Is the branch of the military that transports politicians in airforce one or a helicoptor (the guys typically seen in the background as the president gets off of or onto a helicoptor or plane) required to salute the politician in question? I ask because a relative of mine is a staunch republican and has mentioned a few times that as expresident Clinton or Senator Clinton disembarked from their flight, the military men have not saluted because they dislike these specific politicians so much. Is there any credablility to this claim?
Nope. Not in the slightest.
when you are in a high-profile public duties job you do not get away with doing stuff like this. Clinton may not have known the difference but he had plenty of snitches who would have told him - and some were in the military.
This really doesn’t answer the OP’s question but it does relate to saluting those of a higher rank. While stationed as NAS Whidbey Island in the mid 70’s, I was exiting the chow hall one morning and did not notice that an officer had passed. He let me know in no uncertain terms that I had breached one of the most sacred things about being an officer, I as an enlisted sailor would salute the uniform of an officer. I apologized, saluted and went on my way. A few weeks later I pass this same officer and snap a very sharp salute and say “Good morning uniform”.
The officer was not impressed. It cost me 72 hours restriction to base and a week of picking up trash every morning. Don’t ask me why I did it, to this day I have no idea why.
The current POTUS is saluted as the commander and chief of the military. I don’t know if former presidents are required to be saluted (I don’t believe so), but I would imagian it happens out of courtsey of them being former presidents. To the best of my knowlage no other US diplomats are saluted by out military.
In England, at any rate, they are required to salute:-
Senior Commisioned Officers of all three services and their foreign equivalents
The Queen and members of the Royal Family
Government Ministers
The Regimental Colours (uncased)
The bier of a military funeral in procession