[Clive]

Box photo:

A sign indicates Afghan-theatre specific
instructions to the troops, at the boardwalk
at Kandahar Air Field, on Thursday.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland

[Clive]

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[Clive]

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[PapaBear3625]

They didn’t salute in the field in Nam either, for the same reason. Nothing new, except to journalists

[ClearCase_guy]

I don’t think this is completely new. I believe this practice was followed in some areas during WWII (and, I’m sure, other conflicts).

[DungeonMaster]

No saluting for soldiers in theatre of war

DUH

[AntiKev]

This has been SOP since before I started running in military circles.

[xsrdx]

Slow news day?

[Doogle]

ass**** news media discovers the obvious

[tongue-tied]

"no hat-no salute area."
Unless you are here in Kabul, and American. Every other nation goes without cover except us. We don't salute, but we wear our covers when outside.

Things that make you go "What the heck?!"

[Condor51]

'No saluting for soldiers in theatre of war'

Sorry, but I've gotta do it....

[NYFriend]

The article seems to suggest that the US is unique in maintain the practice of salutes on base.

I was recently talking to a colleague was was an US Army infantry officer, who served as an exchange officer with the British Army. We talked about the differences in the interaction between officers and enlisted in the US and British armed forces. His suggestion was that the American military had a very formal, enforced, and artificial distinction between officers and enlisted that served a critical purpose, but was unnatural to the people involved (not talking about the relationship between a private and general, but think about Staff NCOs and officers).

He contrasted this with the British system where he believed their was a very deep but unspoken divide between officers and enlisted, which was natural (because of their culture) and was always present, even when the two were interacting less formally.

He made a good case that the US distinction between officers and enlisted was inconsistent with the American civilian culture’s general uncomfortably with social classes (except for famous people). The British, very often, have a some aversion to class identification, but these distinctions still seem to exist overtly, and are accepted (even if the middle class may seem more popular overall). Therefore, there is some natural feeling that officers are of a higher class (which isn’t always the case anymore, but had been true of much of the British military throughout history), that their members of the armed forces are able to fall into their expected roles easier.

[The_Repugnant_Conservative]

So I am supposed to Paint the General instead?

[edcoil]

“It’s origin is unclear but it is believed by some to go back to the Middle Ages when a knight would raise the visor on his helmet and expose his face to the view of another.”

This is its origin, why is it unclear? 0-Canada has no knights or history of such honor.

[BluH2o]

Going back to my days in the Corps I once was chewed out for not saluting a battalion commander (Lt. Colonel) while on field maneuvers in Turkey. I was manning an outpost directing traffic thru a narrow cut in an area of steep hills. Traffic was confined to one way and I received a radio call from my counterpart a couple of miles away to tell me 3 vehicles were headed my way and to hold traffic at my end. The vehicles approached with no discernible markings that would distinguish them from others that had passed thru earlier. This time it was the battalion commander and although I was standing alertly at the side of the road I didn’t salute ... thinking it was inappropriate under field conditions. He stopped his vehicle summoned me over chewed my butt asked me who my CO was and passed me off to a Gunny in his entourage for further counseling. I told the Gunny why I hadn’t saluted he sort of winked and proceeded on. I thought my young butt was in big trouble ... however nothing came of it ... so me thinks the Gunny put in a good word.

[Charlespg]

They had that rule in WWII

dumb ass reporters

[metesky]

In previous eras, marksmen would target opposing officers, often easily identified by the different uniforms they wore. Killing one of the leaders was an easy way to demoralize and confuse enemy troops.

At New Orleans in January, 1815, Tennessee and Kentucky riflemen killed all three British generals present on the field. By the time the reseve commander arrived, the route was already on.

[fanfan]

[em2vn]

The Navy never salutes indoors because a cover isn’t worn indoors and the Navy doesn’t salute without a cover.

[Future Snake Eater]

So, the article says that these other countries’ military personnel don’t salute on the FOB? That is odd. We don’t salute while out in-sector, but on the FOB, it’s basically like any other military base, except you get mortared a lot more often, and you carry your personal weapon with you everywhere you go.

[Calpernia]

>>>believed by some to go back to the Middle Ages when a knight would raise the visor on his helmet and expose his face to the view of another.

I think there was a Canteen thread on the origin of the salute.