# Should Obama salute military people? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 11, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362 "2009-02-11T14:26:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/1 "2009-02-11T14:26:53Z")
i always thought he should not, even though he’s the CIC. He’s still a civilian, and civilians don’t even salute the flag; we put our hands over our hearts. Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/2 "2009-02-11T14:36:32Z")
Curiously you didn’t feel the need to ask this question a month ago about the CIC… ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/3 "2009-02-11T14:37:23Z")
In the US, military personnel salute the civilian leadership. If said leadership doesn’t salute back, they’re gonna look kinda like jerks. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/4 "2009-02-11T14:39:45Z")
Since Obama is not the first POTUS or CIC and the military is not a new establishment, I have to assume, like everything else, the traditions and protocols for who salutes who are already well established and I see no need to change them. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/5 "2009-02-11T14:48:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Longstanding tradition requires members of the military to salute the president. The practice of presidents returning that salute is more recent — Ronald Reagan started it in 1981. > Reagan’s decision raised eyebrows at the time. Dwight Eisenhower, a former five-star general, did not return military salutes while president. Nor had other presidents > John Kline, then Reagan’s military aide and now a Minnesota congressman, advised him that it went against military protocol for presidents to return salutes. Reagan is dead, [let this particular idiocy die with him.](http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/2008/12/24/to-salute-or-not-to-salute-thats-obamas-question/) ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/6 "2009-02-11T14:59:27Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Curiously you didn’t feel the need to ask this question a month ago about the CIC… You think I’m a Bushie? :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D Au contraire! What’s more, I am a big Obama booster. I used to grind my teeth whenever I saw W’s snappy military salutes. But I chose to abide by GD rules and refrain from political pronouncements. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/7 "2009-02-11T15:02:04Z")
On the merits, I’m indifferent. Politically, this is a hornet’s nest Obama is thankfully wise enough to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/8 "2009-02-11T15:07:26Z")
> [@furt](#): > > On the merits, I’m indifferent. > > Politically, this is a hornet’s nest Obama is thankfully wise enough to avoid. You’re probably right. The GOP would howl if Obama didn’t salute. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/9 "2009-02-11T15:10:54Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > In the US, military personnel salute the civilian leadership. If said leadership doesn’t salute back, they’re gonna look kinda like jerks. Where did you get that?!?!? The only civilian that we salute in the President. That gets debated periodically, but most don’t have heart ache with that. I’ve seen SecDef greeted by military officers, and I’ve not seen then salute even him. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/10 "2009-02-11T15:12:21Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > You think I’m a Bushie? :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D > Au contraire! > > What’s more, I am a big Obama booster. > > I used to grind my teeth whenever I saw W’s snappy > military salutes. But I chose to abide by GD rules and > refrain from political pronouncements. I’m pretty middle of the road when it comes to Bush, but at least he could salute. Your boy Clinton though, clearly didin’t want to salute and it showed! ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/11 "2009-02-11T15:14:24Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > The GOP would howl if Obama didn’t salute. Perhaps they would. However, the current POTUS (like most of his precedessors) is not a member of the military, and never has been: he is a civilian, even though he is Commander in Chief, and so should not salute. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/12 "2009-02-11T15:15:38Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > Where did you get that?!?!? > > The only civilian that we salute in the President. That gets debated periodically, but most don’t have heart ache with that. > > I’ve seen SecDef greeted by military officers, and I’ve not seen then salute even him. And if not saluting was good enough for Ike… Here’s an ex-military guy who stopped returning salutes because he knew it was inappropriate as a civilian. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/13 "2009-02-11T15:20:41Z")
This is one of those Catch-22 things. Some people are going to say he should not do it. If he doesn’t do it THOSE SAME PEOPLE are going to say “OMG he disrespected the soldiers, they saluted him and he didn’t return it.” Reagan started it a quarter of a century ago. I see good reasons why the president should do it and good reasons why he shouldn’t. I say Obama and the country have more important things to worry about and he should spend time worrying about those things rather than this thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/14 "2009-02-11T15:26:47Z")
> [@BarnOwl](#): > > And if not saluting was good enough for Ike… > > Here’s an ex-military guy who stopped returning salutes because he knew it was > inappropriate as a civilian. I don’t think that he ever returned salutes as president. He sure did as an active duty Army officer. And let’s be clear about what a returned salute means - it is an acknowledgment of respect given and a return of it. Now, custom dictates that military personnel salute the president because he is commander-in-chief. Now, Reagan had once been active duty Army, though in a rear-echelon support job in California. He thought that a salute rendered ought to be returned for the reasons I gave above and started to do so. Presidents since him have continued to do this. I don’t mind it, myself, but I don’t think the world turns on it either. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/15 "2009-02-11T15:31:02Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > I don’t think that he ever returned salutes as president. He sure did as an active duty Army officer. And let’s be clear about what a returned salute means - it is an acknowledgment of respect given and a return of it. > > Now, custom dictates that military personnel salute the president because he is commander-in-chief. Now, Reagan had once been active duty Army, though in a rear-echelon support job in California. He thought that a salute rendered ought to be returned for the reasons I gave above and started to do so. Presidents since him have continued to do this. > > I don’t mind it, myself, but I don’t think the world turns on it either. Agreed. It’s a small matter. I think both sides have had their say, and request the mods to close this thread ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/16 "2009-02-11T15:40:21Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > I don’t think that he ever returned salutes as president. He sure did as an active duty Army officer. And let’s be clear about what a returned salute means - it is an acknowledgment of respect given and a return of it. > > Now, custom dictates that military personnel salute the president because he is commander-in-chief. Now, Reagan had once been active duty Army, though in a rear-echelon support job in California. He thought that a salute rendered ought to be returned for the reasons I gave above and started to do so. Presidents since him have continued to do this. > > I don’t mind it, myself, but I don’t think the world turns on it either. I’d agree with you if the military saluted while out of uniform. Since they don’t, it is not apporpriate for the president to return the salute while in civilian clothes. If we get him one of those Banana Republic Generalissimo outfits, then hell yeah, he should snap away. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/17 "2009-02-11T15:42:54Z")
I agree that Obama is in damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t territory. As a military guy, I’d prefer that he return the salute, but most aren’t hard over either way. Having said that that when I see a senior military officer in civilian clothes and I salute him because I’m in uniform, they NEVER salute back. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/18 "2009-02-11T15:43:13Z")
I’ve seen civilians salute, it looks silly and its wrong, but I never felt the need to tell them that. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/19 "2009-02-11T15:51:15Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > I’m pretty middle of the road when it comes to Bush, but at least he could salute. Your boy Clinton though, clearly didin’t want to salute and it showed! Clinton saluted. He got criticized by the right for doing it too. It’s a no win situation for any Democrat because either choice is spun as contempt for the military by the right. Personally, I think that if George Washington didn’t think there was any need to return a salute, then there’s no need for any other CIC to do it. It was a lame thing for Reagan to start (especially since he spent his own “military service” making VD training films on a Hollywood backlot), but now it’s just become accepted as normal protocol. I doubt anyone’s going to end it. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362/20 "2009-02-11T15:57:17Z")
I agree that it will never end. I’m as patrotic as the next guy, but that $1.98 American flag pin (that I think Nixon started) drives me nuts. But Omama took flack for not having that during the election as I recall, so he’s screwed either way. I know that Clinton saluted. My comment was that he looked very uncomfortable doing it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-obama-salute-military-people/485362.md?page=2)