salute in hostile enviornments.  I think perhaps Flawed was simply dreaming of performing a sniper check. 

 

[CountDC]

Thanks for posting that Vern - I was beginning to think old age was fogging my brain and I was just imagining the sniper checks in the field.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Thanks for posting that Vern - I was beginning to think old age was fogging my brain and I was just imagining the sniper checks in the field.

Geez... is THAT why my guys always saluted me on patrol? I guess there were no snipers around.... 

 

[xena]

Geez... is THAT why my guys always saluted me on patrol? I guess there were no snipers around.... 

I wondered why the guys in my section did that to me too.  Of course, it really made me curious since I was only a Corporal...

 

[KingofKeys]

I don't know if this is relevant, but I really want to say it:

In the words of Richard Winters "We salute the rank, not the man"

 

[Gandhi]

I have searched the forums to the best of my ability and still cannot find any explicit answer.  I was instructed more then once so far in my training that a drill faux pas is saluting while wearing a rucksack. So, my question to the forums,  can anyone give a solid answer with official reference as to whether or not it is to be done.  The last thing I want to to is not salute a LCol when I am supposed to or look like a jerk by telling someone not to salute me while they are wearing theirs.  Thank you in advance for your replies.

 

[Michael OLeary]

There is no reference that I am aware of that precludes saluting while wearing a rucksack.  Whoever told you this is spending far too much time thinking up excuses not to pay proper respects when they should.

 

[Haggis]

There is no reference that I am aware of that precludes saluting while wearing a rucksack.  Whoever told you this is spending far too much time thinking up excuses not to pay proper respects when they should.

Agreed.  There is nothing in the Manual of Drill and Ceremonial that would prevent you from rendering a salute (tactical considerations aside) while wearing a rucksack.  You can never go wrong if you err on the side of caution and salute if you believe the situation calls for it.

 

[the 48th regulator]

Frig,

I used to salute officers out in the field too.  In my day we called that a sniper check.....

We also tied an onion on our belt, as that was the fasion.

More stories often used by tess

dileas

tess

 

[Occam]

I agree, there's nothing in the Dress or Drill manuals precluding marks of respect being paid while wearing a ruck of any kind.

A rule of thumb dealing with the issue is that nobody has ever been jacked up for paying marks of respect when they weren't absolutely necessary.