# Explain the rules, regs, protocols, etc. of saluting in the US armed forces

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-rules-regs-protocols-etc-of-saluting-in-the-us-armed-forces/829667>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 16, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-rules-regs-protocols-etc-of-saluting-in-the-us-armed-forces/829667 "2019-02-16T14:42:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-rules-regs-protocols-etc-of-saluting-in-the-us-armed-forces/829667/41 "2019-02-18T17:18:47Z")

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Anyway, the point I was trying to make:

The saluting is a two-way courtesy.

If you neglect to salute your superior, he will get angry with you.

If he neglects to return your salute, his superiors will get angry with him.

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**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-rules-regs-protocols-etc-of-saluting-in-the-us-armed-forces/829667/42 "2019-02-18T20:25:51Z")

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Another 35 year-oldish memory 🙂 [the days of Ronald Reagan and the promise of a 600-ship Navy]

My remembrance is as a Naval Officer with 3 of 4 active duty years on an aircraft carrier. Salutes were mostly done when coming aboard/going ashore while in port or at anchor, at morning muster (a formation) and when assuming or being relieved of a watch.

I’d say salutes are a requirement, not a courtesy. One does not get written up for violating a courtesy but do for violating a requirement (while some requirements may be spoken of as courtesies, there is a standing order or article of the Uniform Code of Military Justice behind them).

Salutes between junior officers: the philosophy I recall was \*Seniority between junior officers is like virtue among prostitutes - nonexistent.

Nod, smile & salute and get your 20 (years).\*  
**dba fred** ’s career Marine father

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**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-the-rules-regs-protocols-etc-of-saluting-in-the-us-armed-forces/829667/43 "2019-02-19T00:15:15Z")

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> [@sps49sd](#):
>
> Some Mrs. Lieutenants were annoyed by this. Only one male was. One helmeted motorcycle rider did not pass through and revved his engine at me. I repeated the elbow-height ‘move along’ twice, he finally left.  
> .

🙂 So that’s what it is!

By chance I was watching an American action/crime genre movie last week, and the masked female criminal was making a weird elbow-height movement when she wanted the crowd to move along. It just looked odd to me. I could see the context, but the action was meaningless: it didn’t say “move along” to me at all.

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