His obligation is to return the salute that was rendered to him. The SMAJ would have initiated the salute. Incidentally, the SMAJ needs to work on his salute, sloppy and UNSAT for a Marine. You'd never see a Master Gunnery Sergeant rendering such a pi** poor salute. That's what happens when a guy like Schager spends most of his career behind a desk.
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Marine 1st Lt. Cody J. Carroll salutes Sgt. Maj. Dennis J. Schager after he is presented the Bronze Star Medal with V device by his former U.S. Army commanding officer at the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Companys compound in Mobile, Ala. in Nov. 10, 2012. Carroll was awarded the nations 4th highest award for combat heroism for serving as an Army sniper in support of a special operations unit. Carroll is credited with killing insurgents with a long-range sniper rifle, calling in airstrikes and saving numerous hostages in a seven-day span during an Afghanistan deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ray Lewis/Released) (Photo by Sgt. Ray Lewis)